# Please Help New Potential Keeper (Desert Tortoise)!



## DWF7 (Feb 5, 2015)

Hello everyone,

My name is Dan and I live in the San Francisco Bay Area. I have kept lizards as pets for many years but have never worked with tortoises. My wife and I are very seriously looking into the adoption of a CA desert tortoise, but have been discouraged by a seeming lack of information on proper care. We understand the required commitment and are fully prepared in that regard, but we have several specific questions that we hope some of you can help answer. 

After ensuring that all of our yard vegetation is safe and that the area is secure, we plan to give the tortoise free roam of the backyard during the daytime (other than during the hibernation period, during which we will keep him/her indoors). We are wondering:

1) What is the risk of the tortoise burrowing under our fences into the neighboring yards? Is there a simple way to prevent this?

2) At night, is it preferable to bring the tortoise indoors into a permanent nighttime enclosure, or should we instead build a secure outdoor enclosure with heating that is padlocked to protect against raccoons and other predators? 

3) We sometimes leave our home for the weekend. Would it be okay to leave the tortoise in its indoor enclosure for, say, a full 72 hours (provided with food and water) without direct exposure to the sunlight (we would have a UVB setup indoors). 

4) What should we do about protection from predators in the daytime while the tortoise is outdoors (other than providing a hideout)?

5) Our backyard has sprinkler systems that run at night. The grass is usually dry by the late morning. There are other areas of the backyard that are paved, and we will set up a dirt/sand area as well. For the grass portion, though, will wet grass pose a problem (e.g. cause respiratory problems from too much moisture)?

Thank you very much in advance! 

Dan


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## Heather H (Feb 5, 2015)

hi and welcome.


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## Heather H (Feb 5, 2015)

if you go to the species specific thread you can read what they need. I don't know anything about them but just wanted to welcome you. 
I will tag @dmmj I think they can help you


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## Yvonne G (Feb 5, 2015)

Since you live in the Bay Area, where the weather isn't like their native habitat, but rather cool and humid, I really doubt any of the Rescues or Clubs would adopt a desert tortoise to you. The desert tortoise doesn't do well in a cool, humid climate. If you raise it from a hatchling there, it may be ok and survive, but to take a full grown tortoise and move it there I doubt it would live long.

1 - tortoises usually burrow to build a den. Once they go 'down' they then make a turn usually to the right, then they make a chamber. Now, if your fence doesn't meet the ground fully, and light shines under it, then yes, a tortoise will dig under the fence.

2 - If you want to keep a desert tortoise alive in your climate I suggest you bring it in at night.

3 - Tortoises can go without food for quite a long time.

4 - There usually aren't any day time predators that can harm a full grown tortoise, with the exception of a neighbor's dog

5 - A tortoise that is cool, under 70F, and wet will soon get a respiratory infection

Anyway, welcome to the Forum, Dan! I think you should be thinking about a different species of tortoise rather than a desert tortoise. Russian tortoises do very well in the Bay Area.


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## DWF7 (Feb 5, 2015)

Yvonne G said:


> Since you live in the Bay Area, where the weather isn't like their native habitat, but rather cool and humid, I really doubt any of the Rescues or Clubs would adopt a desert tortoise to you. The desert tortoise doesn't do well in a cool, humid climate. If you raise it from a hatchling there, it may be ok and survive, but to take a full grown tortoise and move it there I doubt it would live long.
> 
> 1 - tortoises usually burrow to build a den. Once they go 'down' they then make a turn usually to the right, then they make a chamber. Now, if your fence doesn't meet the ground fully, and light shines under it, then yes, a tortoise will dig under the fence.
> 
> ...



Thank you Yvonne. To be clear, we live closer to San Jose than we do to San Francisco. Our summers are quite dry and hot and it is actually for that reason that my herp vet guided us away from some other species (such as redfoot, yellowfoot and leopard) and recommended either CA Desert, Greek, or Hermann's (and I imagine that Russian would fit with this as you mention). I will look into those other species further in light of your comments.


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## dmmj (Feb 5, 2015)

Salutations.
I have had CDT for over 20 years now, so I can help, I believe.
They burrow long deep burrows sometimes, and they dig fast. The best way I have found is to sink some type of barrier to discourage him from digging in certain areas. your sprinkler system may make it to wet for your tortoise to stay out overnight, so a nice nighttime indoor spot might be best.


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## DWF7 (Feb 5, 2015)

dmmj said:


> Salutations.
> I have had CDT for over 20 years now, so I can help, I believe.
> They burrow long deep burrows sometimes, and they dig fast. The best way I have found is to sink some type of barrier to discourage him from digging in certain areas. your sprinkler system may make it to wet for your tortoise to stay out overnight, so a nice nighttime indoor spot might be best.



Thanks dmmj! How are these barriers usually constructed? We have a high (approx. 6ft.) wooden fence that surrounds the area, with a locking gate. The fence is secured into the ground several inches down. Would you advise burying a type of wire mesh screen or something of the like that extends a couple of feet below ground level?


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## dmmj (Feb 5, 2015)

Mesh tends to degrade and needs to be replaced periodocally. To discourage digging into a neighbor's yaard, you can simply sink some big long pieces of plastic where you want to discourage. you may luck out and not get a borrower, they do exist.


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## Grandpa Turtle 144 (Feb 5, 2015)

Hello Dan welcome to the TFO from AZ . Desert Torts Rule !


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## DWF7 (Feb 5, 2015)

Grandpa Turtle 144 said:


> Hello Dan welcome to the TFO from AZ . Desert Torts Rule !


thanks!


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## DWF7 (Feb 5, 2015)

dmmj said:


> Mesh tends to degrade and needs to be replaced periodocally. To discourage digging into a neighbor's yaard, you can simply sink some big long pieces of plastic where you want to discourage. you may luck out and not get a borrower, they do exist.



Thanks again, that is very good to know. Would you mind telling me what general area of CA you are in? I want to take seriously Yvonne's earlier comments about it potentially being too cool where I live (about 20 minutes north of San Jose). The non-hibernation period would probably be early March to mid-late October, during which time the high temps average 70-80F (reaching 90s on some days) and then drop to average lows of 50-60F at night (though the tortoise would be indoors at night). If those daily averages are too low I could easily provide outdoor heating (as I have done for some of my lizards), but I would also consider looking at another species if these conditions are really disadvantageous.


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## Yvonne G (Feb 5, 2015)

Kevin Norred is in that general area, someplace around San Jose. He's a member here too, but I can't remember his username. You can probably contact him through his web site and ask about a desert tortoise in your weather:

http://www.tortoisehome.org/


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## DWF7 (Feb 5, 2015)

Yvonne G said:


> Kevin Norred is in that general area, someplace around San Jose. He's a member here too, but I can't remember his username. You can probably contact him through his web site and ask about a desert tortoise in your weather:
> 
> http://www.tortoisehome.org/


Thanks so much, really appreciate all your help!


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## dmmj (Feb 5, 2015)

I liv in La Verne right next to pomona, across from the fairplex. Does that help?


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## DWF7 (Feb 5, 2015)

dmmj said:


> I liv in La Verne right next to pomona, across from the fairplex. Does that help?



Haha I guess it helps a little . You definitely have a more favorable climate than I do for desert species. My brother went to school down there - I love the area.


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