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 slapping a board across the tortoise enclosure, nor does a little house do the trick. To create DEEP shade, you have to use the *AND* principal. So, for example, deep shade would be under a tree, AND inside a burrow. Or under an umbrella (or shade cloth) AND under a dense bush. Under a dense bush AND inside a deep burrow. Only there can a significantly cooler environment be achieved that our tortoises need to be comfortable on a hot day.

Not convinced? If you have a temp gun, I would love it if you would go outside, and measure the ground temperature in a nice shady spot, and then in the sun. There can be a temperature difference of 60 degrees! (e.g. the deep shade under our tree is a nice balmy 80 degrees... the dappled shade under a bush is 90, and the flat rocks in the tortoise enclosure measured 140 degrees F before I hosed them down! In comparison, in the burrow that is behind the dense bush, covered in 10 inches of soil, and has been dug out pretty deep by the tortoises, it is 65-70 degrees. Guess where the tortoises are? Except for the 2 crazy ones who are out first thing in the morning, and don't seem to mind the sun (they are also the lightest colored ones), they are all in the burrows right now.

While we are talking about shade and sun - PLEASE do NOT soak your tortoise in the sunshine when it is warm outside - at least not without supervision! Just this year, I have heard of 2 tortoises that died during their soaks, simply because the owner placed the soaking dish in the sun, and then walked away for 30 minutes. A tortoise in a soaking bin has no place to go. If it is overheating, it can't hide, and sitting in 1 inch of cool water certainly won't protect the top of its shell.

Please be sure to provide DEEP shade for your tortoise when it is outside - that's TWO kinds of shade nested inside each other, as explained above. If your tortoise constantly hides during outdoor time, chances are that you might not be providing enough shade in the enclosure. 

Outdoor tortoise enclosure Version 2.0!!!

Our outdoor tortoise enclosure expansion is finally ready to be shown off to you! I started the expansion project last August, and then had to take a break during the cold, wet winter months. As soon as it was warm and dry enough to work outside, I was out there! Before showing you the work-in-progress, I thought I'd first show you the finished product: 

Tadaaa! Outdoor tortoise enclosure expansion!

The above picture shows the large portion of the enclosure in the shade - I took the pic in the morning. That side of the house gets full afternoon and evening sun!

So, let's rewind to last August. Here is the tortoise yard Version 1.0 - not bad, actually... nice sun, nice shade, good weeds to eat... the tortoises were happy.

The 'old' enclosure... Version 1.0

However, I wanted to be able to section off the males from each other and from the females, and wanted to provide MORE room for everyone. I also wanted the enclosure to be attractive and functional. We have the space, and so I went for it.

First, I wanted to make sure that I actually did things 'right' this time - pre-planning, measuring, etc... rather than winging it as I worked. I used a free online landscaping planner to come up with the following design plan:

'The plan' 

Next, I measured, staked, and used spraypaint to mark where I needed to dig. The lines were going to be straight, darn it! Once the lines were marked, I started removing the grass. The grass wouldn't hurt the tortoises, but I needed to dig the anti-escape-trench, and Russian tortoises don't particularly like to eat grass, so it can take over.

Starting to remove the grass where the expansion will go

I had to find a good option to drain the gutters in a way that wouldn't flood the tortoise yard... we get a lot of rain in the Spring and Fall! You'll see the solution I came up with in later pics. I also had to dig up a bunch of toxic plants from the South side of what would be the tortoise yard.

...progress... 

To prevent the tortoises from digging out, I dug a deep trench. This was back-breaking work... I used a prospecting axe, and dug and dug and dug. When the trench was done, I installed a line of pavers/bricks, embedded deeply enough that the tortoises wouldn't tunnel out.

Got a hibiscus bush at a nursery close-out

I had to work bit by bit, digging the trench and removing the grass. This is what it looked like when that portion of the prep-work was done.

The digging and grass removal is done!

After this point, winter came, and it became too cold and wet to continue. Life also got really busy, so I had to put the expansion project on hold until this Spring. As soon as it was warm enough, I got back to work. First, my friend Lynne and I took down the structure of the old enclosure (THANK YOU!). Then we started laying the foundation for the new wooden boundaries. Unlike in Version 1.0, the Tortoise Yard 2.0 has a leveled foundation - extra work, but VERY worth it in the end. I first put landscape fabric into the trench, and then a leveled layer of gravel. Then I installed lawn edging pavers (which I got for free via a neighbor who was going to bring them to the dump) into the trench. Then we installed the 2"x10" cedar boards, using rebar to hold them upright. Cedar is harmful to reptiles. However, these boards had weathered for 1 year, and so don't pose a danger to the tortoises outdoors. You can see the work in progress in the following picture:

...progress!

