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And I hope that I didn't bring in sick girls.

Yesterday it began to rain around 10AM then it rained all day long, non stop.
I kept an eye on Janie & Shell E throughout the day. They were sitting in the pouring rain, walking in it, the temps were still in the upper 60s though so I left them there.
Later in the afternoon Charity came out.. they all seemed to be enjoying it. I thought it was odd that Hobo the wild boy chose not to sit in the rain, I looked for him all day, never did see him come out. Our sulcata also never came out of her heated home.
Later around 6:30-7PM the wind started to get cold, the weather channel said it was 58 by then so I thought ok if it's cold enough for us to be wearing jackets and it's still raining, the girls are STILL sitting out in this chilly rain then that's it.
I brought them in & they seemed to be really happy about sitting in the heated enclosure.
Then after dark it really started to storm- thunder shook the whole house so I wasn't sorry I brought them in.

You don't think an hour or so of sitting wet in the high 50s would hurt them do you, anyone?
I'll have to watch & see but this morning they don't look unhappy about where they are. They've seen me and they aren't clawing at the sides of the tub to get out. Since it's supposed to rain all day today then storm tonight too, I'll keep them in today.
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PHRatz

Mine do the same all the time. The ones that stayed outside all year long love the rain and act like it is a shower well needed. The ones that over winter inside this year head for the logs and brush piles even when the sprinklers were on. I had rain in the mid 50's and they were out all day, then retired to the logs in the late afternoon. The probe in the underground den was 66 but the outside air was 52 and windy for a lower feels like temp. I think ground temps make a huge difference we can't feel.

>>Mine do the same all the time. The ones that stayed outside all year long love the rain and act like it is a shower well needed. The ones that over winter inside this year head for the logs and brush piles even when the sprinklers were on. I had rain in the mid 50's and they were out all day, then retired to the logs in the late afternoon. The probe in the underground den was 66 but the outside air was 52 and windy for a lower feels like temp. I think ground temps make a huge difference we can't feel.

I understand your point & you're right but these girls have been indoors for a long time. This is the year that I am going to attempt to give them a more natural life- I'm hoping for them to relearn how to be more wild so that they can live outside year round for the rest of their lives.
If they were totally wild & had been living outdoors for a long time.. I wouldn't have thought anything about it but because they're not. I'm a worrywart about them.
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PHRatz

" You don't think an hour or so of sitting wet in the high 50s would hurt them do you, anyone?
I'll have to watch & see but this morning they don't look unhappy about where they are. They've seen me and they aren't clawing at the sides of the tub to get out. Since it's supposed to rain all day today then storm tonight too, I'll keep them in today."

Hey Ratz, I would suggest that you wait for some consistent weather and then just leave them out... that way they will become acclimated in a more natural way. Even a 'sudden' temperature drop outside is probably gradual compared to the quick change from outdoors/indoors. I'm not sure how Ornates and Luteolas are about wet weather, but my Easterns love it, even if it is a little on the cool side.

I had to keep one of the boys here inside over the winter (wounded foot) and I put him outside again in early April while it was warm. The ones that had been outside all winter had started to come up, and I knew he'd be better off outside without me struggling with the humidity, etc.. Anyway, it got cold again, but I went ahead and left him out there, and just covered him up. He's doing fine now, being his usual self.

I've gotten to the point where I realize that they can withstand overnight lows of 45F here without much cover, as long as the days are warmer (even low 60s).

I've told people who are trying to keep ornates out of their natural habitat...they can handle cold and they can handle wet, but they can't handle cold and wet.

The spring and especially the fall is a rough time for my ornates and deserts. But, Ratz, keep in mind that I'm dealing with WEEKS of cold and wet. This is not their natural habitat. Where you live, it only persists usually for a day or two. Then, it's dry and sunny. Wetness persists for much longer where I live. I tend to think that, in their natural habitat, ornates are nearly bullet proof. I understand your caution, though. Peace of mind for the doting keeper is just as important as anything else.

I'll tell you, what scared me about the whole thing was that they were cold and wet while Hobo who has never lived indoors was nowhere to be seen. The girls had been outside for a whole week but the weather was nice that whole week until the rain started.

Hobo knows what he's doing & I was thinking they don't so bringing them inside is what I had to do. Janie is the one who got sick in 2005 because she sat out in cold rain at 45 degree temps all night. That's another reason why I don't believe she was wild when I found her. She should've had the sense to go underground, Hobo did back then too.
Yesterday still inside they seemed to be just fine. I kept them in because a tornado had touched the ground in a neighboring county, we got rain.
Today it's very nice outside so I'll likely let them stay out all day but then bring them in for night time.
I think Steph's right I need to wait until the end of this month.. by June it'll be so hot here we'll all be miserable.
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PHRatz