Burying himself?

[TiddlesTheTortoise2]

I have just changed the substrate in my tortoises enclosure to a mixture of cypress mulch and some coconut terrain! I just came into my room to check on Tiddles and he was no where to be seen, I was panicking and didn’t understand where he could be. There was no way he had escaped, and then I finally found him! He had buried himself and he’s never done that before, is that normal behaviour???

 

[TiddlesTheTortoise2]

I have just changed the substrate in my tortoises enclosure to a mixture of cypress mulch and some coconut terrain! I just came into my room to check on Tiddles and he was no where to be seen, I was panicking and didn’t understand where he could be. There was no way he had escaped, and then I finally found him! He had buried himself and he’s never done that before, is that normal behaviour???

I forgot to mention that I looked it up and it all it said is that they usually bury themselves to regulate their body temperature and if they bury them self it’s usually because they want to cool down. That doesn’t make sense considering he burried himself directly under the heat lamp??? Thanks!!

 

[KronksMom]

Oh yea, they love to burrow. Maybe he just didn't have enough depth to the substrate before to burrow, but I wouldn't be worried at all. He's just creating an extra snuggly hide for himself that no one else can share. I'll catch my guy every once in a while, burrowed straight down on the hot side, with just his little back feet sticking straight up to keep warm. He usually prefers to sleep covered up.

 

[TiddlesTheTortoise2]

Oh yea, they love to burrow. Maybe he just didn't have enough depth to the substrate before to burrow, but I wouldn't be worried at all. He's just creating an extra snuggly hide for himself that no one else can share. I'll catch my guy every once in a while, burrowed straight down on the hot side, with just his little back feet sticking straight up to keep warm. He usually prefers to sleep covered up.

Thank you for clearing that up! Also that is so cute ?

 

[KronksMom]

Yea, I think so too!

 

[Tom]

Very normal. In the wild they would remain tucked away like that most of every day. Keeps them safer from predators, and also gives them the humid microclimate needed for proper shell development.

 

[ZenHerper]

They might burrow for a number of reasons: heat regulation (up - a tort might want to be warmer without the blaring light of a bulb, down, steady); moisture regulation (make sure there are a few moist spots in the bedding so that your tort can dig in dirt that is not dusty, gritty and dehydrating to the skin); hide from all the nosy people then laugh and laugh and laugh while they run around trying to figure out where you went...

 

[KarenSoCal]

Haven't you ever played "Hide and Seek"? ?

 

[ZenHerper]

*that moment you realize the wee sound you hear is a tortoise snickering*

 

[Lwilliams]

I have just changed the substrate in my tortoises enclosure to a mixture of cypress mulch and some coconut terrain! I just came into my room to check on Tiddles and he was no where to be seen, I was panicking and didn’t understand where he could be. There was no way he had escaped, and then I finally found him! He had buried himself and he’s never done that before, is that normal behaviour???

Oh yes it’s normal, one of my Russians will bury himself deep in his outdoor enclosure. One time so deep he went past the looser soil into the more packed soil & I thought he’d escaped, lol.