How to Build a Tortoise Burow

It's more aloof than a cat and a lot less needy than a dog. But if you're looking for a non-traditional pet, maybe you should consider adopting a desert tortoise. Teagan Wolfe, tortoise adoption specialist with the Arizona Game and Fish Department, says before you can adopt a tortoise, you're going to need to build it a proper shelter. So we have two types of burrows that we like to do. One of them we call the pipe burrow. What we use is a 12-inch PVC pipe. So as long as it's 12 inches in diameter for the entrance, it's perfect. So you can use a trash can, a couple buckets stacked together with the bottoms cut out. And then you're going to dig a hole about 16 inches deep, the deeper the better. And you're going to put that material into the hole, so the bucket, the trash can, or the pipe, into the hole at like a 40, 45-degree angle. At the very back end, you're going to want to put a tile so the tortoise can't keep burrowing all the way out of the pipe. And then you're going to cover that whole thing with as much dirt as you can. Usually you want to do about 5 inches or so of dirt on top. And then you're going to throw a bunch of dirt in the bottom. You want it to kind of fill about halfway full. And then in front, you're going to put a nice little berm. So it's going to be this little hill-type thing. So when you're looking down into the hole, the tortoise is going to have to go up this hill and down into the burrow. And that's to keep the rain out or any water that's going to get in there. We don't want it to get wet in there. The second one is the cinder block burrow, which people tend to like a lot more because you don't have to dig as much. You don't have to go 16 inches down. You only have to go about 6. So you'll dig a similar hole. It's about 6 inches at the farthest end. And you're going to put cinder blocks around it. You're probably going to need about 6 cinder blocks. And then you're going to fill those holes of the cinder blocks with dirt. And we want to give this tortoise as much insulation as possible during the winter and for the 115 degree heat that we get. You're going to put a piece of Wonderboard. You usually want to do 3 pieces of Wonderboard on top of those cinder blocks to kind of match up so it kind of makes a little square. Once you put the Wonderboard on top, you're going to throw as much dirt as you can on top of that Wonderboard. About 6, 7 inches of dirt. Be sure to cover the sides and the back as well. We don't want to see the cinder blocks at all. So cover the cinder blocks as much as you can. And then in front you're going to build another one of those berms to keep rainwater out. Just be sure when you submit your application that you've got pictures of a completed burrow. And pictures of the enclosure or your yard. No pools. No fire pits. If you do have one, make sure you have it completely separate. An 18 by 18 enclosure is perfect for an adult or an 8 by 8 foot for a juvenile. Once you get your burrow and enclosure completed, submit your application online at www.azgfd.gov. Then we can match you up with your new family friend.