[Bowfinger]

With the extreems in climate where these guys come from, you think they would live in Southern California outdoors, with insulated hides?

[Sgvreptiles]

Ide Imagine soo. Im keeping my male Phelsuma standingi outside. And he loves it!

[Brian]

I have seen mine leap BTW. Just letting you know. Big leaps to, like over a foot in length and ~6 inches in height. You'd also need to dig down like for a burrower. You'd probably also need to switch out the soil if it's hard.

[Bowfinger]

I know someone getting some and wanted to trade a few to me. I have storage outdoors, receiving shaded outdoor weather. They will be in cages with treated dirt/soil deep for digging. I can keep them in strait weather storage with shade or can keep them in storage with heater that kicks on at 70f. Wanted to see if any of that will work. Also if it gets hot 100f once in a while, will they take it if hides have good burrows.

[Brian]

Well

1. You need to test and see if they CAN dig and how deep enough in the soil mixture, both compacted and non compacted. You need to test this in conditions that arn't critical like a 110 degree day.

2. You need a temperture probe and use it to prove how warm it is under ground realistically where they will dig too. Mine haven't been big on going deep.

3 Check out tortoise pen construction especially with species that can climb and dig. You'll need to secure things from all escapes as well as from cats, racoons, etc.

[Bowfinger]

These will be in Sterilite containers with the clamping blue lids (Show offs) behind a locked door in the city. I will get dirt that can hold burrows using a technique/mix my brother uses for monitor lizards...also jump start the holes etc. I am just curious on there tolerances, as I am sure even if the Gobi Desert (is that their habitat they come in from? or am I off), they use the stability of underground as a way to escape the elements and so still have a more narrow temperature range than actual habitat surface?

I will get a probe though, good idea...then maybe play with options.

[Brian]

See I thought that they'd dig deep burrows to to escape heat, but they (roborowskii) seemed really to go so far down then just go sideways.

I don't remember how hot it got in the burrows, but they did move around in them closer to the surface during the day. I suspect they were thermoregulating. The burrows didn't seem to go deep enough though to really escape all the heat though.

I have really hard ground so it may be they couldn't go any farther then where i softened the soil. I also only did it in that heatwave last year. I brought them inside when about 5 cats were just sitting on top of the pen watching them everynight.

[Bowfinger]

Thanks Brian for the help, they are doing good so far...