HOW A TORTOISE WORKS

BALANCING SUN AND SHADE

The area you set up for your tortoise must provide the range of temperatures that the active tortoise needs to warm up and cool off throughout the day. One of the tortoises major adaptations to living in the desert is not a tolerance of heat but the ability to dig a burrow and get out of the heat. The tortoise regulates its temperature by moving to places in its environment that provide the desired effect. Basking in the sun to warm its body is necessary to support activities such as foraging and digestion; therefore, sunshine should be available most of the day.

To prevent overheating, the tortoise moves to a place where the temperature is cooler than its body. This place may have to be cooler than any aboveground shade. Such a place is an underground burrow, where a tortoise spends about 98% of its time. A snugly fitting burrow is vital to restrict air flow and help the tortoise maintain proper body temperature. Since one tortoise cannot pass another in a snug burrow, each tortoise must have its own burrow. Otherwise, one tortoise might be forced to remain too close to the opening for adequate protection from the heat or cold. Dog houses, sheds, and children's wading pools do not protect a tortoise in our desert.

WHY NOT INDOORS?

If you force your tortoise to remain indoors most of the time, particularly if the tortoise is young, you are risking its health and life. Artificially supplying the needed ultraviolet B and maintaining the proper temperature range requires special attention, and a box or terrarium is too small for a desert tortoise of any size.

Unfortunately, it make take months or even serveral years for the results of improper housing to become obvious to you.

A sunny window indoors will become too hot, and ultraviolet B needed for proper growth does not pass through common window glass. Setting the tortoise outside for few minutes each day will not satisfy the needs of the animal and may result in death from overheating.

The desert tortoise is native to our local desert. It is logical and easier in the long run to take advtange of the available climate. Provide an adequate outdoor habitat and your tortoise will respond naturally to whatever the weather offers. What makes your tortoise so interesting is watching it in outdoor surroundings through the seasons.

Figure 7. Basking raises body
tempature to allow moving about,
digesting food, and finding a mate.

AREA NEEDED

Tortoises, even hatchlings, need more area than most people realize. The wild adult tortoise may use 100 acres or more. Give the entire yard to your tortoise if you can. A large area will reduce stress on your tortoise and will be much more interesting for you as you see how the tortoise uses different parts of the yard through the seasons.