tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5850325851175543438.post151120105989935431..comments2024-03-24T08:41:30.815-07:00Comments on Tortaddiction: Keeping tortoises cool on hot daysKatharineBradleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06816396358813823981noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5850325851175543438.post-23873809774588947052016-07-12T23:49:27.667-07:002016-07-12T23:49:27.667-07:00Hello! I live InPhoenix Arizona,mand we have a des...Hello! I live InPhoenix Arizona,mand we have a desert tortoise who lives outside. He has plenty of shade, is fed well, and a water dish to soak in, along with grass and dirt to dig his burrow. We want to live in Heber, AZ elevation 6000' for the summer. What is the best way to care for my tortoise in the cooler, higher region? ThanksAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13486898827517612864noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5850325851175543438.post-91323990400010178692016-07-12T18:57:43.535-07:002016-07-12T18:57:43.535-07:00Thank you for the advice, we remade her burrow aga...Thank you for the advice, we remade her burrow again and she will have nothing to do with it. she like it behind a rock I placed up against the house BUT it is not cool enough there for her as our temps can reach up to 119 for many days at a time, june thru oct then she will go into hibernation so trying so hard to make her happy. Husband does not like the idea of trapping her in somewhere she does not like to be. must be something she is sensing...anyway fish and wildlife say build a burrow where she likes to be so that will be our next attempt. wish me luck, I have sure fallen for this tortoise for sure!!! she does love it in the bathroom tub in a lil hide I made for her she is in cooling down now as it is still 108 out.....:(<br />Yuma azAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03674512941006209998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5850325851175543438.post-4089171923757779562016-07-04T15:03:15.358-07:002016-07-04T15:03:15.358-07:00Hi Donna, I would suggest that for a few weeks, yo...Hi Donna, I would suggest that for a few weeks, you place her into the burrow each evening, making sure you do so in a way that she sees how to get there as you carry her, and block the entrance, in essence trapping her in there for the night. It won't take long, and she will learn that this is a good spot to sleep, and possibly even retreat to during hot days. :) MarksMommahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01550415180482358287noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5850325851175543438.post-17104316413297218172016-07-04T14:36:21.981-07:002016-07-04T14:36:21.981-07:00it is 95 in the shade here in Yuma, I took a readi...it is 95 in the shade here in Yuma, I took a reading and behind the rock she go's behind 83 but she is not going there, and I need some info, help on why she will not go in the burrow we made, we tried having entrance slop down. we tried flat, we even put a half bucket in thinking maybe it was too BIG for her??? any ideas?? it is in the shade, in the corner of house she has the entire front of house for habitat with water and planted stuff they like, husband built with 5/8 out door plywood, solid....substrate is sandy dirt. husband thought maybe shut her in the area of burrow and make her stay in??? Help our temps can get up to 120 here in the summer......Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03674512941006209998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5850325851175543438.post-34313786820981037022016-06-20T20:39:52.013-07:002016-06-20T20:39:52.013-07:00An adult desert tortoise (or juvenile over 4"...An adult desert tortoise (or juvenile over 4") will be able to regulate its body temperature by moving in and out of the sun and shade. As long as you make sure that there is some deep shade (please refer to my blog post about The importance of Deep Shade), as well as some sunshine, your tortoise will self regulate by going to the temperature zone she needs.MarksMommahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01550415180482358287noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5850325851175543438.post-16439554365199099322016-06-18T19:20:33.677-07:002016-06-18T19:20:33.677-07:00I just adopted a desert tortoise, we are in for so...I just adopted a desert tortoise, we are in for some "HOT" weather and she will not stay in her burrow we built her, she would rather go under a fountain near by, she is active but I worry. I was told it is not good to bring in and out either. Help I don't want anything to happen to her "Tilly" I do put her in water in the day and there are shade trees and bush for her to climb under, she has quite the habitat indeed. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03674512941006209998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5850325851175543438.post-65298247738062697362014-08-21T14:35:56.247-07:002014-08-21T14:35:56.247-07:00One thing you could do to prevent hawks from flyin...One thing you could do to prevent hawks from flying in would be to hang a marine fishing net above the tortoise area. Little birdies could get in, but not big birds could fly in from above. <br />I actually have a spare HUGE one. If you are interested in it (it would be cheap), please contact me via Etsy (the link to the shop is in the right side bar) and we can work something out. :)MarksMommahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01550415180482358287noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5850325851175543438.post-80654085546327999652014-08-21T13:31:12.151-07:002014-08-21T13:31:12.151-07:00Thanks for the reply! We live in a more cooler ar...Thanks for the reply! We live in a more cooler area, so I think we'll have to only bring our tortoise out on days that are above 70 degrees. Also, we had a hawk dive bomb and catch a little brown bird recently in over-6-feet-tall plants, so my fears currently outweigh all else!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5850325851175543438.post-6613332449001965602014-08-15T22:23:11.571-07:002014-08-15T22:23:11.571-07:00Very good question. We have hawks, too. However, o...Very good question. We have hawks, too. However, our tortoise enclosure is right next to the house, and hawks like to have more space to fly - they would never go that close to the house. I have shrubs and bushes, so there isn't really a clear line of sight down to the ground from far above in most of the enclosure. I know some tortoise keepers hang clothes lines above human-head-level criss-crossing the enclosure. This, along with tree branches that overhang, will deter larger birds (crows, hawks etc) from flying into the enclosures, but small birds (which are harmless to tortoises) still can fly or hop in. <br /><br />In our neighborhood we do have 2 raccoon, and they concern me a little. Raccoon are fairly lazy though, and don't like to work for a meal. As long as the tortoises have dug in at night (and they do have several deep burrow hides), they are safe. I do a quick walk-through in the enclosure to make sure everyone is dug in. If a tortoise parked itself in a corner, then I bring it inside. <br />If you look back a few blog posts, I show pictures of our enclosure. :) This might give you some ideas. MarksMommahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01550415180482358287noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5850325851175543438.post-57243493338323843762014-08-15T21:49:31.633-07:002014-08-15T21:49:31.633-07:00Hi, I am a new reader here, and am wondering if pr...Hi, I am a new reader here, and am wondering if predators are an issue for keeping Russian Tortoises outdoors. We have hawks, and I am afraid of keeping ours outdoors. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com