# Lots of deserts in Texas



## tortadise (May 4, 2015)

As of recently many corporations have moved the Dallas Texas for there headquarters operation. Texas has no state income tax, cost of living is extremely cheap, our economy is incredible strong and constantly growing. Anyways. With 3 or 4 big name corporations moving here they have moved over 22,000 California workers to the DFW metroplex. Which is why we started getting lots of very odd relinquishment phone calls for tortoises. California desserts to be precise. So yeah. Taken in 4 this year so far and 6 more supposedly on the way. Fun tortoises for sure. One hibernated quite well this past winter. They like there pen. But currently working in building them a much bigger one with burrows.

All you desert tort keepers what temps do you think if a deep burrow was available they could withstand during winter temps @Yvonne G @ascott ?


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## mike taylor (May 4, 2015)

You lucky s.o.b. ! Haha Love gophers .


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## BeeBee*BeeLeaves (May 4, 2015)

S.O.G. Son of a gun, Mike Taylor. He's in Texas. 
I love the Republic even more now that I know you are taking care of our California babies.
What a bummer that folks give them up after they move over their. But they are in great hands.


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## Yvonne G (May 4, 2015)

If you get much rain, they'll need to be boxed up and hibernated indoors. A cold, wet Gopherus will die.

My dry hibernatorium reaches down into the high 30's, but doesn't get down past freezing.


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## tortadise (May 4, 2015)

Yvonne G said:


> If you get much rain, they'll need to be boxed up and hibernated indoors. A cold, wet Gopherus will die.
> 
> My dry hibernatorium reaches down into the high 30's, but doesn't get down past freezing.


Hmmm. Yeah we can get quite cold for at least a couple weeks. The really old bigger one he hibernated in the Sulcata shed on the shelf. I covered him with hay in a doghouse and soaked him every ounce in a while. Wonder if I did a Tom box with some added heat to keep it at least 40-50 and of course dry.


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## ascott (May 4, 2015)

tortadise said:


> As of recently many corporations have moved the Dallas Texas for there headquarters operation. Texas has no state income tax, cost of living is extremely cheap, our economy is incredible strong and constantly growing. Anyways. With 3 or 4 big name corporations moving here they have moved over 22,000 California workers to the DFW metroplex. Which is why we started getting lots of very odd relinquishment phone calls for tortoises. California desserts to be precise. So yeah. Taken in 4 this year so far and 6 more supposedly on the way. Fun tortoises for sure. One hibernated quite well this past winter. They like there pen. But currently working in building them a much bigger one with burrows.
> 
> All you desert tort keepers what temps do you think if a deep burrow was available they could withstand during winter temps @Yvonne G @ascott ?
> View attachment 128645
> View attachment 128646




If you get lots of rain and the enclosures you are setting up have not been tried and proven to move water away from the burrow apron...then I would set up the pens....but plan in the winter to box them all up and place them aside in a safe/critter free area that does not fall into freezing (especially not below 35 ish and that does not generally get over 55-60 (adults/not hatchlings)...then monitor the enclosures to determine if they are good for winter brumation---what type of soil do you have /type of loam in the areas you are using for their enclosure?


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## naturalman91 (May 4, 2015)

how cheap of cost of living are we talkin here? 

sorry i can't help to much with the desert torts


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## tortadise (May 5, 2015)

naturalman91 said:


> how cheap of cost of living are we talkin here?
> 
> sorry i can't help to much with the desert torts


Quite cheap. No state taxes, gas is pretty cheap around 2.25 a gallon right now. 4 bedroom house new build is around 140-160,000 in the suburbs. Can find houses much cheaper though.


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## tortadise (May 5, 2015)

ascott said:


> If you get lots of rain and the enclosures you are setting up have not been tried and proven to move water away from the burrow apron...then I would set up the pens....but plan in the winter to box them all up and place them aside in a safe/critter free area that does not fall into freezing (especially not below 35 ish and that does not generally get over 55-60 (adults/not hatchlings)...then monitor the enclosures to determine if they are good for winter brumation---what type of soil do you have /type of loam in the areas you are using for their enclosure?


