Oh sure. Now you've done it! I'm telling my friends and family to get out while they can still use water. Can't wait to see what temps will be like in October now. Tom, time to move.
Normal growth? Help me :(
- Thread starter thegame2388
- Start date
- Joined
- Dec 1, 2013
- Messages
- 307
Digging a 2x2 hole...1.5feet deep is harder than I thought....it's getting difficult to dig it out. Shall resume tomorrow. Any advice on the upgradeability factor? How tall/wide should I make the entrance?
In the summer I do my hard labor first thing in the morning. Here in SoCal we get cold nights and mornings, even in the heat of summer. Soon you will understand the value of a good digging bar.
I would make the hole, fit your underground tortoise house in it the way you want it, then add on the entrance tunnel and entrance hole cover. This way you can measure it all out and make everything fit together correctly.
Last edited:
- Joined
- Dec 1, 2013
- Messages
- 307
In the summer I do my hard labor first thing in the morning. Here in SoCal we get cold nights and mornings, even in the heat of summer. Soon you will understand the value of a good digging bar.
I would make the hole fit your house in it the way you want it, then add on the entrance tunnel and entrance hole cover. This way you can measure it all out and make everything fit together correctly.
Makes sense but what about the actual height/width of the entrance? Say if I were to make it 6 inch tall and 1 foot wide, that would last maybe a year..he's going to be "taller" than 6 inches top to bottom. fairly soon.
If you want it to last a while measure his height and width now and triple those for the tunnel.
- Joined
- Dec 1, 2013
- Messages
- 307
LOL 2 foot wide, 2 foot tall entrance? No way I can do that. Oh boy....I'll do something that will last maybe a year.
Great thread, the development of this tortoise is fascinating and a joyful story.
Thanks everyone.
Thanks everyone.
- Joined
- Dec 1, 2013
- Messages
- 307
Here's the update on my quasi-underground, sorta above-ground, sorta burrow:
Notes: It's about 1 foot deep I'd say from all the rocks. I left it in such a way where the tort can dig further if he'd like to. I plan on putting a probe there but my gut says the temp/humidity will mimic the "wood against the wall" area he loves and will dip to whatever the outside temperature is.
I included the last picture so I could get you guys' opinion...is that too steep of an entrance?
Ignore the water, that's just to make it mushy.
Notes: It's about 1 foot deep I'd say from all the rocks. I left it in such a way where the tort can dig further if he'd like to. I plan on putting a probe there but my gut says the temp/humidity will mimic the "wood against the wall" area he loves and will dip to whatever the outside temperature is.
I included the last picture so I could get you guys' opinion...is that too steep of an entrance?
Ignore the water, that's just to make it mushy.
Ya, that water will soak up eventually.. Good idea.
I think what you've done is great. When you temp it, also temp the wood area. I'd bet the temps will be vastly different!
Not sure about the incline... See what others say.
I think what you've done is great. When you temp it, also temp the wood area. I'd bet the temps will be vastly different!
Not sure about the incline... See what others say.
- Joined
- Dec 1, 2013
- Messages
- 307
I put a probe at the very end of this and another in the wood area. I'll report back in 2 hours.
- Joined
- Dec 1, 2013
- Messages
- 307
Good news:
It dipped to a low of 62.7F last night. Inside of this burrow had a low of 69.9F. It was +7F warmer than the outside temperature. Now that it's nearly noon 12pm, the outside temp is 83F while the burrow is 76F, representing a -7F cooler temp.
At the same time, the "under the wood leaning against the wall" area had a low of 71F and a current temp of 76F.
Long story short, seems like burrow and the wood-area are similar to each other.
Bad news:
Whenever I place the tort inside the burrow, he immediately turns around and climbs back out. How do I keep him in there? Is it something he simply has to discover? He just seems to enjoy ONE side of our backyard (our side yard) and loves to go under the wood I've photographed before. That's just his spot and there's nothing I can do about it. Hopefully he will use the burrow, if not, then I've just wasted two days of my life haha.
Any tips?
You can't force him to use it. He'll go in when he's good and ready.
Although if you put him in it when he's cooled down, he is more likely to stay put. Do it too early and he'll move
Although if you put him in it when he's cooled down, he is more likely to stay put. Do it too early and he'll move
- Joined
- Dec 1, 2013
- Messages
- 307
I'll try tonight at around 5PM and see what happens.
It's too soon to claim that the wood area and the burrow maintain similar temps. It's cooler right now...give it a week in the 100° days and you'll see what I'm talking about If plywood boards on a concrete slab leaned up against a house provided the right temps, we'd all be doing it that way.
