Tortoise Digging out a Cave

[DTNGUYEN0707]

Hello,

I built my tortoises an outdoor enclosure. My tortoises are slowly digging a tunnel under the walls of the enclosure, and the tunnel reaches beneath some concrete pavement. Should I prevent them from having access to such a deep cave? They dug about a 3 foot tunnel, and my worry is that I cannot reach them under the occurrence of rain. Also, I am scared the dirt above will collapse and completely bury them at any given moment.

Maybe I could force a wooden board or something to simply shorten the length of the tunnel that they can dig? I bought cinder blocks and a wonder board so I can build them a tortoise bunker, and simply lift the wonder board if I need to take them inside (when it rains a lot, my enclosure tends to flood). My plan was to have one layer of cinder blocks deeper into the ground to prevent them from tunneling again, while still permitting them to dig and burrow as they please.

Thank you for any input!

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

Hopefully @Tom can advice you

 

[Tom]

Hello,

I built my tortoises an outdoor enclosure. My tortoises are slowly digging a tunnel under the walls of the enclosure, and the tunnel reaches beneath some concrete pavement. Should I prevent them from having access to such a deep cave? They dug about a 3 foot tunnel, and my worry is that I cannot reach them under the occurrence of rain. Also, I am scared the dirt above will collapse and completely bury them at any given moment.

Maybe I could force a wooden board or something to simply shorten the length of the tunnel that they can dig? I bought cinder blocks and a wonder board so I can build them a tortoise bunker, and simply lift the wonder board if I need to take them inside (when it rains a lot, my enclosure tends to flood). My plan was to have one layer of cinder blocks deeper into the ground to prevent them from tunneling again, while still permitting them to dig and burrow as they please.

Thank you for any input!

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Self-dug burrows are a great way for them to live during the hot summer days where temps are near 100 every day and nights are warm. they should not be allowed to sleep in burrows when days are mild and nights are cold. I looked up your current weather:


Looks like you are not quite there yet. We are quite warm enough here yet either. Usually by late June through October, its hot enough here for them to safely live underground.

I would block this burrow entrance with the wood and/or cinderblocks, and make them continue to sleep in their insulated, heated, night box for another month or so until the weather gets hotter. You do have an insulated, heated night box for them, right?

They should also have plenty of shade avaialbeable.

How many do you have?