Natural Burrow for CA Desert Tortoise

[KellysTort]

I live in SoCal (Agoura Hills) about 20 minutes east of ocean. Does anyone live in a similar climate and have success with a natural burrow (possibly a half round bucket with mounding dirt, etc)? I'm just wondering if our temps will allow the tortoise to stay cool enough in the summer and warm enough say at this time of the year. Our temps are in the low 50's/upper 40's at this time of year.

I build a man made burrow out of wood, but it is really heating up during the day.

 

[Laura]

provide some shade over the burrow... or bury it and cover it with dirt... i have a 1/2 of a plastic dog house over mine for extra protection, but a tree provides shade to the area as well..

 

[ascott]

High Desert here....our temps are dry and in the low 50's at night...once ina awhile 48ish.....all of the CDTs are out full time now...only one of them made his own burrow in the earth...the rest have a few different types covered with earth....again, sorry could not be of help for your area....

 

[KellysTort]

is one of the various types that you have the 1/2 bucket with dirt over it? that seems to be a decent solution.

 

[ascott]

I use 35 gallon blue barrels...cut them in half the long (upright) way and then build a bit of a dirt mound ( some 8 inches and another a foot or more depends on where the water moves on my property as to how high the dirt base is) and compact it as I go by adding dirt then misting and adding and misting etc...then level the mound ..then place the half dome on the mound and kinda slush it into the dirt a bit...then I begin to bury it by creating the mini mountain..again dirt then mist then compress then all over again and again until there is at least 8" if dirt all the way around...you will find they will use the mini mountain as an elevated basking spot....also they may decide they want to dig into the mountain....totally depends on the tort....