Charlie's New "Home"

[Big Charlie]

Charlie has had the run of our backyard for years now. He has built at least 3 burrows that I can remember. The first one collapsed and the second went under the fence into our neighbor's yard and we had to fill it in. The last one lasted him several years and extended under our patio and house. In order to prevent our house or patio from collapsing, we just had it filled in. This was the entrance to his burrow.

 

[Big Charlie]

The dirt around the edge of the patio started to collapse. When a hole appeared, that was when we realized we had a problem. We hired a contractor and he determined that Charlie's burrow extended not just under the patio, but turned and went under the house too. In order to fill it in, a hole needed to be cut in the concrete. Charlie supervised. He was very worried about what was happening to his home.

 

[Big Charlie]

We are concerned that Charlie might dig a burrow another place that might not be ideal. We can't have him under a structure or running into pipes or going into the neighbors' yards. However, we want him to live as natural a life as possible and I feel that the burrow he digs for himself will suit him more ideally than anything we can provide for him. So my plan is to built a little structure over the dirt where we want him to start digging.

He always has had a protected heated area he can come to when it gets too cold or rainy, but he has always returned to his burrow.

Any opinions?

 

[Odin's Gma]

I don't have any feedback for you (Odin is still a little guy) but I had to say that Big Charlie is AWESOME! I know the whole "our house could collapse" thing is probably more than a little frustrating, but I love that you want to try and allow him to live as wild as possible. Cheers to you both!

 

[Big Charlie]

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I don't have any feedback for you (Odin is still a little guy) but I had to say that Big Charlie is AWESOME! I know the whole "our house could collapse" thing is probably more than a little frustrating, but I love that you want to try and allow him to live as wild as possible. Cheers to you both!

Thank you so much! In between our near disasters, he is so easy to care for! His crooked smile, watching him completely devour a hunk of watermelon, and having him come when I call him make it worth it.

 

[wellington]

Wow. That's the only reason I didn't get a sulcata. I was afraid it would dig under my building. I think if he starts to dig where you don't want him, just keep filling it in. That's what I have read others do. Eventually he will move on to a new spot. When he finds one your okay with, let him dig. Others I have also read, don't let them have natural burrows, as there is always a fear of collapse. Maybe try doing WHT Tom has done. He makes them a heated night box, but he puts that into the ground. So the torts do feel like they are under ground, but no fear of calapse. Check out his night box threads, one of them, or maybe both, shows the box in the ground.

 

[Big Charlie]

Wow. That's the only reason I didn't get a sulcata. I was afraid it would dig under my building. I think if he starts to dig where you don't want him, just keep filling it in. That's what I have read others do. Eventually he will move on to a new spot. When he finds one your okay with, let him dig. Others I have also read, don't let them have natural burrows, as there is always a fear of collapse. Maybe try doing WHT Tom has done. He makes them a heated night box, but he puts that into the ground. So the torts do feel like they are under ground, but no fear of calapse. Check out his night box threads, one of them, or maybe both, shows the box in the ground.

I don't think I ever considered he would dig when we got him. At the time we had 160 acres so it wouldn't have mattered. Now we just have a normal sized yard so it is more challenging.

I've made Charlie a sort-of heated night box. It isn't really a night box in that he doesn't go there every night. He only uses it in the winter when it is really cold or rainy, or if there is a problem with his burrow. I'm getting it spiffed up for him now. It is just a wooden box with a heater in the roof. It's on the porch in a corner because I'm using two of the house walls, and there is an electrical outlet there. I don't think I have the skills to make a heated night box in the ground.

Even if he doesn't dig in our selected spot, having a hide in the yard might be nice for him. Right now his favorite hiding spot is under a bush. The thing we're building is just a simple box open on one end. I'm hoping that he will dig towards the long wall of it which is facing the direction where there is nothing to get in the way, and nothing he can damage. If he digs there, the roof of the box will help keep rain out.

 

[mike taylor]

I have a night box and my sulcata has never made a burrow .

 

[Big Charlie]

I have a night box and my sulcata has never made a burrow .

I think he dug his first burrow before I made his night box. One winter his burrow collapsed and he spent most of the rest of the winter in his night box. The next summer he dug a new burrow. Now that he has done it several times, I think he will expect to do it again.

 

[Big Charlie]

I need some help with the logistics. The outdoor night box he has used for years is about 30 inches long, 20 inches wide and 18 inches tall, with a ceramic heater in the roof. I realize it isn't ideal, as he can't get away from the heater, but he was never locked in, and returned to his burrow whenever he wanted. We are in central California so the temperatures are fairly mild.

Two sides of the night box are walls of our house, which I like to use because it is already insulated, and it is protected from wind and rain. One wall is limited to a maximum of 21 inches because there is a door to the house in the way. I imagine I could make it trapezoid shaped, wider on the end away from the door. On the long part, I have up to 6 1/2 feet before I run into a window.

