Outdoor Heating for In-ground Burrow

[TristonH]

To preface: I've recently been given a gopher tortoise, and just built an outdoor burrow for it. It is a regulated species, and I do have a permit, just so that doesn't come up. I took a look at another outdoor enclosure at a nature center near by, and used theirs to plan my own based upon what I did, and didn't like. Regrettably, I didn't know about this forum until after I built the thing. I could have leaned on the expertise of the numerous build plans here, but hindsight.

I followed the nature center's example by building a burrow box at the end of a tunnel leading from the surface. the box is 2.5ft deep, with a hatch door on top so that I can get her out and check on her if I need to. The goal was to mimic a natural burrow that she would have in the wild. In any case, she's not living in there yet, I still need to build the fence around it for her actual pen, but I've hung a remote thermometer/hygrometer in there that records temp and humidity data every few minutes, and it's not getting as warm as I'd like. It was sitting right at 50 degrees Fahrenheit, day and night. Which was warmer than our recent night-time temps, but cooler than our daytime temps. I insulated the hatch door yesterday, and that helped a little, raising it to about 53 degrees. Ideally it would be in the low 60's this time of year to mimic a wild burrow. I suspect that during the warmer months this will become less of an issue, because it's shaded.

So my question, do any of you know of any heating products that I can add that is waterproof, and would just serve to help raise the temperatures in the box. It's a small box, so I wouldn't need much heat. to bring the ambient temps up to my target of low 60's. I searched through the forum a good bit, and found mention of the Big Apple Herp heat cable, but I couldn't find that product online, I'm not sure if they're still selling them. I also found reference to the reptile basics radiant heat panel, which I think would work just fine, but they're sold out for the moment. So does anyone know of other products that might work? Waterproof is a must, as it does rain frequently here in South Georgia, and I'd also like something I can leave in there year-round, even If I only need to turn it on for a few months during the year.

 

[Yvonne G]

It doesn't need heat in the winter. When they brumate the temperature needs to be 40 to 45°F. So if it freezes where you are you need to make sure the burrow doesn't freeze. Actually it's better to brumate them in a regulated environment, where they don't get rained on.

 

[Tom]

To preface: I've recently been given a gopher tortoise, and just built an outdoor burrow for it. It is a regulated species, and I do have a permit, just so that doesn't come up. I took a look at another outdoor enclosure at a nature center near by, and used theirs to plan my own based upon what I did, and didn't like. Regrettably, I didn't know about this forum until after I built the thing. I could have leaned on the expertise of the numerous build plans here, but hindsight.

I followed the nature center's example by building a burrow box at the end of a tunnel leading from the surface. the box is 2.5ft deep, with a hatch door on top so that I can get her out and check on her if I need to. The goal was to mimic a natural burrow that she would have in the wild. In any case, she's not living in there yet, I still need to build the fence around it for her actual pen, but I've hung a remote thermometer/hygrometer in there that records temp and humidity data every few minutes, and it's not getting as warm as I'd like. It was sitting right at 50 degrees Fahrenheit, day and night. Which was warmer than our recent night-time temps, but cooler than our daytime temps. I insulated the hatch door yesterday, and that helped a little, raising it to about 53 degrees. Ideally it would be in the low 60's this time of year to mimic a wild burrow. I suspect that during the warmer months this will become less of an issue, because it's shaded.

So my question, do any of you know of any heating products that I can add that is waterproof, and would just serve to help raise the temperatures in the box. It's a small box, so I wouldn't need much heat. to bring the ambient temps up to my target of low 60's. I searched through the forum a good bit, and found mention of the Big Apple Herp heat cable, but I couldn't find that product online, I'm not sure if they're still selling them. I also found reference to the reptile basics radiant heat panel, which I think would work just fine, but they're sold out for the moment. So does anyone know of other products that might work? Waterproof is a must, as it does rain frequently here in South Georgia, and I'd also like something I can leave in there year-round, even If I only need to turn it on for a few months during the year.

I'd love to see pics of what you built. I made something similar years ago for sulcatas, but had to heat it extensively.

In your case, I agree with Yvonne. The tortoise should be brumating this time of year and colder is better as long as it doesn't freeze. I would be opening the hatch at night to let cold air in and closing it during the day to keep warm air out. I've never kept your species of Gopherus, but I brumate our species here at around 45-50 degrees over the winter.

Georgia became my second home over the last three years. Mostly Senoia, Peachtree City and Newnan. I love Georgia. Fantastic state. I drove through your part of town several times on the way to and from South Florida. Much warmer where you are in winter than it is in Atlanta.

 

[TristonH]

It doesn't need heat in the winter. When they brumate the temperature needs to be 40 to 45°F. So if it freezes where you are you need to make sure the burrow doesn't freeze. Actually it's better to brumate them in a regulated environment, where they don't get rained on.