Lynne decided to be camera shy, so I didn't get a picture of her working... I did manage to catch our shadows on camera together though! We spent several crisp winter days working out there together.

Once the cedar board boundary walls were all installed and the rebar was hammered in and attached to the boards to hold them in place, the really hard part of the work was finished. The pre-measuring and pre-planning paid off: the boards were level, I had the right amount of lumber, and it looked nice.

Far from done, but it gives a good idea of the space

However, the work was not yet done. The tortoises could potentially climb over the 10" boundary, and the kids (and various other critters) could certainly climb/walk/jump into the tortoise enclosure. (Ps: see the drain pipe that I installed, through a hole in the board?). I started to install the railing, with hardware cloth (similar to chicken wire, but smaller holes).

Installing the railing

Installing the hardware cloth was a 2-person job. I managed to install about 15ft of it myself, using my hands, feet, and head to hold things in place. NOT efficient. Thankfully, I was able to enlist my hubby and Lynne to help me (Thank you, again!). I used little stainless screws and washers to hold the hardware cloth onto the wood - this worked MUCH better than the staples I used in Version 1.0!

If you look in the next picture, you'll see that in addition to the anti-dig-mote (filled with lawn edging pavers), I also placed 12x12 cement pavers all along the inside edge of the tortoise yard. The soil is flush with the edge of the pavers, and so tortoises will walk up and down, but won't be able to dig at the edge. With the many other digging options I've provided, I don't anticipate any escapes.

Functional, but not quite as pretty as I'd like...yet.

The vertical 2x2 posts and the hardware cloth were enough to functionally keep tortoises in and kids out, but since we will see the tortoise yard daily, I wanted to make the structure more optically pleasing. To do so, I installed a 1x2 railing, with a 1x4 railing top, complete with miter cut corners.

...working on making a proper railing...

I reused railing pieces from Version 1.0, so I had to piece them together a little bit... but in the end, it worked out nicely. To add to the anti-escape factor, I installed the railing with an inward-facing lip, just in case a tortoise happened to manage to climb up the hardware cloth.

The structure is finished!

Since my kids sometimes help me feed and water the tortoises, I even installed a little 'short person entrance' - the rest of the fence is purposefully the perfect height for me to step over without much effort.
On the far left is our leopard tortoise's pen, with the big 'juvenile tortoise' bin (converted koi pond). Then the large Russian tortoise area, with the sectioned-off areas to keep the males separate from each other and the females. We named their sections "Dukelandia" and "Rozlandia" (the males are named Duke and Roz).

At this point in late January, the weather was warm enough some days that I could even let the tortoises spend a few hours in their outdoor space.

Duke found a sunny spot to bask in

Here are a few pics of the inside of the enclosure, before plants started growing in properly. I seeded out two broadleaf seed mixes (from Carolina Pet Supply and from Tortoise Supply), and also transplanted hundreds of weeds I dug up in other people's yards (#crazytortoiseladywantsyourweeds).

Rozlandia gets the little tortoise house I built 2 years ago

 I tried to make the interior of the tortoise yard interesting to explore, with different textures such as little hills, rock piles, rocky flat areas, soil, planted areas, and logs to climb over or hide under. I placed sight barriers to help the tortoises not become too territorial towards each other. I also made a weird little log tepee, since tortoises like to bask in filtered shade.

The leopard tortoise area (below) has some grass in it, since this species does like to graze. The large black koi pond will have the juvenile Marginated tortoises in it. I will create a separate post showing more of the leopard tortoise area at a later point.

You can see part of the leopard tortoise area here.

One part of the tortoise yard expansion I am particularly pleased with is the old fire pit that I re-purposed into a baby tortoise enclosure. First, I asked my hubby to drill some drain holes into the bottom. Then I filled it with dirt, and planted a little garden inside with stones, moss, a soaking dish, and plenty of yummy weeds. The mesh cover has holes large enough to let UVB light in, while protecting the babies from predators. The adult tortoises can easily walk under the structure.

