sulcata burrows

[DragonFire0516]

hi, my Sulcata, Fluffy, is 5 years old, apporx., and lives outside in an enclosure with a small shelter. he has recently dug a burrow by the fence and i dont know if he is trying to escape or if he just wants to build his own home. should i fill in the burrow or let hi keep it and can anything bad happen to him in his burrow? its only about 3.5 feet deep right now but google said they be up to 30?

 

[Yvonne G]

RE: sulcta burrows

Hi Dragonfire0516:

Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!

What would you like us to call you?

As to whether or not to allow the burrow...that really depends upon where in the world you are. Most of us can't allow a natural burrow because our climate doesn't match the climate where sulcatas have evolved to live naturally.

Here in Central California, I provide my sulcata, Dudley, a nice, safe house where he can get warm in the winter and cool in the summer. He's lived here with me for about 13 years, weighs 110lbs and has never even started to dig a burrow. If he ever does start to dig, I would have to discourage it because it isn't good here for him to live in a burrow.

 

[coreyc]

RE: sulcta burrows

Welcome to the forum

 

[dmarcus]

RE: sulcta burrows

Hello and welcome to the forum...

My Sulcata has dug several burrows and I had filled all but the last one in. During the last so called winter we had, I covered it up with a heated house I built for him. I had been debating on if I would give him access to it this spring. I recently moved his house and saw that a lot of the entrance had collapsed due to all the rain we had gotten so I filled the burrow in, I just can't take the chance of the burrow collapsing with him in it, especially since I knew it was 6+ feet deep before it turned right.

In the future when I can better protect the burrow from the elements, I may let him dig another one, but for now I will fill in any more that I see him digging.

 

[pam]

Welcome

 

[Laura]

i would not allow it. my two big guys have attempted.. i stopped it.. they are 'happy' enough now with other options.. havent dug for a while..

 

[Tom]

Here are the potential problems with burrows:
Collapse
Flooding
Too cold
No access

If your area and situation can get around those four things, then they are great.
Here's what I chose to do in my area:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Daisy-s-New-Enclosure#axzz1qW3xXmMq

 

[RV's mom]

RV had her burrow for a while, wintered over in it (considerable consternation from the humans...) and finally had trouble with the grade (digging steps, not smooth ramp) and the ceiling coming down in chunks... we filled it in.

She has other options, and seems very happy.

teri

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Welcome!

 

[TORTOISEMAN1]

Welcome to TFO!!

 

[CT Grim]

Hello and welcome!
Otto, my 130-lbr, came from a home with a very small backyard. He constructed a burrow that was 3' in diameter and extended downward 12' under the wall and well into the neighbors yard. He now has run of my yard and has only made a small depression next to a bale of hay where he likes to sleep. It seems the burrowing is to escape an undesirable condition, whether that be temperature, space, etc. I'm hoping to keep Otto a content surface-dweller!

 

[DragonFire0516]

I live in East texas about an hour from dallas, Fluffy has an insulated house house whith a heating lamp in it, just a small red light he has never dug before, im planning to check it everday to see if he digs any deeper and now i will check for any damage, its only 3.5 ft deep now and im not worried about it flooding the area drains well so any water that goes down into it will be soaked up by the dirt pretty fast, besides he would leave it if it started to flood wouldnt he? hes pretty smart.

 

[DragonFire0516]

Thank you for welcoming me to the forom. I have an Italian Greyhound named Spock, Fluffy (the Sualcata in question), two Red Foots named Lola and Tortie (they are approximately 7-8 inches in the shell), an aquatic turtle (Yellow Bellied Slider, appox. 5 inches in shell) named Leela, and a small freshwater aquarium (3 fancy gold fish (Bubblewrap, Princess, and Midnight), a pecostomus, and a red neon tetra).