When do Testudo tortoises have time to to build burrows? They sleep,eat, and make babies. So when do they dig these long burrows or do they just use other animals burrows?
Testudo tortoise burrows
- Thread starter dolfanjack
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No Testudo don't dig proper burrows. They will dig down, but will use already made burrows if available. All Testudo fill in behind them when they dig down.
Only Gopher tortoises, Gopherus polyphemus, Northern populations of Desert tortoises, G. agassizii, Bolson's tortoises, G. flavomarginatus and Sulcata tortoises, Centrochelys sulcata dig proper burrows.
Danny
Only Gopher tortoises, Gopherus polyphemus, Northern populations of Desert tortoises, G. agassizii, Bolson's tortoises, G. flavomarginatus and Sulcata tortoises, Centrochelys sulcata dig proper burrows.
Danny
And, to answer your question in a general tortoise way: Tortoises are constantly digging their burrows when you think they are sleeping. If you have a sulcata, you'll know this, as they make quite a bit of noise as they dig. My sulcata's house is right on the other side of the wall where I sit at my computer. I can hear him in their arranging and re arranging for hours on end, even though its all plywood and he's not going anywhere!
My Russians dig down into the dirt, pushing the loose dirt behind them and covering up the hole. They do this when you think they've gone to bed.
My Russians dig down into the dirt, pushing the loose dirt behind them and covering up the hole. They do this when you think they've gone to bed.
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- The Catskill Mountains of New York State
While it's true that Testudo don't dig their own burrows for "daily living" that could be debatable in regard to Russian tortoises.
My Russians only plug their burrows in the winter when going into hibernation. In the summertime they are left open and various (Russian) tortoises come and go in each burrow. Often times they are lined up 3 deep in one burrow with a burrow right next door completely empty. Mine have only plugged their burrows in the fall when preparing for hibernation. They may act differently here because they have an additional straw filled shelter that they often bury themselves under in the summer rather than aestivating in their burrows. But they do use their open burrows throughtout the summer and early fall for overnight shelter and escaping daytime heat.
All of my other Testudo species often make use of large, man-made burrows to keep cool in during hot weather. I bury 12" diameter x 24" long corrugated black plastic drain pipe horizontally in the ground, fill it in with 4-5" of soil and cover the outside with soil on top of it. They almost always dig even farther inward, some are as long as 36" to the back of the burrow. On the very hottest days of summer the temperatures toward the back of the burrow remain in the low 70's and high moisture content.
My Russians only plug their burrows in the winter when going into hibernation. In the summertime they are left open and various (Russian) tortoises come and go in each burrow. Often times they are lined up 3 deep in one burrow with a burrow right next door completely empty. Mine have only plugged their burrows in the fall when preparing for hibernation. They may act differently here because they have an additional straw filled shelter that they often bury themselves under in the summer rather than aestivating in their burrows. But they do use their open burrows throughtout the summer and early fall for overnight shelter and escaping daytime heat.
All of my other Testudo species often make use of large, man-made burrows to keep cool in during hot weather. I bury 12" diameter x 24" long corrugated black plastic drain pipe horizontally in the ground, fill it in with 4-5" of soil and cover the outside with soil on top of it. They almost always dig even farther inward, some are as long as 36" to the back of the burrow. On the very hottest days of summer the temperatures toward the back of the burrow remain in the low 70's and high moisture content.
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