Baby tortoise enclosure! (previously: a fire pit)

It will still take a few more weeks for the weeds I planted to start growing in properly. Soon, the whole area will be lush and green! Here are a few more pictures that I took today, a few weeks after the above pictures were taken. The weather has been beautiful (65-70 degrees air temp, warmer on the ground), and the tortoises got to explore their new habitat.

Spring is here!

Some of the weeds I transplanted... 

This year I am keeping the males separate, to give the females a break. The females may still lay fertile eggs, as they can store sperm for years... but at least they will not be bothered. Here is a view of Rozlandia, with Roz climbing one of the logs I put in there for him. The fern is deer fern. The tortoises ignore it.

Rozlandia

It was cute to see that Roz knew EXACTLY where the sun would hit first. He positioned himself just right on the log to catch the first rays!

Ready for when the sun hits Rozlandia

It is always fun to watch tortoises explore and claim their 'favorite' spot to make a wallow or burrow. Lady likes to burrow down halfway near a plant, and then lazily lies in the sun, nibbling on leaves close-be.

Lady found a good sunny spot by a fern

Duke didn't settle down in Dukelandia for a while. He spent most of the day walking around.

Duke exploring Dukelandia

Here is a view of the area the female Russian tortoises live in. It is shaded in the morning, but around 10:30am, the sun creeps in. I brought the tortoises outside when there was enough sun for them to bask in.

Do you see the tortoise who found the sun?

Mila did her best impression of being a rock. Well, a weed-eating rock... there was a blooming dandelion plant there a few minutes ago!

Why yes, that is the most comfy way to eat.

I checked on the tortoises sequentially throughout the day... and they were happily exploring and munching away. 

Mila and Timmy girl exploring

Can you believe that Mila is almost as large as Timmy now?! She is growing up! She laid a single fertile egg last year, which hatched in October.

Here is a view of the tortoise yard, as seen from balancing on one of the posts:

Can you spot the tortoise?

 ...and here is another view from ground level:

How many tortoises do you see?

I would say, the verdict is overall: Our Tortoise Yard Version 2.0 is tortoise approved!

Jill has a green mustache from eating weeds...

Was it worth the hard work? Absolutely! Guess what... instead of paying to go to the gym... you could build your tortoises an outdoor enclosure, and get a workout in the process!

Ps: The tortoise yard expansion plan includes a cold frame, which I will show in a separate post. Many of the shrubs are already in place, and I used reclaimed materials when possible. I want tortoise owners to know that it is possible to build a beautiful and functional enclosure on a budget. You may have to comb Craigslist for free materials... but in the end, it is worth it! Grand total material cost was $185, which included lumber, hardware cloth, and high quality screws. The bricks/pavers and some of the lumber was reclaimed. I could have done it for less, but chose the 'pretty' variety for some things (e.g. getting very large continuous pieces of lumber, and building a 'pretty' railing, rather than leaving things rustic). 

Keeping tortoises cool on hot days

When Summer finally comes, and the weather heats up, it is SO important to make sure your tortoise doesn't overheat or dehydrate! I will outline a few simple but important precautions you need to take to insure your tortoise remains happy and healthy, even during a heat advisory.

Being outdoors is so good for tortoises... but can also be dangerous!

First, always keep in mind that if the air temperature is 90 degrees F (32 degrees C), the ground temperature in the sun can easily be 140 degrees F (60 degrees C), which is unsafe for our chelonian friends!

In the wild, tortoises have the opportunity to dig deep into their burrows to enjoy cooler temperatures and even to aestivate (Summer version of hibernation). They can seek out DEEP shade under bushes and trees and rock crevices. They can roam for miles in the morning to find a suitable spot to hide from the midday sun.

In captivity, keepers often only provide flimsy hides that don't actually insulate tortoises from the heat. Some outdoor enclosures don't have deep shade from trees or bushes, and the substrate is too shallow to dig into. Tortoises can be trapped, and may suffer from heat stroke if left in the beating sun for too long.

(some tortoises like to dig more than others)

If your tortoise is outdoors, and the weather is warmer than 85 degrees F, your tortoise really needs to have some form of insulated hide that also allows it to dig several inches or feet into the soft, cool soil to regulate its body temperature. Such a hide can be built from wood and insulation material, or made from a sturdy half-pipe or half flowerpot, with several inches of soil piled over top. You can plant sod over top to help keep the dirt in place (possibly with some kind of netting under the sod, to prevent erosion).

