I have a 16 yr old sulcata. She's had the run of my yard for years. I have a dogloo out there with a heatmat for a night box. She sometimes sleeps in there, but also sometimes sleeps underneath in the den she dug for herself. I'm done pulling her inside my basement in makeshift winter enclosures, so I'm planning to build a proper winter house. (I live in Oakland, CA). Should I make sure to leave her natural den still available to her, or can I cover it since the winter house will be much bigger than the dogloo?
Covering over underground den?
- Thread starter Jenna W
- Start date
You can't give her a choice because she'll choose the wrong one every time. If it were my tortoise I'd cave in the burrow and do everything I can to discourage her from digging a new one.
Burrows are only good for summer time. The rest of the year you need a properly designed and built heated night box. Dogloos with a heat mat are not sufficient and you are lucky the tortoise is still alive. That is a testament to how hardy sulcatas are and what they can endure.
Check these out for night box ideas:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/another-night-box-thread.88966/#post-828952
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/my-best-night-box-design-yet.66867/
Check these out for night box ideas:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/another-night-box-thread.88966/#post-828952
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/my-best-night-box-design-yet.66867/
I wouldn't cave in the burrow. Let her use it in the summer. We had to fill in Charlie's burrow because it went under our house but I wish he had something like it to help him cool off in the summer. During the winter, you'll need to cover it to prevent access and teach her to use her new house.
