General Care Discussion :: Is it healthy to let turtles outside?

[razorblade42069]

Is it "healthy" or a good idea to take my 2 turtles outside/ I have a large container (nice set up with rocks for basking in the Cali sun also with shade) to place them in for the day, or is it better to just let them be in their tank?
They seem to get pretty shook up when I take them out of their tank for any reason, but I am wondering if it is good to get them outside once and awhile. Thanks!

[4Lancer4]

There are many people on this forum that leave their turtle out of their tank. But you shouldn't do it if the turtle begins to flinch. They can get scared easily so you should give them time to adjust.

[DavidY]

Some outdoor time is good for them (natural sunlight, fresh air, extra space to move around). But you need to be extra careful about temperatures to make sure they don't overheat in the sun. Any container will heat up very quickly and can become even more of a problem if it has high sides since it wont' be able to get good air flowing through it. Don't rely on the container walls for shade since the walls will still absorb heat from the sun and transfer that heat directly into the still air in the container. The container itself should be partially in the sun and partially in the shade.

You also have to watch out not to leave them alone while they are outside, at least not for long periods. And you wouldn't want to put them outside if the temps start getting too cool. I only bring my turtles outside when the air temp is above 70 degrees and less than the low 80's. Predators can also be a problem (dogs, raccoons, coyotes, hawks). If your turtles are not full grown I wouldn't leave their side at all.

Do you have a UVB light for their inside tank?

[scripta_elegans]

It is good for them to get unfiltered sunlight, but I might recommend just letting them explore the lawn for 1/2 an hour if it isn't chemically treated. I have a little outdoor pond/stock tank, and my turtles love it, but they don't bask much. They get to busy eating bugs and plants. i will usually get them out in the yard at least 2 times a week if the weather is good. I am with David on the temps. If it is over 84, they go in the pond, where i closely moniter water temps. I watch them in the yard, but I will leae them in the stck tank unsupervised for a short time. They can hide in there. lots of plant cover and depth.

[razorblade42069]

Thanks for the info. I have a UVB light inside their tank, so they're all set there. I keep an eye on them outside, making sure they dont get too hot (it's getting about 95 here in so cal.). I plan on making their outside location permanent (for short visits) so that I can put in some proper plants.
Great idea about letting them explore the lawn. Being that I am overprotective, i wouldn't have thought this would be a good idea. But i will give it a try!

[scripta_elegans]

I am on the overprotective side too, but I think it's ok as long as you keep a close eye on them. If they are under 3-4 inches, you really really need to watch them. Even ants can hurt them, and almost anything carnivorous would consider them a tasty treat!

[RunninWideOpen]

I let my larger turtles out quite often. They love it. I haven't mustered up the guts to let my smaller turtles out yet tho.

[industrial_girl_2000]

Is it "healthy" or a good idea to take my 2 turtles outside/ I have a large container (nice set up with rocks for basking in the Cali sun also with shade) to place them in for the day, or is it better to just let them be in their tank?
They seem to get pretty shook up when I take them out of their tank for any reason, but I am wondering if it is good to get them outside once and awhile. Thanks!

No need to take them outside if they get stressed out about it.

[DavidY]

That's very true too. When I first took my turtles outside on the lawn, they were very spooked and kept racing for the nearest object to hide under (my big female ran straight towards me ). So after about 10 minutes I brought them back inside and they were happy again. The next time I brought them out they were much less spooked and cautiously began to explore. Since then I built them a pen (I'll post pics in the photo section) and they always spend the first 10 or 15 minutes racing around the fence before they finally settle down to bask.

[ahguiturtle]

keep an eye on yr tutles if u intend to let them out.
they r great at hidding themselves.
My friend did lost her RES for days.
Luckily, it was found without any injuries.

[kc]

30 mins of natural unfiltered sunlight is equivalent to 8 hours of your UVA/UVB lamp.

[DavidY]

Wow, that's good they found her again. Someone else just posted that they lost their turtle too. It's good to know that they can survive out of water for a few days if necessary. That'll give them more time to find her.

[xsavingsaturdayx]

I'm not sure if 30 minutes is equivalent to 8 hours of a UVB lamp (I heard that it's more). But I do know that some keepers rely on the sun by taking their turtles out for a few hours everyday or every other day and only use UVB bulbs during the winter. But geez..Try standing outside in the hot 90 degrees miami weather for a couple of hours...I did it once, for my turtles, and I couldnt take it so I just brought them inside after 45 minutes

[kornygerm]

em,Well here in so cali..is 91F today and i planned to keep them outside during the night..So should i take them back inside?.