Your Desert tortoise is from Arizona and any of your other pets may die this weekend from heat stroke. Read how to prevent this occurance. Desert Tortoises and Heat Stroke Prevention Most people make the logical assumption that the native Sonoran Desert Tortoise would never heat stroke because it has adapted to the heat of Arizona. The fact is they do all the time in captivity. In the wild, they live around the base of mountains and are afforded the ability to “behaviorally thermoregulate”. This means that they change their behaviors (activity period, burrow orientation, elevation, etc) to avoid heat. When the heat of the summer comes upon them May through September they utilize the afternoon shade created by the mountain (blocking westerly sun). Typically they are only active in the earliest part of the morning in the heat of summer and sometimes late in the day when the sun’s intensity is fading. This means that during the days of summer in the life of a wild Sonoran Desert Tortoise it is resting comfortably in a burrow of its choice. The burrow that it selects will likely have the following features. Its opening will likely face north or east so as to be exposed to only morning sunlight. The burrow temperature will likely never achieve temperatures above 92 F and will likely be much higher in humidity than outside the burrow as the surrounding rocks trap more moisture. The burrow moisture is maintained and replenished with the summer monsoons and desert tortoises get a much-needed drink that will need to last them through hibernation into the next spring. If the burrow temperature begins to get hotter than the tortoise can withstand, the tortoise simply changes its burrow to another spot that is cooler. For every 1000 feet they may climb, there is a 4 F drop in temperature. They may utilize several burrows over the summer season to regulate their exposure to extreme temperatures. Contrasting these temperature regulating techniques to captivity, most of us are not fortunate enough to give a captive tortoise the north and east side of a mountain in our back yard. We utilize the all-important burrow to allow behavioral thermoregulation. Done correctly most tortoises can thrive in captivity with certain distinct modifications. East, northeast, or northern facing openings are essential. Grass should preferably surround the burrow both to eat and because it is cooler. If the entire burrow is placed in the shadow of a tree, they also maintain a cooler burrow. Dirt and gravel in July at 2 pm can have surface temperatures exceeding 200 degrees F so surrounding the burrow with either of these is much less desirable on the desert floor. Burrow construction should be from weather resistant materials such as cinder block with plywood tops and dirt covering the entire burrow. The author prefers the burrow humidity be maintained in the hottest part of the year by affixing a PVC pipe into the burrow so as to allow a frozen 2 liter bottle to drip its thawing water into the burrow during the heat of the day during July and August. The water when it hits them will evaporate and make them and the burrow cool. The results of acute high temperatures are heat stroke and death. A sign that your tortoises are heat stressing are that they try to climb the perimeter walls of your back yard. This behavior causes them to fall on their backs, struggle to right themselves, urinate out their fluids, and die if they are unsuccessful at getting to their feet. If they are successful at getting to their feet, their lives and health are still in dangers, as they tend to have a degree of brain swelling (causing them to walk in strange ways, or not walk at all). They are also severely dehydrated which can lead to kidney problems. They can sometimes recover from heat strokes but prevention is better than cure. Your veterinarian should examine your tortoise twice yearly. Once before hibernation and once waking up from hibernation. Physical exams, parasite exams, and x-ray exams are utilized to maintain the health of your Desert Tortoise. They are a privilege to care for and are a national treasure. KEEP YOU HERPS HAPPY AND HEALTHY. TODD DRIGGERS DVM.
Posted on: Thu, 27 Jun 2013 20:43:46 +0000
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