Canadian weather

[Adams13]

In all honesty, would it be possible to house an argentine black and white in a southern ontario summer, Not as a permanent enclosure but one for hot days so my guy can get some natural sunlight. The average high for july is 80F (27C).

Again he would only be placed outside on a rather hot day. If anything what would the optimal temp be to leave him outside for an entire day, and if a hot spot would need to be required how would this be accomplished, a Pig Matt? Thanks,

Adams

 

[snakehandler]

I think so.

 

[nat]

I will let ppl with a lot of tegu - outside experience answer the q's but I thought I would add my own experience w/ Canadian temps. I know that B.C. is more mild than Ontario so I am not sure how helpful my experience will be your your situation. However, I have kept a number of tort species and am always looking for ways to get them outside as much as possible in our Canadian weather. I work for a farm and they just so happen to be building a new greenhouse a couple of years ago with a lot of extra leftover supplies. I joked to one of the farmers that they should make me a mini greenhouse for the torts... and they did! Its a mostly wood frame with open windows on either side and the top has greenhouse plastic stretched over it... and the nice thing about this particular plastic is that it allows most of the uvb to come through!

By utilizing this material, I have been able to put the torts outside (weather providing) months earlier than I used to be able to. I don't leave them out over night in early spring or fall but at lesast they get to spend a large chunk of their day outside. I plan on making a revised enclosure in the future for the tegu so she can spend a lot of time outside to.

I don't worry too much about "optimal" temps as long as they have access to a temperate that ranges around their optimal temps... (and no extreme temps) just as in the wild, they aren't going to have an ideal basking temp everyday but as long as its most days I keep them outside.

I think pigblankets would be a good idea. I know a tort owner or two who uses them for their torts and manage to keep them outside for almost 9 months of the year. I am not sure you would be able to do that with a tegu (they would want to hibernate based on the natural daylight while my tort species don't hibernate) but at least you know it can be done!

 

[VARNYARD]

I don't see any reason why you could not, tegu can handle the cold much better than the heat. Bert claims tegus can handle several days at 35 during hibernation.

 

[KoreanDeathKid]

I plan on making a outdoor enclosure, but I guess with all kinds of wild animals and predators here, it would just make it impossible, I've seen huge raccons, bears, and even cougars walk around in my area, and only god knows what else could be out there, anyway, I think the weather is a problem as long as you have a greenhouse or something like that, it's the predators that you have to worry about

 

[nat]

I live out in the country and have wolves, cougars, bears, raccoons, various predatorial birds, etc in my yard all the time. Its all about how you build the enclosure... besides... the biggest predator I have always feared are the people ha ha.

If you build a sturdy enclosure you have nothing to worry about.

 

[Adams13]

This is kinda what i thought as well. I looked up the temperature ranges in Argentina and thought it would be possible to achieve. My back yards small so I would probably section a 1/4 of it off and if this greenhouse plastic allows for UVB to emit through then this would be a perfect solution to other animals getting in.

I have a cottage as well, and I've already been thinking of a half indoor half outdoor enclosure, its completely natural up there, i'm situated directly in the woods, no neighbors no anything, im sure he'll love it up there. Thanks for all the info everybody.

 

[shiftylarry]

I know a lot of experienced keepers and plenty more inexperienced keepers who killed their animals by keeping them outside. Only you know what the climate is like. It's at your discretion.

If you do find a way to keep him outside, it will be very beneficial for him. Studies have show that direct exposure to natural light helps with the synthesis of calcium through the skin. It's great for all lizards, vegetarian or not. I make sure my animals get a few hours every month at a minimum. Even the carnivorous ones, which people argue don't need sunlight at all.

 

[nat]

one thing I would really caution people about is to watch out for weasels / fishesr/ martins. I haven't had one take out a reptile yet but the buggers can get through anything 1 inch in diameter and they will rip a smaller lizards to shreds. I have had a fisher wipe out an entire flock of my pet chickens because I left a little piece of chicken wire exposed to let some wires through. I don't know what its like down south but definately consider those little buggers when planning an enclosure.

 

[ApriliaRufo]

There's weather in Canada? I thought it was just cold, and full of moose, and people who say eh all the time?

 

[nat]

Canada is on a multi dimensional plain in the universe so it is both a frigid ice plane run by moose and polar bears AND a temperate multi cultureal wonderland. Every province thinks the other provinces are the frigid ice lands (except the North West Terratories... they know they are a frigid ice land ha ha )

 

[Adams13]

Its so true. Nat have you ever gone to the great bear rain forest? That is one location that I'm surely going to check off my list, it looks amazing.

 

[nat]

Its so true. Nat have you ever gone to the great bear rain forest? That is one location that I'm surely going to check off my list, it looks amazing.

no I haven't... where is its location? I am very lucky to live in a n area surrounded by old growth forests but I haven't heard of that one. Did you know Canada and not south american is home to the largest rain forests in the world? I hope we keep it that way with all the raping and pillaging of the land going on now a days

 

[Adams13]

lol yeah i know thats the rain forest I'm talking about, its in BC thats why i thought u might have been, got this info from a website:

Located between Bute Inlet on BC's south coast and the Alaskan
border to the north, the Great Bear Rainforest is more biodiverse
than most forests and ecosystems in the world.

Its nicknamed the "great bear" rainforest because it is the only location where the Kermode bear inhabits. Its an all white version of the black bear.

Adams

 

[nat]

ah yes, ok now I know... I never heard of it as the "great bear" though maybe I have and just didn't realize it. I think I was unconsciouly thinking you were referring to a forest more your way I guess. I believe its the most diverse eco system though! I lived up north for a while and it was amazing! Too bad there wasn't a diverse reptile population though ha ha

 

[DZLife]

Wow, it sounds wonderful up there! I hav etraveled all over the world, but I have never been up to Canada! I might have to make plans to sometime over the next few years.....I'd probably have to make friends with someone up there so I'd have a place to stay; it would save a helluva lot of money! Also, it would make my stay alot more enjoyable.

 

[nat]

well, we are hosting the Olympics in 2010 why not!