On a day like today I wouldn't worry about him using it.
Try putting him in the burrow first thing in the morning. Let him come out of it to warm up on his own.
Try putting him in the burrow on the +90° days with some water (not a flood) down there to see if he enjoys the cooler spot. And try it without water.
And keep in mind, tortoises after creatures of habit.
If plywood boards on a concrete slab leaned up against a house provided the right temps, we'd all be doing it that way. On a day like today I wouldn't worry about him using it.
Try putting him in the burrow first thing in the morning. Let him come out of it to warm up on his own.
Try putting him in the burrow on the +90° days with some water (not a flood) down there to see if he enjoys the cooler spot. And try it without water.
And keep in mind, tortoises after creatures of habit.
- Joined
- Dec 1, 2013
- Messages
- 307
It's too soon to claim that the wood area and the burrow maintain similar temps. It's cooler right now...give it a week in the 100° days and you'll see what I'm talking about
On a day like today I wouldn't worry about him using it.
Try putting him in the burrow first thing in the morning. Let him come out of it to warm up on his own.
Try putting him in the burrow on the +90° days with some water (not a flood) down there to see if he enjoys the cooler spot. And try it without water.
And keep in mind, tortoises after creatures of habit.
Yeah he just keeps moving out. Is there a length/depth minimum to see its effects? So far, it's maybe plus/minus 7 degrees of the outside normal temperature (I'm using probes to confirm this).
Nonetheless, the tort hates it, doesn't even look in that direction, and when put in there, he climbs out after 1 minute.
@Tom what has been your most successful method for getting a Sulcata to enjoy a new burrow?
- Joined
- Dec 1, 2013
- Messages
- 307
I want the answer!
Don't worry...he's a busy man. He'll answer it when he gets the time to come around
There are a couple of things here:
1. Its been my experience that small (small being less than 5 or 6 inches...) sulcatas tend to avoid any sort of hole in the ground as if there was a sulcata eating monster in there. This makes sense when you consider where they come from. It takes time for them to realize that the hole in the ground is really THEIR hole and there are no monsters waiting down there to eat them. There are occasional exceptions, but I don't find that they will dig their own holes from scratch until they are around 12". I've had a few that made some attempt at digging prior to that size, but most of mine don't. I find that continually putting them down there helps to convince them its safe and gets them used to it. It works best on very hot days. Letting them sleep down there over night usually helps too, when its warm enough, which it isn't during this weird July cold spell we are having. But when it heats back up you can try putting the tortoise down in the burrow a while after dark. If you wait until they are out cold and fast asleep before you put them down there, they will usually stay down there overnight.
2. I did not comment before because I hate being the parade-pee-er-on-er, but your burrow is not very inviting looking from a tortoise's perspective. (Speaking to The Game here...) At least it doesn't look like it from the pics. I can't tell how deep it goes, but it looks too shallow. They don't want to feel like they are tapped and something could reach on and grab them. The entry looks too steep and exposed. There needs to be a short tunnel leading to the underground chamber and the hole needs a cover. On a safety note, I would also not use those abrasive garden border pieces. That will damage the carapace over time. Dirt has a way of being shifted around and when the carapace starts rubbing on that over head border stone it will be scraped clean in no time. For the tunnel angle, it needs to be shallow and not steep. Mine goes 8 feet long to drop 3 feet, to give you some idea.
Another technique is to corral the tortoise in a relatively small area on a hot day where they have to use the burrow to escape the heat. Must be done carefully, but it teaches them that the burrow is a safe, good place.
Burrow location also matters. Sometimes they just don't like the spot where you decided it should be.
I don't want to make you feel bad. I know you put a lot of effort into this, but its taken me a long time to figure out the design elements that work and the ones that don't. It might suck to have to re-do some elements, but better than having to learn the hard way over time.
I hope this all helps.
I've got a rescue that suffered dearly with its previous owners before someone pointed them towards me and they asked if I be willing, I said yes, and well now the little bugger is doing great. It'll likely never outgrow the damage done, but is in a better place now, as they say. Point of all this? Makita, my breeding female in this group dug a trial egg laying hole last year that she didn't like and dug elsewhere. We're having a terrible heatwave up here. 2 wks above 90° and no rain in 35+ days. Well a few mornings back I saw the “saddleback" tortoise doing some digging in there and sure enough, that now is its favorite place during the heat of the day. This is a hole that's been ignored by all for over two yrs and now it's been “discovered" and is actively used, (except when I go out for a picture). This just helps with what Tom says in regard to sometimes they don't want what you've offered. 
look at the more baby. This was 3 years or so ago.
look at the more baby. This was 3 years or so ago.
