Proper Environment

[Tom]

I've been in love with the burmese torts for many years, but have steered myself away from them because I think it gets too hot where I live in the summer. I particularly like the phayeri subspecies.

I've kept other species outdoors here, like Argentine tegus, and they've always adapted and done well for me. In the summer I use misters, shade trees, mud wallows and cool baths.

How do they fare in a hot, dry environment? I'd be starting with youngin's, so this wouldn't be a problem for a few years. My indoor environment should suit them fine, I'm more worried about the long term when they move outside.

 

[Yvonne G]

The average temp here in the summer is in the upper 90's, with many, many days over 100 degrees. My "rain forest" for the two types of Manouria that I keep is set up under a mature mulberry tree. Then on the edges of that tree, I have mature rose of sharon, a couple orange trees, a pony tail palm, a butterfly bush and a couple of lemon guava. So there isn't very much full sun spots, but quite a bit of dappled sunshine. Then, my tortoise partner came to visit me last summer (from Philadelphia), and he put up a really nice drip system for me. He put up 6' T-posts and then attached a drip pipe at the top of them. For emitters he used the type that spray out like a sprinkler. It is still a very small flow, but it sprays in a 4' circle, and they overlap. I turn it on in the a.m. during the summer, and off in the evening. The ground never gets soggy, but the air is at least 20 degrees cooler in the shade with the mist. I recently opened up a new section and planted it to extend the rain forest, but the plants are still very immature and it is quite sunny on that portion. But they still go over there to graze, they just don't stay too long. Full sun without access to shade and a mud wallow, can be deadly for this tortoise. I lost one and almost lost the other, two young tortoises I bought from Vic Morgan. I was taking them to an exhibit and they rode in boxes in the back of my truck for 15 minutes. It was only 80 degrees, but by the time I arrived, one was dead and the other was seriously foaming and heat stroking. They were about 8 years old at the time, maybe around 10lbs. I also know of two that died because of a habitat with no shade. I sold them to a club member here in town and told her how to care for them. I guess she didn't believe me.

So, if you provide deep shade, plenty of mud wallows, lots of water and protection from the sun, it can be done.

 

[Tom]

The average temp here in the summer is in the upper 90's, with many, many days over 100 degrees. My "rain forest" for the two types of Manouria that I keep is set up under a mature mulberry tree. Then on the edges of that tree, I have mature rose of sharon, a couple orange trees, a pony tail palm, a butterfly bush and a couple of lemon guava. So there isn't very much full sun spots, but quite a bit of dappled sunshine. Then, my tortoise partner came to visit me last summer (from Philadelphia), and he put up a really nice drip system for me. He put up 6' T-posts and then attached a drip pipe at the top of them. For emitters he used the type that spray out like a sprinkler. It is still a very small flow, but it sprays in a 4' circle, and they overlap. I turn it on in the a.m. during the summer, and off in the evening. The ground never gets soggy, but the air is at least 20 degrees cooler in the shade with the mist. I recently opened up a new section and planted it to extend the rain forest, but the plants are still very immature and it is quite sunny on that portion. But they still go over there to graze, they just don't stay too long. Full sun without access to shade and a mud wallow, can be deadly for this tortoise. I lost one and almost lost the other, two young tortoises I bought from Vic Morgan. I was taking them to an exhibit and they rode in boxes in the back of my truck for 15 minutes. It was only 80 degrees, but by the time I arrived, one was dead and the other was seriously foaming and heat stroking. They were about 8 years old at the time, maybe around 10lbs. I also know of two that died because of a habitat with no shade. I sold them to a club member here in town and told her how to care for them. I guess she didn't believe me.

So, if you provide deep shade, plenty of mud wallows, lots of water and protection from the sun, it can be done.

This is what I've heard before. Knowing my schedual and my area, I don't think I'll risk that margin of error. Maybe sometime in the future, when I live somewhere else, I'll reconsider. Until then I'll enjoy them vicariously and stick to more heat tolerant species.

Thanks for the reply, Yvonne, and thanks for sharing your learning experiences, so that other people and torts don't have to learn the hard way. I would never have thought that 80 degrees for 15 minutes in a moving vehicle would be a problem. Now I know better.

 

[biglove4bigtorts]

I am not an expert at keeping these tortoises, but having kept montane species of chameleons outdoors in Pennsylvania, where it also gets into the 90sF and occasionally over 100F, it is easy enough to by a timer to put on your hose. They are about $50 and you hook it to your spigot, the hose hooks to it and you hook a sprinkler to the end of the hose. It can be arranged to come on for multiple durations and runs on batteries, with a warning well before they run out. Without shade and automated watering, I would attempt very few forest animals outdoors here, but some simple additions to your keeping methods and you can create a very inhabitable place for them. Also, if you don't have vegetation for shade, order shade cloth from a greenhouse supplier. It is cheap, durable, and can be selected to block out several percentages of sunlight. This what I built the chameleon cage walls out of. I would not trust it as perimeter or for keeping out predators, but used as shade from above, it is a useful consideration. Another thing to consider is that Alocasia and Colocasia bulbs can be bought on ebay in quantity and these get huge, shade giving leaves in a month or so, if watered...another option for quick shade and very nice in the landscap, but keep in pots for easier watering and protection from hungry tortoises.

 

[Tom]

I am not an expert at keeping these tortoises, but having kept montane species of chameleons outdoors in Pennsylvania, where it also gets into the 90sF and occasionally over 100F, it is easy enough to by a timer to put on your hose. They are about $50 and you hook it to your spigot, the hose hooks to it and you hook a sprinkler to the end of the hose. It can be arranged to come on for multiple durations and runs on batteries, with a warning well before they run out. Without shade and automated watering, I would attempt very few forest animals outdoors here, but some simple additions to your keeping methods and you can create a very inhabitable place for them. Also, if you don't have vegetation for shade, order shade cloth from a greenhouse supplier. It is cheap, durable, and can be selected to block out several percentages of sunlight. This what I built the chameleon cage walls out of. I would not trust it as perimeter or for keeping out predators, but used as shade from above, it is a useful consideration. Another thing to consider is that Alocasia and Colocasia bulbs can be bought on ebay in quantity and these get huge, shade giving leaves in a month or so, if watered...another option for quick shade and very nice in the landscap, but keep in pots for easier watering and protection from hungry tortoises.

Thank you for the tips. I just don't think I can make it work outdoors here in the summer. It's over 100 and very dry nearly everyday for three months straight. I practically live in my pool. I actually leave my SCUBA rig at the bottom of the pool and come home at lunch and sit on the bottom for twenty minutes.