Tortoise and burrows.

Anyfoot

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UK Sheffield
Like Charlie said, this is Southern CA. We don't get heavy rainfall. I was in New Orleans in June and literally one 5 minute storm dumped more water than all the rainfall for an entire year back home. I've never seen water fall from the sky like it does in the South. I normally go from February to November or December with almost no rain at all. They say we will get dumped on this winter, but time will tell. Even in the winter when it does rain, its usually not too heavy and during that time of year, my burrows are all closed off and they sleep in their heated night boxes. I've never had a burrow flood because the burrows are covered during our rainy season and it doesn't rain during our non-rainy season.

Its funny (to me) because this makes and opposite feeding problem for me (people in the South West) vs. the rest of the country. In winter we get our rains and all the weeds and wild grasses sprout and I don't even feed my outdoor tortoises because they walk around grazing all day. Because temps are usually 70s-80s and most days are sunny, its an easy time of year for me here. Most people are frozen over and not a weed in sight during winter. In summer I have the opposite problem. No rain, super hot and dry, and all the vegetation dries up and dies. Most people have an easy time in summer. The warm temps and rainfall bring lots of good tortoise food. I have to scramble every day all summer long trying to find enough food. I use mulberry leaves, lawn clippings from my yard, grass hay, Mazuri and lots of cactus pads. I grow grape leaves, African hibiscus and a few plots of Tortoisesupply.com Testudo Seed Mix to get through summer, but its tough and time consuming. Winter is my easy time here, where most people are scrambling all winter long to find good food.

March:
24vidye.jpg


Same area in Early June:
fmumo1.jpg
Thanks Tom. I can't believe those 2 photos are the same area. Do you know Tom, the uk weather isn't as bad as everyone thinks, we don't get the far extremes as you guys. I've seen weeds year round here. It's green constantly. Summers are not too hot maybe 25°c on average (had 2 days at 36°c this year) that's extreme for us. In winter its usually 0°. Maybe to -5° on occasions. But not really for long. Nov to Feb is norm now days. Cold hard long winters have gone. Rainfall can be heavy at times.
Anyway, have you got an irrigation system?
Do you guys pay a set fee for water or are you on a water meter?
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
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Thanks Tom. I can't believe those 2 photos are the same area. Do you know Tom, the uk weather isn't as bad as everyone thinks, we don't get the far extremes as you guys. I've seen weeds year round here. It's green constantly. Summers are not too hot maybe 25°c on average (had 2 days at 36°c this year) that's extreme for us. In winter its usually 0°. Maybe to -5° on occasions. But not really for long. Nov to Feb is norm now days. Cold hard long winters have gone. Rainfall can be heavy at times.
Anyway, have you got an irrigation system?
Do you guys pay a set fee for water or are you on a water meter?

My ranch properties are on a well. I just have to pay for the electricity to pump it out of the ground.

My residential area property has a meter.

Interestingly, my weeds seem seasonal and are very tough to grow out of season. I have tried irrigation, but the mallow for example, just withers and dies as temps warm up, regardless of well irrigated soil. I get the same patterns every year. Mallow and grasses come up first. Then hawksbit and filarree hit their stride and I finish up the season with the ail mustard and garlic lasting the longest into late spring. At that point my plots are up and running again, my grapevine and mulberry tree are back in full swing and the cactus have all start growing new pads and fruits.

I find this seasonal cycle very interesting and enjoyable. Right now my mulberry and grape vines are dying off, my cactus are slowing down, but I will keep harvesting existing pads for a while, and we won't have rain or weeds for at least another month. This is the hardest time of year for me. My tortoises get by on lots of grass clippings, grass hay, cactus pads and occasional pumpkin this time of year.
 

Anyfoot

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Nov 24, 2014
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Location (City and/or State)
UK Sheffield
It IS an issue when keeping multiple Redfoot since they sometimes all will decide to jam into just one night house/burrow. They emerge in the morning wet and covered in poo.
All of my sleeping quarters now have removable tops and the two drainage pipes I just lift and place someplace else. This allows me to clean the area.
It is true that in the two pens I'm currently using that only have one Redfoot in them, this is not an issue.
Hi ed. In your night house/burrow is it dark?
If so how dark?
 

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