In the picture below, you can sort of see one of my insulated hides up against the wall. It is both attractive and useful! I made it from a sturdy plastic bin (once upon a time a recycling bin), with soil piled on top, and a little rock garden with succulents. Even on a hot day, the inside of the hide only rises to about 70 degrees F (21 degrees C). The soil inside is soft, and tortoises can dig about a foot down into it.

A hide that is insulated by dirt and a rock garden with succulents!

The tortoise enclosures are large, and are planted with several bushes, and a tree partially shades a portion of the tortoise yard all day long. As a result, the tortoises can decide which part of the temperature gradient they want to spend time in. They come out into the sun in the morning, to raise their body temperature. Then they eat and wander for a few hours. During the hottest afternoon hours, they hide away in the cooler, shadier areas. Then they usually come back out in the cooler evening hours, or they dig in for the night.

To help regulate the temperatures in their tortoise garden on hot days, I hose it down thoroughly every couple of hours. The tortoises have come to appreciate the cool rain shower from the hose - almost all of them come out to visit while I'm spraying down the outdoor tortoise habitats. On extra hot days I also set up an umbrella to shade part of the enclosure.

Another measure I take to help the tortoises stay healthy in warm weather is to soak them once a week. When it is not as hot, I let them self-regulate their water intake, since they do have a nice big planting saucer full of water to bathe in or drink out of. However, 100 degree weather can dehydrate a tortoise awfully fast.

8 soaking Russian tortoises

Here's the whole bale of my RTs, 6 females and 2 males, ranging from 4.5" to 9" SCL, all soaking in some cool water this afternoon. We have a couple of really hot days coming up, so even though they live outside, I soaked them in the kiddie pool to make sure they are well hydrated.

Using an infrared temperature gun to check the ground temperature regularly might save your tortoise's life.

If there is a heat advisory in your area, and you are not sure if you will be able to come home during the hottest hours of the day, it is safer to bring your tortoise into the cool inside (NOT the garage, which is often much hotter than outside!) for the day. Being in a boring bin is safer than being stuck in the heat!

CAUTION: If your tortoise has been outside in very hot weather, and is acting lethargic, is incessantly pacing, is foaming at the mouth, vomiting or is having neurological symptoms, IMMEDIATELY put it in cool water and run room temperature water over the top of its shell to help it reduce its body temperature. Then call an emergency veterinarian and seek help ASAP! Tortoises can die from heat stroke!

Keeping tortoises outdoors in the Pacific Northwest

Today I would like to show some pictures of my adult Russian tortoises in their outdoor habitat in our yard. My hope is that this will encourage more tortoise keepers to provide their tortoise(s) with an outdoor space.

Duke, eating weeds while sitting up on a rock - silly boy!

Keeping tortoises in the Pacific Northwest has a unique set of challenges in that it rains A LOT here for part of the year. However, it is actually possible to keep them outdoors all or most of the time from April through September or even October.

The benefits of keeping tortoises outdoors far outweigh the potential dangers, IF proper precautions are taken and accommodations are made. The natural sunlight provides heat and healthy UVB, which promotes healthy bones and a good hard shell. Being able to wander a much larger area keeps the tortoise's muscles strong. Wild Russian tortoises live in climates that are harsher than ours! They can THRIVE in our climate.

A morning view of our tortoise yard

In our climate, moisture can be a problem - Russian tortoises don't seem to mind chilly weather as long as they have the option to stay dry. We solved this problem by building the tortoise yard partially under the eves of our roof - about 2 feet out from our house wall stay completely dry, no matter how hard it rains. I have cut several buckets in half, and buried them under several inches of soil. They provide good hides for the tortoises to burrow into on cool or hot days.

A morning view of the tortoise yard- it gets much sunnier here in the afternoon!

Building an outdoor space doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg. I used re-claimed materials off of Craigslist and from my neighbors' left over project lumber. The total cost out of pocket was $35 for this, which was for the decking screws to hold it all together.
I plan to expand the tortoise yard in the next few years, to go further out from the house, as well as going around the corner to the South side of the house. I already have some of the materials for this. I also am scavenging materials to build a little heated greenhouse, which would make it possible for the tortoises to live outdoors for several more months each year!

Jill and Mila basking in the morning sun

Russian tortoises are hardy critters, and even when the air temperature is only 60 degrees, the ground temperature in a sunny spot is often 30 degrees higher. You can help this by placing a flat dark-ish rock (or several) into the area the sun hits first in the morning. I've also set up little cold frames (miniature greenhouses), which I built from polycarbonate scraps I scored from a local garden center for a whopping $5 for a stack large enough to make 4.

