Creating an Outdoor Enclosure for your Tortoise- Part I
Although the UK climate is not ideal for keeping tortoises outdoors all years round, during the summer months, and with some extra help during the colder spells, tortoises will thrive outdoors.
The main benefit of being outdoors is the UV radiation from the sun. Even on a cloudy day, the UVB radiation from the sun is much greater than can be gained from an artificial source such as a UV tube or the newer MVB style heat lamp. There is no substitute for keeping a tortoise outdoors during the summer; a Mediterranean tortoise will simply not thrive on being kept indoors year round, and it is for this reason that I refuse to re-home tortoises or sell on my hatchlings to anyone who cannot provide outdoor accommodation for the warmer months.
Providing extra Heat outdoors
When building an outdoor enclosure, the positioning within your garden is vital to creating the correct environment. The enclosure should ideally be south facing and sited on a well-drained area, which gets sun for the biggest portion of the day. Ideally an enclosure should be sited close to a safe electrical outlet so that some form of additional heating inside a sheltered area can be provided. If an outdoor source of electricity is not available, then it is strongly advisable that you enlist the services of a qualified electrician to fit a safe outlet. If you do not have a trip-switch installed in your home, then it is also essential for you to fit a circuit breaker to the lamp to avoid the dangers of electrocution.
As the UK weather can range from one extreme to another, I always provide a heated, sheltered area for my tortoises to get away from the elements. My adult tortoises have access to a 6x4ft shed which has the appropriate heating and lighting installed for them to warm their bodies to the correct temperature before venturing outside to enjoy the natural UVB. In the summer I unplug the lamps and heating, and if there is a particularly rainy day or a cold snap, I simply turn them back on again for my tortoises to warm up. Where this is not possible, a cold frame or greenhouse cloche will provide additional heat, however on the coldest of days even a cold frame or greenhouse will not provide adequate heat, so an alternative indoor enclosure should be in place for the tortoise to warm up under the heat lamps for a few hours.