# california desert tortoise survey :)



## ascott (May 17, 2011)

Hello...we live in Apple Valley Ca just beneath the mountains..this afternoon through wednesday afternoon we are supposed to have cooler than normal temps (20Â°lower than normal) along with some cold showers...with that said my question is this? I have 4 males of which 3 stay outside in their own individual enclosures (the 4th guy is so old he stays out from morning to night but sleeps inside at night..he has very poor eyesight and it is safer for him) anyways..I am concerned that a night or two of the sudden drop in temp paired with rain would make it a better choice to bring the three guys in for the next couple of days? My son is always reminding me that tortoises have survived for a gazillion years outside in all kind of weather....and he is right for wild tortoises....anyone else think it is silly for me to bring them on in for a couple of days? Or am I being crazy  I know they would survive as they have manmade summer burrows but figure they may appreciate the cozy spot out of the cold ...I just was curious if anyone else has the same crazy moments ....LOL


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## Yvonne G (May 17, 2011)

In the wild, desert tortoises can retreat into their burrow during inclement weather. Way down inside the earth, the temperature and humidity is quite a bit different from what it is up on ground level. If your tortoises are used to being outside, and have burrows that they dug themselves, I see nothing wrong with leaving them outside.


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## dmmj (May 17, 2011)

If your guys are permanent outdoor residents I would not do anything different. Mine is not a permanent outdoor resident so in my case I would bring him in.


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## ascott (May 17, 2011)

Last winter with the extreme amounts of rain we had here and with unusual flooding coupled with the extreme cold days caused me to have to rescue all three of my outside guys and they all finished off the winter in sleeping boxes in the closet in my converted garage because it was cool enough for them to continue their snooze...then when we started having better weather this spring I did repairs to their enclosures and I put them back out...which is when they seem happiest and I will leave them out till start of winter...this year in winter I think I will just bring them in because the weather seems to be harsher lately....I went out today and peeked into their burrows and it appears they have been modified more to their liking. So I let them stay out  their burrows are manmade..one with half barrel. Then loads of dirt piled/packed all around and the other two are the arizona brick style ...in the past they were always backfilled out of their natural dug burrows by gophers....which I am always battling in this part of the desert. Thank you.


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