We are about to adopt a desert tortoise and are getting all prepared. We plan to create the burrow (as you will find attached to this post) this weekend but I see that many people use either the top of a dog house or the entire doghouse. We actually have a dog house that is just taking up space in the garage we could use if that would be ok.
Burrow question: does a dog house replace a burrow in the ground? Do they need both?
- Thread starter Bowi
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A dog house usually isn't cool enough inside, however, if you can place it in DEEP shade, shaded from morning til dark, it may be ok. Just bear in mind, if he can't get his temperature regulated in the dog house, he'll dig his own burrow.
I would say….use the roof of the doghouse @ step 4. That might help you with the build with a pre-built roof. Upcycling is a good thing. ♻️🐢
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We have a "Dog a loo" (looks like an igloo) without the bottom, and our girl uses it for shade. During one summer she constructed her burrow underneath it. She varies on where she spends her winter. Some years she has used the Dogaloo, a couple of years she chose a south facing planter pot turned on its side and partially buried (we covered it with a quilt but left her a small opening), and some years she has parked herself in a teensy corner under a bush against the house protected by a roof overhang. All of these locations worked out well for her. The winters in Phoenix haven't been too bad she she has done well both above and below ground. My biggest concern is if it gets wet and cold and your tortoise is exposed to cold wet conditions it might cause issues.
Where in CA are you? Totally different advice for Big Bear vs. Palm Springs. They have to be able to get underground to stay cool enough in summer. If you are near the beach and the weather is mild, then a dog house can offer some summer shade. If you are inland with 100+ temps, then a burrow is the way to go. You can start one where you want it, and let the tortoise take it over and finish it. Above ground dog houses generally don't work well for tortoises.
Be aware that most of the care info given for DTs is all wrong and if followed will likely result in the death of the tortoise. Here is the correct care info:
The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise
I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...
tortoiseforum.org
Male, female, young, middle, old age ? Where in the world do you live? Are you in a permanent location so you can set up lifetime location?
Also, is the tort Mojave or Sonoran ? This will also matter for natural drive to dig or to climb...
He is 17 years old. And I’m not sure whether Mojave or Sonoran, but I’m finding out. Thanks!
(Welcome back, @ascott !!!)
He is a Mojave desert tortoise
If you can place the dog house in deep shade that never gets sun, it might work, however, dog houses are usually little ovens, and a tortoise seeks shelter from the heat, so a dog house usually isn't suitable.
MotherofDragons
Member
This!!
The place I was adopting my DT from was sort of pushing toward a closed wooden dog-type box. They are supposed to be the experts so it made me second-guess myself. The alternatives to a dirt burrow offer no insulation from weather though, just like Yvonne says.
It would have been convenient/easier for me as a keeper and useless for my tortoise.
Well, my tortoise got his burrow built by my husband. And he just wants to hang out in our covered patio under the chairs. It is cool on the concrete there. Apparently he doesn’t care for his burrow at the moment. We’ve taken him over to it and he walks in and back up and out in no time.
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Oh my goodness! Look who's here! Good to see you, Angela!
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