It’s important that you plan on how you will house your sulcata in the winter. You may live in an area that doesn’t get too cold, or you may live in an area that sees several inches or feet of snow. The best thing you can do is try to find a shed or basement that you can use to house your sulcata. Avoid places where there are drafts.
Do Sulcata Tortoises Hibernate?
If the temperatures remain cooler, sulcatas will slow down. They will not eat as much and their activity levels will slow. However sulcatas do not hibernate.
Do Sulcatas Get Cold?
Although sulcatas are temperature tolerant, they can get cold if the temperature remains low. If left at too low temperature for too long, your sulcata can freeze. Because they do not hibernate, the body will slowly shut down.
How Cold is Too Cold for a Sulcata?
Adult sulcata tortoises can handle cold weather in the 40s, however they shouldn’t be left outside if the temperature remains in the 40’s or colder. Basically, a night or two isn’t going to freeze your adult tortoise.
However, tortoises are cold blooded, which means they need a source of heat. Ideally, sulcatas are not left outside below 60-degree Fahrenheit for extended periods of time.
Baby sulcata tortoises can not tolerate cold weather as well as adult and larger sulcatas. They are much more fragile. If the temperature is below 60-degrees Fahrenheit, you want to bring your baby tortoise inside.
Housing Sulcatas In Winter
If you live in an area where you experience cold winters, you’ll want to consider what to do with your pet tortoise.
When housing large sulcatas in the winter, you can bring them into a heated shed, garage or basement if one is available. Otherwise, you can build an insulated house with a heat lamp or oil-less heater. You will need to put the heat source on a thermostat, so that the house doesn’t over heat your tortoise.
If your tortoise has a burrow, you’ll want to lock it out of the burrow during the winter. This will force the tortoise to keep warm in the heated house.
Smaller sulcatas are easier to house. If you’re already using an indoor enclosure, continue doing so in order to ensure safe indoor temperatures. You do not want to force hibernation on a species that doesn’t naturally hibernate.
