I've always liked the idea of burrowing animals being able to burrow in captivity, but there are so many possible "pitfalls" (haha) that we all tend to avoid it. The temperature stability down there to avoid the temperature extremes topside is undeniable. I have two ideas that I'm finishing up and want to run them by y'all before I start diggin'. This is mainly for sulcatas, but also my tegus and Blackthroat monitors as well. It really applies to any fossorial species of reptile, the dimensions just change with the species. These ideas are primarily fostered by RV and her burrow, Bert Langerwerf and his style of "naturalistic" outdoor enclosures, and both Tyler and Neal for their innovative style of doing this sort of thing.
Idea #1. Start a burrow in the right spot in the spring time and let the sulcatas have at it. When it seems like its a good depth and things are right, I want to then put something like "The Mother of all Tortoise Boxes", but with NO floor, over the top of it. So the burrow entrance will be covered by a big 4x8' box with a tortoise door in it. I can build up the dirt all around the outside of the box for more insulation and heat the air inside the box when temps start to get too low in the fall. I don't know how much influence the warm air in the box will have on the air down in the burrow, but I can guarantee it will be warmer down there than it would be with out the box over it. Plus they can come up into the box to get warm, if they wanted to. As they pull up more and more dirt, I can rake it out of the box and spread it around outside some more. This system will keep the rain and freezing temps out and the heat in. The box would just rest right on the ground and they'd push through the vinyl flaps to get inside the box and then walk over to the burrow entrance at the far side, away from the door. I'd build the dirt up all around the outside of the box so that no cold air could sneak in from and gaps between the box and the ground. What do you think? Tell me all the reasons why it won't work and all the problems I'll encounter.
Idea #2. Build a 4 sided box with a lid and sink it in the ground like my "tortoise bunker" for Daisy. Build a covered entry tunnel too, just like Daisy's. Then build a big enough raised "portal" for me to fit through into to lid. Build another, smaller insulated lid to cover the raised portal. Then bury the whole box right up to the portal lid. So the only thing you would see above ground is a 2x2' lid, right at ground level and the little cover over the entrance tunnel. I figure I could get a good foot of dirt on top of the buried box for insulation. Then I could hang an appropriate sized CHE down there from the ceiling, just to keep things a little warmer, if needed in the winter. I think the advantages of this idea over idea #1 is that I don't have to worry about a "natural" burrow collapsing OR flooding in the rain. What do you think of this one? I could also use cinderblock, instead of wood for the walls on this one. Tell me where you see flaws here.
I'm very open to suggestions for improvements or refinements.
Idea #1. Start a burrow in the right spot in the spring time and let the sulcatas have at it. When it seems like its a good depth and things are right, I want to then put something like "The Mother of all Tortoise Boxes", but with NO floor, over the top of it. So the burrow entrance will be covered by a big 4x8' box with a tortoise door in it. I can build up the dirt all around the outside of the box for more insulation and heat the air inside the box when temps start to get too low in the fall. I don't know how much influence the warm air in the box will have on the air down in the burrow, but I can guarantee it will be warmer down there than it would be with out the box over it. Plus they can come up into the box to get warm, if they wanted to. As they pull up more and more dirt, I can rake it out of the box and spread it around outside some more. This system will keep the rain and freezing temps out and the heat in. The box would just rest right on the ground and they'd push through the vinyl flaps to get inside the box and then walk over to the burrow entrance at the far side, away from the door. I'd build the dirt up all around the outside of the box so that no cold air could sneak in from and gaps between the box and the ground. What do you think? Tell me all the reasons why it won't work and all the problems I'll encounter.
Idea #2. Build a 4 sided box with a lid and sink it in the ground like my "tortoise bunker" for Daisy. Build a covered entry tunnel too, just like Daisy's. Then build a big enough raised "portal" for me to fit through into to lid. Build another, smaller insulated lid to cover the raised portal. Then bury the whole box right up to the portal lid. So the only thing you would see above ground is a 2x2' lid, right at ground level and the little cover over the entrance tunnel. I figure I could get a good foot of dirt on top of the buried box for insulation. Then I could hang an appropriate sized CHE down there from the ceiling, just to keep things a little warmer, if needed in the winter. I think the advantages of this idea over idea #1 is that I don't have to worry about a "natural" burrow collapsing OR flooding in the rain. What do you think of this one? I could also use cinderblock, instead of wood for the walls on this one. Tell me where you see flaws here.
I'm very open to suggestions for improvements or refinements.
).
