Burrow hole fills up with water

[Angler]

Heneretta is a sulcata she has dug a borrow 5 1/2 feet deep under her house(condo) at a angle about 4 months ago. she uses it during the day to keep cool we live near water so the water table is high. Sometimes the bottom 1/2 part of the hole is filled with water she seems to like it. last night it was a flash flooding this morning in the dark I went to feed her I could see the hole was filled to the top then I took a peep inside her house and she was not there OMG my heart sunk I looked on the side of her house under the water and could see her color under the water with bubbles coming from her nose I said her name and she poked her head up relief. I called her name she started to come out but stoped. I wanted to pull her out but was afraid she would retreat or come out and go back in head first. Is the normal? And in the winter time it gets cold and rainy so I think I will need to fill the hole. Usually when she sees water at the koi pond she will take a 90 degree turn to get away from it. Any advise? Thanks Ben

 

[tortoise5643]

I worry about this with my sulcata too. Definitely fill it during the winter but when it's warm I believe they ca handle themselves against the rain.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I have Redfoot torts, so maybe there is a difference with holes in the ground......
But I place my burrows on raised mounds. So when my tortoises go inside a burrow to cool off, sleep, etc. They are actually about 8 or more inches above ground, still. The gradient is very slight, but one end of my pen is quite a bit higher than the other.
(I use 20" drain pipes as burrows.)

 

[tortoise5643]

I have Redfoot torts, so maybe there is a difference with holes in the ground......
But I place my burrows on raised mounds. So when my tortoises go inside a burrow to cool off, sleep, etc. They are actually about 8 or more inches above ground, still. The gradient is very slight, but one end of my pen is quite a bit higher than the other.
(I use 20" drain pipes as burrows.)

Well sulcatas usually dig wherever they want. Not where you want. But that is a great idea. Maybe start out one like that or them and see if they adopt it.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

True. Redfoot are too lazy to dig much! They will use a hole, however, if you dig it..................

 

[Yvonne G]

I would fill up the hole and block the area with a huge rock or piece of cement.

 

[Angler]

I would fill up the hole and block the area with a huge rock or piece of cement.

Do sulcata' should their breath? It seems like that is what she was doing.

 

[Tom]

Time to fill in that burrow and block the area. I use plywood.

Sulcatas should not be allowed access to a half flooded burrow.

 

[Yvonne G]

Turtles and tortoises can hold their breath for a very long time. That doesn't mean you should encourage it.

 

[Alaskamike]

I hate to admit I've had this problem. When I made the burrow for my 9 lb sully , it was on the high side of a slope. So I though surely it would not flood , but the monsoons we've had here in So Florida proved me wrong.

Our water table here is very high right now & the burrow top ( it's a plywood box 2'x2' x 2') is 24" below dirt level

The tunnel is lined with plywood , so I don't worry about cave ins.

But several times not after torrential downpours it filled anyway. The first time I though it would drown him. But after the water receded , he came crawling out covered in mud.

One time I went out in a downpour and he was sitting in the water with his head out just looking at me but didn't come out - though he easily could've.

They can swim , and since it is 80-90 here all day , and maybe 75f at night , I don't worry about the cold. Our winters have less rain - much less so I think he will be fine.

He has a heated outside box he uses in winter and rarely goes into his burrow then.

 

[Alaskamike]

Having said all that , I do agree with @Tom & @yvonne that there are times to block off burrows for their own safety.

 

[Angler]

Would there be any concerns placing full unmixed 80lb bags of concrete in the bottom of borrow and stacking them to the top?

 

[Foursteels]

I would think tortoises are smart enought to get out of the flooded burrows, but mine doesn't seem to avoid it either. We are having torrential downpours today in Florida and although the burrows (3) were dry, my Russian tortoise was outside in pouring rain cowering under a sun shade we made out of palms. I'm thinking he was avoiding the burrows because they've flooded in the past. We've re-worked them so they shouldn't flood, but the tortoise probably doesn't trust them now. I finally took him under cover for the remainder of the day. He hates the 55 gallon tub enclosure, but at least he'll be safe there till the rain subsides...sometime tommorrow.

 

[ascott]

Do sulcata' should their breath? It seems like that is what she was doing.

Tortoise can and do hold their breath / slow their breathing to very long intervals..but tortoise also can and do drown...especially if the spot they are in shifts in anyway and delays their climb out of the area..they can and do become trapped or involved in a cave in..while I love the pic you posted my heart sank when I realized what state you are in and how easily sink holes show themselves. I believe I also would avoid putting concrete in there..that would just be another hazard and would not stop water from consuming the den..

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Would there be any concerns placing full unmixed 80lb bags of concrete in the bottom of borrow and stacking them to the top?

Yes. Any uncured cement left behind contains very caustic stuff.

 

[tortoise5643]

Tom has lots of experience with sulcatas id take his advice

 

[Angler]

Tom has lots of experience with sulcatas id take his advice

Yes, thank you all tort family