Whats the point.. Lol

[noved32]

So what's the point of putting Bob outside in his outdoor home to get "real" sun when all he does is dig himself in everyday lol...

(I really do know that sun is good for him and he is getting extra space lol, but it just seems like he suns himself more in his inside home then outside lol)

I has been hot here but no more hotter then basking temps, yet he just digs down.. Oh well lol

 

[Tom]

I have a young sulcata that does this. I made her this great safe "burrow" under ground and now I hardly ever see her. I know she comes up because the food is gone and the water has been walked through, but sheesh...
In time I think they will get used to things, and we'll see them more.

 

[ascott]

Also...uva/uvb rays can travel as much as 4 feet into the shade...so likely your tort is still absorbing rays...maybe just not at such and intense level...

 

[GBtortoises]

So what's the point of putting Bob outside in his outdoor home to get "real" sun when all he does is dig himself in everyday lol...

(I really do know that sun is good for him and he is getting extra space lol, but it just seems like he suns himself more in his inside home then outside lol)

I has been hot here but no more hotter then basking temps, yet he just digs down.. Oh well lol

Tortoises, Russian tortoises especially, bury themselves for security and/or to escape extreme weather conditions. It is instinctual. You'll find that if you were to leave your tortoise outdoors, uninterupted and without constant handling, that he will eventually surface and begin checking out his new enviroment. As well as the fact that Russian tortoises are a burrowing species. Many prefer to dig into a very hard soil and bury themselves rather than use a shelter or hide box. Again, burrowing is instinctual.

 

[noved32]

Lol ya Bob likes to dig.. Thanks for all the info! It's just funny to see him so deep down ..

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

Good comments about getting used to the environment. I would also add that, your tortoise might stay submerged if his outdoor pen has some problems with it. I'm assuming it's big enough if it's outside. However, does it get too much sun, or not enough? If your tortoise has trouble regulating his temperature, he's not going to be active.

 

[noved32]

Good points... It's large .. Has some plants but he probly could use some more.. He has a large hide and shade around the sides, it's been in the 90's so he could be a little warm so digging into cool dirt probly helps a lot for him.. I just laugh cause he's always sooo deep it's like digging for buried treasure... Lol and I never know what end I'm grabbing,. Thankfully bob has never bit me.. Yet.. ;-)

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

Bear in my mind, this time of year in Central Asia is at least in the 90s, usually in the 100s during the day, only cooling off at night. To deal with this, Russians are masters of aestivation, becoming torpid in their burrows to wait out the heat. This is normal behavior in hot weather. What part of the country are you in? If it is consistently hot where you live, your Russian is going to do what comes naturally, and that is burrowing to beat the heat.

My guys live indoors, but get a lot of time outside. Nevertheless, without a permanent outdoor enclosure where they can burrow, I am careful to bring them in when it hits 90*F, so they don't overheat. Amazingly, they still "beg" me to let them back out. So, the moral of the story is, even if your guy is inactive out there, don't assume he doesn't enjoy being outside.

 

[lynnedit]

That's true. Even if the temps are in the 80's, mine will hide under a bush during the middle of the day. (They particularly like the Rosemary plant to hide under. They don't eat it at all).
And mine did burrow and hide more initially, after a month+ full time outside, they are out and about more in the morning and early evening.

 

[tinkerbell1189]

It's not nice weather very often but whenever it is nice enough for tink to go in his outdoor enclosure all he does is bury himself too. I'm hoping this may just be because he isn't so used to it? Waiting for some better weather so he can go outside more often.

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

Yeah, I think Lynne has a point there: they like to stay hidden until they get used to a place, too.

 

[alben909]

You should always let them dig. It makes them feel more secure

 

[noved32]

I agree, I love that he digs just couldn't believe how far down!! Lol i sometimes worry about him getting stuck or compressed.. Under all that top soil and coir stuff... But He does love digging.. Lol

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

He won't get stuck. Unless something collapses on him, like a boulder or something, he's built for it. In the wild they can dig several feet down, and can excavate a tunnel even more feet in length.