We have rescued a 105 lb Sulcata. He prefers his burrow over the heated shelter we have for him. Should we just leave him alone? It got down below freezing last night, and it was a challenge to crawl into this burrow, and muscle this giant creature out. I thought I was going to have a heart attack doing so. Please advise..Big Bert.
Burrow or shelter?
- Thread starter Big Bert
- Start date
welcome to the forum! the big sulcata should be in a heated night box at night, if it goes below freezing and he is not protected he could die
. here are some good threads on how to make a night box.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/my-best-night-box-design-yet.66867/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/another-effective-night-box.86632/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/another-night-box-thread.88966/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/daisys-new-enclosure.28662/
. here are some good threads on how to make a night box.http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/my-best-night-box-design-yet.66867/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/another-effective-night-box.86632/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/another-night-box-thread.88966/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/daisys-new-enclosure.28662/
Mac already has a night box! That is my problem. Once the door is open, be moves his 105 pound tortoise self down into his burrow! Then I have to crawl on my belly, down the incline, and move him out of burrow into night box. I about had a heart attack doing that last night.
He is not some little tortoise. He is ZOO size.
He is not some little tortoise. He is ZOO size.
You might consider blocking his access to the burrow for winter.
They need to be in a heated night box or shed or room of some sort over winter. Outdoors in a burrow on our cold North AMerican nights is not good for them. Some are able to survive it in some parts of the country, but it is not "good" for them. If your night temps are dropping below freezing, you are not in such a place.
I let my older torts use burrows all summer long, but as soon as things begin to cool in early fall, I block access to the burrows and start making them use their heated shelters again.
I let my older torts use burrows all summer long, but as soon as things begin to cool in early fall, I block access to the burrows and start making them use their heated shelters again.
I went out to get Mac, and to my amazement, he had left the burrow and went in his shelter. He always lays on the pig blanket. Monday I have a contractor coming out to do some work on his shelter. I do find it odd that he is not wanting apples. He is usually an apple devourer.
fruit should be given very rarely like one strawberry a year most of his diet should be grasses and hays.
most of his diet should be grasses and hays.
A warm welcome to the 
forum! I agree with Russian/sulcata/tortoise as far as temperature is concerned: please take care as torts like very warm (if not hot) weather. I'd love to see a picture of your tort.
forum! I agree with Russian/sulcata/tortoise as far as temperature is concerned: please take care as torts like very warm (if not hot) weather. I'd love to see a picture of your tort.I want to post picture, but don't know how to do that.A warm welcome to the
I have no idea what a url is or what it has to do with pictures.
Hi Bert, and welcome to the forum!
You sometimes have to put a tortoise into their house at night for several nights in a row before they get the idea to go in on their own. I have desert tortoises and a sulcata (in different yards). I used to allow the desert tortoises to have a burrow in the summer, but it was hard to "catch" them all on the outside of the burrow in the fall so that I could block the entrance, so I filled it in. Now all they have is a shelter built in the shade. My sulcata never dug a burrow, thank goodness. He has always used his shelter.
You sometimes have to put a tortoise into their house at night for several nights in a row before they get the idea to go in on their own. I have desert tortoises and a sulcata (in different yards). I used to allow the desert tortoises to have a burrow in the summer, but it was hard to "catch" them all on the outside of the burrow in the fall so that I could block the entrance, so I filled it in. Now all they have is a shelter built in the shade. My sulcata never dug a burrow, thank goodness. He has always used his shelter.
When you have your "reply" box open, and are ready to post a picture, go to the bottom of the screen and click on "upload a file" this takes you to all the pictures in your computer. Choose the one you want to add to your post, and when it has loaded, click on "full size." It's really very easy.
Apples are not good for them. No fruit is good for them. Too high in sugar and it really messes with their intestinal flora and fauna. Lack of appetite in a sulcata is a very bad sign. It means they are, or have been, being kept too cold. A pig blanket alone is not going to be enough in below freezing weather, unless you have a really big mat and a seriously well built, sealed and insulated box. You need to fix this problem right away. The links posted above should give you some good ideas about what works well and what might work best for your situation.
Some people don't approve of "lights" at night (Tom?) but I use a black light hanging from the ceiling of my sulcata's dog house. He has a pig blanket on the floor and a 60watt incandescent black light hanging from the ceiling. It was 30F last night and his dog house was 78F. (I block the door shut at night to help keep the warm air inside.)
In a smaller type shelter, like a dog house, you have to be VERY careful that the hanging heat source is not too close to the back of the tortoise. Cooked scutes will eventually fall off, exposing bone underneath.
In a smaller type shelter, like a dog house, you have to be VERY careful that the hanging heat source is not too close to the back of the tortoise. Cooked scutes will eventually fall off, exposing bone underneath.
Awesome. Insulation and silicone sealant are your friends in this case. A good thermostat is also essential. The thermostat will always keep the temperature where it belongs. And the sealant and insulation will keep that precious heat where you want it, so you will need to burn less electricity to make it.
Bert is a handsome fellow! AZ? Some alfalfa is okay, but I would be careful with too much for an adult male. Make sure he stays very well hydrated with such an elevated protein diet. I prefer orchard grass hay and/or Bermuda hay.