Greenhouse made from polycarbonate remnants

I simply taped the triangles together using foil ducting tape, and ta-daaaa! Instant slightly warmer, dry basking area! These are very simplified versions of a cold frame.

Amber, hanging out in her pyramid in the quarantine area

My infrared temperature gun is an important tool - I quickly check the ground temperature in several spots before bringing the tortoises outside in the Spring. In the summer, the ground temperature can actually rise to 140 degrees F on a 90 degree (air temp) day (in that case, it becomes necessary to hose down the tortoise yard to cool it).

I like this one by Etekcity.
I bought it on Amazon, and it has worked for 4 years without needing its battery changed. 

When night temperatures drop below 58 degrees F, I bring the tortoises in at night. Otherwise, they stay outside 24/7 unless it is raining so torrentially that I know the gutters will fail, sending a waterfall over the edge of the roof into the tortoise yard.
The tortoises dig in for the night. Then as soon as the sun hits the tortoise garden (around 11am, since it's on the West side of the house), the tortoises come out to bask in the sunny spots. They wander around, graze, explore, and soak. By afternoon it really bakes out, and they retreat to the shady spots under the bushes. In the evening, they come back out again for another snack, or just to take a walk.

Indoors I have to separate the tortoises into multiple tortoise tables, based on who gets along with whom (or doesn't). Several are permanently in solitary confinement indoors. Outside, there are so many sight barriers, and so much space, that I am able to keep the tortoises together in the large tortoise garden. I keep a close eye on them to make sure nobody is being ganged up on, and I have a 'time out' area set up for them if separation becomes necessary. In the Springtime, the males couldn't be in the same enclosure because they kept fighting. Now they have mellowed.

A different view of the tortoise yard. I have blueberry bushes, gooseberry bushes, and raspberries growing in there. I've limbed up the blueberry bushes to where the tortoises can't reach the fruit or leaves, so they just benefit from the filtered shade. They like to eat the leaves off the raspberry vines, but the fruit is picked by us humans. The gooseberry bush is related to the currant family, so the leaves are safe for the tortoises. We pick the fruit for ourselves. I like that the bushes fulfill a dual purpose - food for us humans, and shade for the tortoises.

I have dug a nice deep trench under the wall of the enclosure, which I filled with cement pavers, so I don't have to worry about the tortoises digging out of their enclosure. My male Roz is an especially avid digger - he makes burrows so deep I have to reach in up to my shoulder to get him out. The walls of the enclosure are capped so the tortoises can't climb out either. Because I am confident the tortoises can't escape, it isn't too scary for me when one of the tortoises disappears for a few weeks for a snooze. I know they are healthy and have had plenty of food, so if the weather is hot or cold, I allow them to burrow down as they see fit. 

Lady (the very dirty tortoise shown above and below) disappeared at the end of April, and didn't show up again until last week. She is a big, heavy girl, so I wasn't worried. She came back out and went back to eating as if there had never been a 6-week nap. 

I provide water in several flat containers, such as the plant saucer in the picture below. Normally, this container is actually sunken into the ground, but one of the tortoises decided to dig under it, which pushed it up and out.

Some tortoises that are normally picky eaters or have a shy personality really blossom when they are outdoors. Little Jill (who isn't so little anymore!) is a shy picky eater indoors. Outside she eats like a piggy, and even bosses the bigger females around!

I had just hosed down the tortoise yard (including the tortoises) the morning before I took these pictures, hence the tortoises are unusually clean. They normally spend their Summer as grubby little piggies!

Now that it is summer, the tortoise yard has been grazed pretty bare - however, finding healthy weeds is no trouble here in the beautiful, green Pacific Northwest, so the tortoises eat well.

This year was the first year that my tortoises had babies - Timmy and Roz produced 6 beautiful, healthy hatchlings. I am keeping 1 of them, and the others have all been dibsed. Here are a few pictures:

At only about a month old, the babies only spend about an hour per day outside. The baby below is little Duchess (Baby #2), which I am keeping. Eventually I plan to breed her with Duke (our CB male, who is NOT her father) to produce some fine CB2 Russian tortoises in years to come.

Finally, I just have to show off my Amber - she is just shy of 9" long and weighs in at a whopping 1874g. She's a big, big girl! (freshly hosed down in the pic below... I plopped Duke into the pic for size comparison. He's a 5" male).