I recently acquired a Russian I currently have him an outside enclosure but I have been bringing him inside at night. I would like to keep him outside year round but it gets so hot here in the summer its not abnormal to see 110 and higher.I'm looking for ideas to keep him cool in these hot temps does anyone have any ideas for burrows, I'm thinking of burrying some cynder blocks hoping this will help keep him cooler. It hit 94 yesterday so I'm trying to get something done asap. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.😊
Russian enclosures for Phoenix heat
- Thread starter TaraL
- Start date
Have you read this thread? I think it'll point you in the right direction.
tortoiseforum.org
The importance of DEEP shade
Ok, folks, we need to talk about SHADE. You have probably (hopefully) heard tortoise keepers talking about the fact that tortoises need "DEEP SHADE" to retreat into on a hot Summer day (really any day that has air temps above 80 degrees). What do we mean by "deep shade?" - this is NOT...
tortoiseforum.org
Thank you!!Have you read this thread? I think it'll point you in the right direction.
The importance of DEEP shade
Ok, folks, we need to talk about SHADE. You have probably (hopefully) heard tortoise keepers talking about the fact that tortoises need "DEEP SHADE" to retreat into on a hot Summer day (really any day that has air temps above 80 degrees). What do we mean by "deep shade?" - this is NOT...
Shade within in shade with an in-ground hideout for your ridiculous temps from the sun exposure!
Underground is the only way to go.
You can dig a hole with a gentle slope on one side for an entrance. Then place thick plywood or 2x12s over the hole, and place all the dirt from the hole, plus some more dirt on top of the wood to make a big sun blocking mountain. Put the tortoise in the hole during the heat of the day, and they will learn to use it. I spray water down the hole once or twice a week in hot weather when the tortoise isn't down there to add some humidity and evaporative cooling.
I also once built an underground chamber with an entrance tunnel that was cover to prevent flooding, and I installed a RHP on the ceiling of it with a thermostat set to 60-65. Cool nights, but not too cold. This worked great. Cool in summer, bit not too cold in winter.