That's probably the best option really. Pics to set up the enclosures and test them for a winter with low heat bulbs and kinda day at log it for a season and tweak as needed. Soil is clay mixed with limestone.


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## tortadise (May 5, 2015)

My thought would be build the "bunker house" on top of the grade right now then backfill and cover dirt to make like a mound. So would be kinda a burrow but above ground. Let's just say a desert tortoise hobbit house to irrigate any water.


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## Yvonne G (May 5, 2015)

tortadise said:


> Hmmm. Yeah we can get quite cold for at least a couple weeks. The really old bigger one he hibernated in the Sulcata shed on the shelf. I covered him with hay in a doghouse and soaked him every ounce in a while. Wonder if I did a Tom box with some added heat to keep it at least 40-50 and of course dry.



Probably not cold enough.


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## tortadise (May 5, 2015)

Yvonne G said:


> Probably not cold enough.


So 30s would be ok? Like mid to high 30s


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## Yvonne G (May 5, 2015)

tortadise said:


> So 30s would be ok? Like mid to high 30s



yes. As long as it doesn't get down to freezing.


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## ascott (May 5, 2015)

tortadise said:


> My thought would be build the "bunker house" on top of the grade right now then backfill and cover dirt to make like a mound. So would be kinda a burrow but above ground. Let's just say a desert tortoise hobbit house to irrigate any water.




http://azgfd.gov/w_c/tortoise/documents/PhxPreTucShelters_2014.pdf

I have this set up in a couple of the tortoise yards, the property has some spots that can get a bit swimmy if a flash rain happens here...so they have a retreat to run to if need be...or if they are asleep in them they should be better off up than under the surface....however, I modified it a bit....I did the mound to provide an elevated pad for the foundation---at least a foot above...maybe a little higher....the gradual slope is important so as not too steep...also, they use the slope and mound for laying about on getting some sun....or perhaps just getting closer to God....perhaps both, who knows really...I used a 35 gallon blue barrel cut in half long way...I laid that onto the center of the mound, then built the block wall around it..filled that space solid with packed in clay dirt...then laid some flat pavers on top of that layer...then I began to build the mound..to me the most important thing is the build of the mound....I would suggest you pull out your artist side a bit...sit down and get the biggest pile of clay/moist clay and begin to hand pack the base in..so you really get a solid sturdy platform...then you can build outward until you are satisfied...remember for every lets say 4 inches you build up...you must offer 8 inches of slope to support that height....so it can take up a good amount of room for the completed house...

I have one guy here I even had to line up paver stones around the entire top--he likes to lay up there ALOT so the mound was continually being eroded by his foot traffic...even now I will need to go and do a refluff and pack of the top....then he will go back and play king of the mountain....


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## ascott (May 5, 2015)

tortadise said:


> So 30s would be ok? Like mid to high 30s




This is kinda a fun site...click on all option throughout ....simple but insightful ....

http://sciences.unlv.edu/desertsurvivors/Pages/mojave.htm


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## tglazie (May 22, 2015)

Deserts in Texas. Now my home state is complete. 

T.G.


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## bouaboua (May 22, 2015)

I love gopher too. Weather in where I am are hardly deep down to below 30s. I took the hibernating torts indoor for the super cold nights. including my adopted 21 years old male CDT.


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## tortadise (May 27, 2015)

bouaboua said:


> I love gopher too. Weather in where I am are hardly deep down to below 30s. I took the hibernating torts indoor for the super cold nights. including my adopted 21 years old male CDT.


Gophers are fantastic too. We had some dropped off about 6 years ago. They were fun. I took them back and turned them over to Florida fish and wildlife and they were released. They're fun.


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## JohnnyB65 (Jun 2, 2015)

I’m just so surprised that so many CA Desert Tortoises are being taken out of state when it’s against the law. I want to move out of CA someday and I feel burdened by my Tortoise. I haven’t looked into it yet, but I hope there is a place to take mine when the day comes.


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