how to handle heat extremities with no running water near

[naturalman91]

well the heat is here, lately southern oregon has been in the 100s i left my accurite digital gauge outside in the garden bed because i wanted to see how hot it actually was well it maxed at 151

so this got me thinking how do i cool it off for my redfoot because there isn't a hose there or anything i could use to spray it down i have a watering can i could make a couple trips with but would that be enough?

he has shade available but the shade is still 105

 

[MPRC]

My hose mister wasn't cutting it for my guy so he's camped out under my desk. I was using a pressurized garden sprayer before I got the hose attachment but I still felt like it was too warm in the mid day heat since his new habitat isn't planted yet.

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

If you make a burrow/retreat for it that's about 12" longer than your tortoise is, and wide enough for it to turn around in, cover it with about 6"-8" of soil and soak it all down good the temps should be ok. Use a corrugated section of plastic pipe or even a sweater box to make the sides and roof from. Leave the “floor" dirt.
Up here, we just hit 100.4° and that's 5' off the ground always in the sun. I only see my tortoises during early dawn or late dusk when the sun isn't beating down out there.
You could even add some peat or sphagnum moss soaked really good and stuffed in there for your tortoise to burrow into for added cooling by evaporation. My thought on it.

 

[Levi the Leopard]

You gotta find a way to either add water or create an underground hide which will be cooler.

Maybe a mud pit? I did that today..flooded a favorite corner of Levi's. It's under a bush where the dirt meets the concrete patio. And he sat there for a bit.

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

Yay Heather! We've almost got the whole state involved here.
Everything I said should only be used while we have this heatwave to deal with. At night with the temps dropping into the 60-50°range and once we go back to our normal daytime temps of the 80's this summer make absolutely certain your outside heated house is functioning as it should and block off access to the cooling tunnel. Heather, didn't I recently read about a raised planter bed tunnel you made?

 

[Levi the Leopard]

Yes, I did share my planter burrow thread recently. You explained the idea much better than I did though lol

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/new-outdoor-cdt-burrow.90324/

I never thought I would have needed this in Oregon, too! But since this heat wave isn't normal "supposedly" I don't want something so permanent. So for now I run the sprinklers in periods throughout the day

 

[Yvonne G]

You can always bring the tortoise in the house temporarily.

 

[naturalman91]

If you make a burrow/retreat for it that's about 12" longer than your tortoise is, and wide enough for it to turn around in, cover it with about 6"-8" of soil and soak it all down good the temps should be ok. Use a corrugated section of plastic pipe or even a sweater box to make the sides and roof from. Leave the “floor" dirt.
Up here, we just hit 100.4° and that's 5' off the ground always in the sun. I only see my tortoises during early dawn or late dusk when the sun isn't beating down out there.
You could even add some peat or sphagnum moss soaked really good and stuffed in there for your tortoise to burrow into for added cooling by evaporation. My thought on it.

i actually just finished a underground hide and covering the top 2 inches with coconut coir that i can keep most

You gotta find a way to either add water or create an underground hide which will be cooler.

Maybe a mud pit? I did that today..flooded a favorite corner of Levi's. It's under a bush where the dirt meets the concrete patio. And he sat there for a bit.

i added a under ground hide today along with 2 or 3 inches of coconut coir to the top of the soil that i can keep damp i have a watering can that i was planning on soaking the area good before he goes out

You can always bring the tortoise in the house temporarily.

he's been in the house while i've been figuring this out he's just not happy about it lol

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Sounds great.
But did he like it ?

 

[naturalman91]

Sounds great.
But did he like it ?

he loves it. i also managed to add shade and dropped the temp perfectly thanks all!