YARD PREPARATION
2. Dig the channel starting at the front end within the rope line.
As you dig, do not stand on the ramp that is becoming the shelf for the plywood.
It is very likely to collapse and not be repairable.
3. When the channel is finished, widen it slightly at the deep end so the tortoise
can turn around. See Figure 15. Note that the floor of the channel is flat, not
curved.
4. Replace the plywood. Have one person stand on it and another look into the
burrow. No light should show through the cracks. If it does, make the necessary
adjustments.
Loosening the floor. The last digging in the burrow is to loosen the soil
in the floor of the channel to a depth of 6". The loose soil allows the tortoise
to adjust the fit. Also, it is important for females who dig their nests in the
burrow floor or just outside the opening. A rock on the floor of the channel could
pin the tortoise to the roof and not allow it to move.
1. Start at the turn-around and finish about 10" beyond the burrow opening.
2. Crush lumps of soil, and remove roots and rocks larger than 1/2" in diameter.
When you finish, the sides of the channel should be the same depth as when you
started, as in Table 1.
3. Cover the excavation at ground level with the plywood until an Adoption
Committee member checks it.
4. To keep the entire inside dry, cover the wood and beyond with a plastic sheet,
like a painter’s drop cloth. Weight it down in several places so it will not blow
loose. This should be done each time you finish digging for the day. It may take
several days. If the interior becomes wet, you may have to wait weeks until it
dries before covering it and letting a tortoise use it. A waterproof cover on the
pile of soil that will cover the plywood is a good idea, too.
5. If you already have a tortoise, put it in the turn-around, slide in the ply-wood,
and make sure the tortoise can turn around and leave the burrow, just clearing the
top and sides. Add or remove soil in the channel for the proper fit.
Figure 16. Cutaway of burrow showing
channel slope and snug fit.
Covering the Burrow
If you are adopting from Tortoise Group, an Adoption Committee member must
approve the burrow before you cover it. In hot weather, to trap the least
amount of hot air and soil in the burrow, allow the burrow to remain uncovered
the night before you plan to cover it. Begin to cover the burrow as early as
possible the next morning, preferably before sun-up.
Purpose of the soil mound. The mound of soil over the plywood 1) insulates
the tortoise from the extreme aboveground temperatures and 2) helps to prevent
the burrow from flooding in heavy rain-fall. So, the soil that covers the plywood
should have as much water-holding cap-acity as possible. If more soil is needed
to create the mound, do not use gravel or washed sand, because the water will
drain right through it. In the Las Vegas area we can recommend a place that sells
soil with high water-holding capacity (high clay content).
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