Bring 'em in on a rainy cool night?

[thatrebecca]

60% chance of showers and a low of 57 predicted for tonight and I let my two juvenile CDTs stay in their underground burrow (concrete roof, 8 inches of dirt over top). Bad idea? It looks dry and cozy in there, and I don't have an indoor enclosure, so bringing them inside means they'd sleep in a plastic tub on a towel. It seemed unnecessarily stressful to drag them out of a spot where they feel safe so they can be 10 degrees warmer in an unfamiliar place. But now I'm having second thoughts.

Thoughts?

 

[wellington]

Just make sure they won't get flooded. As far as the temps, I can't help you on that one.

 

[Millerlite]

As long as the burrow isn't getting wet they should be fine. Cold and wet tortoises don't do well, but the burrows in the wild keep them dry during rain and almost 60 isn't to bad as far as cold, and your in so cal? Cuz our luck it won't rain :/

 

[Chinque]

It was cold and rainy up here, too! Which is weird, because it was super hot yesterday, crazy windy last night, and sprinkly this morning with TONS of wind!! ☀☔☁

 

[evlinLoutries]

It's fine for me, but u need to make sure that their home well drained or won't get flooded by the water..


I was a Tortoise before!

 

[thatrebecca]

This will be their first night out when it rains (which shows you how dry it is here in LA -- they've lived in our back yard now for 6 weeks and not a drop). When we water the plants inside the enclosure the burrow stays dry as a bone, but obviously that's not that much water. I'm guessing they'll be fine but I'm also guessing I'll pop up in bed at 2am when I hear rain on the roof and head outside with a flashlight to check on them. My husband is already rolling his eyes in anticipation...

 

[Millerlite]

I'm north of la and rain hasn't hit us yet. I'm up by Ventura camarillo smaller city

 

[thatrebecca]

Whoah, you've had some serious fires to contend with up there in Camarillo. Hope all are safe and sound!!

 

[Millerlite]

Oh yeah it's pretty much out now, it was a mess on Thursday and Friday poor city was burning, but mostly around the local hiking areas. But lots of dry smoky weather last few days, we hope for a little rain .

 

[thatrebecca]

Phew. For the region's sake, I hope for a good soaking. For the torts, I hope we built a burrow that withstands it. Also I kind of wish they had a campfire and cactus s'mores in there...

 

[Yvonne G]

I leave mine out all the time, however, their night house is up on cement and very secure from getting wet. If there's any chance your tortoises may get wet, then I'd bring them in on wet nights.

 

[Tom]

For young ones who were only recently moved out, I would maintain an indoor set up for occasions like this. It hurts nothing and might save you from some serious heart ache. There is plenty of time for them to excavate a deeper burrow and acclimate to being in the great outdoors full time. I've dealt with many problems of CDTs that were forced to deal with/subjected to above ground SoCal conditions and temps over the years. It's not like the wild in our back yards. A wild tortoise would have had time to acclimate and prepare a proper burrow complex for this sort of weather. A young back yard tortoise in a man made shallow burrow stands a good chance of getting sick.

 

[thatrebecca]

Well the rain started after midnight and I ended up going to check on the burrow twice during the night. It has stayed dry inside but it's still coming down pretty hard and is supposed to for the next 18 hours or so.

Anyone have any suggestions on creating a good, temporary indoor enclosure just in case? I'm not talking about some of the gorgeous and elaborate ones I see on here -- this would be just for emergencies.

 

[Tom]

$15 kiddie pool from WalMart with a $5 bag of orchid bark in it and a flood lamp in a ceramic fixture suspended over a flat rock of some sort. Put the bulb on a timer and adjust the height to get a basking temp near 100. Add a hide box (Upside down black dish washing tubs from Walmart, $2, with a door hole cut out), and VOILA! Everything he needs to stay warm and dry indoors out of the weather. You could also use a large horse watering trough or anything similar. Keep it in the house and you won't even need night heat. This will give you the best of both worlds. During inclement weather (so rare here) he's got a safe, warm place to spend the day. During all the other days, he gets to live in the great outdoors, which is soooooo good for them.

 

[thatrebecca]

Thanks for the very helpful info, Tom!

It's still raining, but Gomez has come out of his burrow and is sitting in his favorite corner with his head and limbs out. I wonder why? Temp is mid 60s. Morticia is still in the burrow.

(I'm at work, but very patient hubby working from home today has agreed to check on them often/give regular updates. Thank goodness for understanding spouses!)

 

[Tom]

Mine often come out and sit in the rain too. Just something tortoises like to do.

 

[thatrebecca]

Another night of downpours here in LA. Hurray for the burrow, which is still dry as a bone. Gomez, the 5-year-old, is staying outside again tonight. He was lively today after hubby gave him a nice warm soak -- munching and sunning (when it finally appeared) and strolling the enclosure.

Morticia, the 3-year-old, seemed more frightened and delicate -- she got a soak too and ate a bit, but stayed outside the burrow after it got dark, which is unusual. Knowing rain was in the forecast, I tried to coax her toward it but she seemed out of it and just sat at the opening of her burrow. So I brought her in tonight and gave her another warm soak and a snack before putting her to bed in a Rubbermaid tub full of towels in the kitchen. (Not ideal but warm and dry until we make a proper indoor enclosure). Here's a picture of her getting her soak -- she often closes her eyes like this during bathtime, which I usually assume means she's relaxed, but tonight I think she actually fell asleep. It was later than usual and this whole first-time experiencing rain thing is just too much excitement. Anybody else's torts ever fall asleep in the tub?