Please give me suggestions on the ideal height and length and shape, and how high the heater should be.
Charlie's shell is approximately 16 inches wide, and 24 or more inches long. He stands about 11 inches tall.

 

[Dizisdalife]

My sulcata is about the same size as Charlie. His night box is 4' x 6' x 2' tall. Of course the inside is a bit smaller. Built using Tom's design, it is heated with a 500 watt mini oil filled radiator. The heater sits on the floor ( or maybe I raised it a few inches) with a 2"x12" barrier around it. I also have a 115 vac computer case fan mounted near the heater to circulate air in an effort to have an even temperature throughout. The night box is located on a covered patio area near the house. It only gets direct sun for an hour or so before sunset. It seems to work pretty good. Here is what it looks like:

 

[Big Charlie]

My sulcata is about the same size as Charlie. His night box is 4' x 6' x 2' tall. Of course the inside is a bit smaller. Built using Tom's design, it is heated with a 500 watt mini oil filled radiator. The heater sits on the floor ( or maybe I raised it a few inches) with a 2"x12" barrier around it. I also have a 115 vac computer case fan mounted near the heater to circulate air in an effort to have an even temperature throughout. The night box is located on a covered patio area near the house. It only gets direct sun for an hour or so before sunset. It seems to work pretty good. Here is what it looks like:

That's a beautiful house! Is there a danger of your tort ramming into the barrier around the radiator? Do you leave the radiator on all the time? I believe I've read they take awhile to heat up an area.

 

[Dizisdalife]

So far he hasn't rammed the barrier. It's pretty solid. He turns on it, putting full weight (he is over 60lbs. now) and force against it ( you know how a sulcata turns into a wall) and there hasn't been any issues. The heater is on a thermostat that I set to the desired temp. Also, I keep a remote probe thermometer/hygrometer in there. The display is in my house where I can easily check the temps. That way I can adjust the thermostat to get the desired temp rather than trust the indicator on the inexpensive thermostat.

In case you haven't seen Tom's thread on build a night box here it is:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/my-best-night-box-design-yet.66867/

 

[Big Charlie]

So far he hasn't rammed the barrier. It's pretty solid. He turns on it, putting full weight (he is over 60lbs. now) and force against it ( you know how a sulcata turns into a wall) and there hasn't been any issues. The heater is on a thermostat that I set to the desired temp. Also, I keep a remote probe thermometer/hygrometer in there. The display is in my house where I can easily check the temps. That way I can adjust the thermostat to get the desired temp rather than trust the indicator on the inexpensive thermostat.

In case you haven't seen Tom's thread on build a night box here it is:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/my-best-night-box-design-yet.66867/

Thank you! I've seen Tom's wonderful night box threads. Sadly, I'm afraid they are beyond my capabilities.

 

[Dizisdalife]

I had never built anything either. I found that with a little help I got the job done. Mine is far from perfect and still does a wonderful job.

 

[Big Charlie]

Charlie's new night box and other structure are nearly complete. He has already investigated both areas without any coaxing. This structure is a humid hide for him now, but if he wants to start digging a new burrow here, we're fine with it.

 

[lismar79]

Charlie is pretty awesome! Have you tried digging him a "controll" burrow? Dig a tunnel, line it with wood, add a box at the end?

 

[Tortoisefanatic88]

I hope mine doesn't dig when it's older. I'm hoping tank will get use to the night box I build.

 

[Big Charlie]

Charlie is pretty awesome! Have you tried digging him a "controll" burrow? Dig a tunnel, line it with wood, add a box at the end?

Thank you! I haven't. I didn't know about that option until recently. Now that he has dug his own burrows for years, I wonder if he would be happy with one with an end. It's something we can think about next summer depending on what he decides to do. Since he has a new night box, he may decide he doesn't need a burrow anymore.

 

[Big Charlie]

I hope mine doesn't dig when it's older. I'm hoping tank will get use to the night box I build.

16 years ago when we got Charlie, there wasn't a lot of information available. We knew about pyramiding but lack of humidity was never mentioned as a problem. We were told it was caused by overfeeding.

We moved when he was about 4 years old. He hadn't dug any burrows up to that point. I still brought him inside at night. When we moved, it was summer, and we put him in a small fenced off yard temporarily until we had time to build something for him. Before we knew it, he had built a burrow so we just left him to it and just provided a small heated night box on the patio for him. He chose to spend most nights in the burrow except when the weather was really bad. Where we live in central California, it rarely gets really cold. It was fortuitous that he had his burrow because that kept him healthy by providing the humidity he needed.

Now since he is used to this way of life and it has worked for him, I don't want to change anything too drastically. I think that digging provides him exercise so it isn't necessarily bad. Maybe once Charlie gets used to his new night box, he'll like it better than any burrow he can dig himself. The last week or so has been difficult for him, being denied access to his home. It's been hot, and normally he would go in and out of his burrow as needed in order to escape the heat, but he had to spend the hottest part of the day under a bush.

I think Tank may not feel the need to dig as long as his needs are met.