How to Keep a Tortoise Warm in the Fall and Winter

Tortoises should not be subjected to sustained temperatures below 40 degrees Fahrenheit or 4 degrees Celsius. They are cold-blooded and do not hibernate in the winter, like turtles.

They need a warm enclosure and plenty of grass such as timothy hay where they rest covered or partially covered with the hay. Outbuildings or greenhouses with a safe heat source is one possibility. Smaller tortoises should be brought inside during sustained cold bouts below 40 degrees F or 4 C. if the heat source will not be able to maintain the desired temperature due to extreme cold weather, such as in the teens or below freezing.

Tortoises should not be allowed to roam unenclosed areas because if they escape your care, they could die from winter cold. They do not hibernate like turtles, so they are awake and trying to live and need human help to maintain the conditions they require.

Smaller tortoises inside outbuildings or greenhouses can rest and sleep under a small plastic swimming pool with an entry/exit cut on at least one side so they can enter and leave. Timothy hay can be placed inside the enclosure, but not so much that they can't move around.

Around the end of fall colder temperatures could start, before winter, so caregivers of tortoises should always monitor weather conditions.

Tortoises kept in enclosures should be monitored daily. They have a tendency to climb and bump into things and sometimes flip over and cannot recover their upright position.

Here are links to products you may purchase for your tortoises:

Tortoise Products

This site contains product affiliate links. We may receive a commission if you make a purchase after clicking on one of these links.

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