Okay cool. I’ve been working with one of our state wildlife biologists on this tortoise, he was the one who got her to me. He suggested that her burrow stay in the high 50’s to low 60’s in winter, so that’s why I was concerned with heating just a little bit. But I’ll look into it more and see if I can find more publications on winter time burrow temps for my area.

Thank you!

 

[TristonH]

I'd love to see pics of what you built. I made something similar years ago for sulcatas, but had to heat it extensively.

In your case, I agree with Yvonne. The tortoise should be brumating this time of year and colder is better as long as it doesn't freeze. I would be opening the hatch at night to let cold air in and closing it during the day to keep warm air out. I've never kept your species of Gopherus, but I brumate our species here at around 45-50 degrees over the winter.

Georgia became my second home over the last three years. Mostly Senoia, Peachtree City and Newnan. I love Georgia. Fantastic state. I drove through your part of town several times on the way to and from South Florida. Much warmer where you are in winter than it is in Atlanta.

That’s good to know! As I mentioned to Yvonne, I’ll double check some literature on winter time burrow temps around here, just to make sure. She’s currently on a large tortoise table in my shop until her enclosure is finished, and I’m trying not to let her brumate because of her condition when she arrived. She was, and still is very emaciated when she first arrived a few months ago. We believe she was kept as a pet illegally and dumped or escaped. She wound up living in someone’s yard west of Savannah from September to late November. No real wild tortoise population up there. After the homeowners noticed that she wasn’t leaving, wasn’t burrowing and wasn’t eating they called DNR. We can only assume how long she’d gone without food, but she was too weak to bite into food for weeks when she first arrived, and we were concerned that if she tried to brumate that she’d die.
Given that little back story, it may just be my fear of brumation on right now that’s driving me to watch her future burrow temps so closely.

I grew up in Athens, so that’s just near Atlanta. I much prefer it farther south. Our summers aren’t near as brutal as Florida’s, and our winters are much milder than North Georgia’s. Not to mention the wild herps here. We have wild gopher tortoises living just across the street from me here, so our soils and climate is exactly what this tortoise should be in which is exciting.

Also, I took some crude photos when I got home this afternoon, so I’ll attach them here. I’m changing the locking mechanism, to a hook lock, but the bolt lock was just a quick fix to make sure the hatch sealed shut for me to get accurate temperature readings.

 

[Tom]

That’s good to know! As I mentioned to Yvonne, I’ll double check some literature on winter time burrow temps around here, just to make sure. She’s currently on a large tortoise table in my shop until her enclosure is finished, and I’m trying not to let her brumate because of her condition when she arrived. She was, and still is very emaciated when she first arrived a few months ago. We believe she was kept as a pet illegally and dumped or escaped. She wound up living in someone’s yard west of Savannah from September to late November. No real wild tortoise population up there. After the homeowners noticed that she wasn’t leaving, wasn’t burrowing and wasn’t eating they called DNR. We can only assume how long she’d gone without food, but she was too weak to bite into food for weeks when she first arrived, and we were concerned that if she tried to brumate that she’d die.
Given that little back story, it may just be my fear of brumation on right now that’s driving me to watch her future burrow temps so closely.

I grew up in Athens, so that’s just near Atlanta. I much prefer it farther south. Our summers aren’t near as brutal as Florida’s, and our winters are much milder than North Georgia’s. Not to mention the wild herps here. We have wild gopher tortoises living just across the street from me here, so our soils and climate is exactly what this tortoise should be in which is exciting.

Also, I took some crude photos when I got home this afternoon, so I’ll attach them here. I’m changing the locking mechanism, to a hook lock, but the bolt lock was just a quick fix to make sure the hatch sealed shut for me to get accurate temperature readings.

Let me preface this with: I've kept most of the commonly kept species, and brumated darn near every species that brutes in the wild, and that is what am basing my thoughts on. Having said that, I have zero experience with Gopherus polyphemus. I've got lots of experience with Gopherus agassizii, morafkai, and berlandieri, but no polyphemus.

If you are trying to not brumate this tortoise then low 603 in the burrow is too cold. This thread will help explain:

Tom's Brumation Thread

Every fall we get bombarded here on the forum with all sorts of questions and problems regarding hibernation and tortoises "slowing down" for winter. The purpose of this thread is to talk about all aspects of this subject, to dispel some of the myths and mysteries, and give a "how to" list of...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[TristonH]

Let me preface this with: I've kept most of the commonly kept species, and brumated darn near every species that brutes in the wild, and that is what am basing my thoughts on. Having said that, I have zero experience with Gopherus polyphemus. I've got lots of experience with Gopherus agassizii, morafkai, and berlandieri, but no polyphemus.

If you are trying to not brumate this tortoise then low 603 in the burrow is too cold. This thread will help explain:

https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/toms-brumation-thread.201823/[/URL

http://I'm cool with her brumating ... have a healthy weight again. Thank you both!