My sulcata tortoise will not stop scraping the walls of his pen?

I have seven sulcatas. They all spend the summer out side in a pin and the winter in the basement.

You have to remember that sulcatas are diggers, that make burrows. Just this summer the biggest of my sulcatas made a 6 ft deep burrow, probably deeper, it took hours to fill in. We have holes in our basement walls from him trying to digg a burrow. There really is no way to stop it, they are always going to dig and burrow it's what comes natural. What I would recommend doing is taking some 2x4's and build a pin about 4-6 ft high, lay some plastic under neath and fill it half way with a 50/50 playsand/ dirt mixture. You could even make it complete by screwing or nailing a large piece of ply wood to the bottom.

They don't care how big the enclosure is, they want to dig, especially males. Mating season is the worse time because they will digg a burrow 6 ft down so the females they mate with can lay their eggs.

There isn't a whole lot you can do--no matter how big their enclosure is, tortoises still try and "dig" their way out. The only thing I can think of that might help thwart his scraping a little bit is placing very large irregular objects along the base of the walls, like stones and logs, etc. Maybe you could try a diagonal wall type barrier, sort of lean-to style? Also try some "toys" to try and keep him entertained. Wooden blocks, sticks, small pieces of driftwood, giant rubber balls, etc. are some ideas. Another thing is a tortoise sandbox, if you don't have one already. Hope this helps a little. There are a lot of tortoise forums out there if you want help from people with more experience as well. =)

What kind of substrate are you using and how deep sulcatas are diggers

Sulcata Tortoise (African Spurred Tortoise)

(GEOCHELONE SULCATA)

Origin : Northern Africa.

Size on average 30 inches in carapace length and 80 to 110 pounds some times larger.

(note Geochelone sulcata require room to roam!!!)

Habitat: Dry arid areas with weed clumps , shrubs

With shallow ponds mud hole to soak and cool down in extreme heat.

Heating : Never use heat rocks ! can severally injury your tortoise . Use a ceramic infrared bulb 150 watts very important use dome lamp at either have ceramic or porcelain sockets.

Best to use a basking heat source from above the enclosure placed in an area that will provide a hot spot to a warm area and to a cool side .Should have at least two hides one in the warm area and one on the cool side.

Lighting : Full spectrum UVB is necessary for proper health and proper development for your tortoise.

Temperature: Very important to monitor the temperature in your tortoise enclosure use at least two good thermometers one on the hot side floor temperature and one on the cool side floor temperature

on the hot side temperature should not exceed 90 degrees on the cool side should not drop below 72 degrees.

Soaking: Soak hatchlings & juveniles 3 time a week hatchling for about 5 minutes , juveniles for about 10 minutes . Soak adults once a week for 10 to 15 minutes .

Water should be luke warm (tepid) in a shallow dish pan no deeper than the bottom of the shell for larger tortoise you may want to use a shallow kiddy pool .

Substrate: The best thing to use for them is a 50/50 mixture of sterile soil (topsoil )and sterile play ground sand. Sulcata’s spend a lot of time digging and making borrows .

Feeding : Very important don’t over feed or to force growth feeding can cause severe heath problems for your tortoise. For hatchling to 6 months feed aprox ¼ cup once every day 6 months to a year feed ¼ to ½

Cup once every day juveniles should be fed aprox 1 cup every day and adults should be fed larger rations .

( note if your tortoise does not finish it’s day rations fed a little less .) always provide fresh drinking water .

Diet: Very important Sulcata tortoise’s diet is mostly high fiber low protein there diet intake should be a variety of grasses, weeds , clover , Sulcata’s are grazing animals ( NEVER FEED ICEBERG LETTUCE )

On occasion can be fed fruits strawberries, banana, cantaloupe, berries, peaches no pits, apricots no pits,

Apples no seeds, pears. Never feed chard, spinach, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, green beansor any kind of beans, corn, sprouts of any kind, tomatoes of any kind or any type of vegetable that has legume,oranges or citrus fruits

On occasion can also fed in place of fruit Opuntia cactus .

( Note make sure all food is free of pesticide free)

Supplements: Tri-Cal 2:1 ratio phosphorous free calcium supplement Nekton –Rep multi vitamin or Rep-Cal calcium and multi vitamin. The calcium and multi vitamin should be sprinkled onto food twice a week.

Outdoor housing: during warmer dry months of the year area should be free from poisonous plants , pesticides , fertilizers, sharp objects etc any thing that can harm your tortoise. The wall of your outdoor enclosure should be at least 24 “ tall and aprox 12” under ground sence sulcata’s enjoy digging and making borrows . the walls should be reinforced to with stand pushing from inside out Can use a dog house or something simular for the hide with a heat source inside provide a swallow pool for soaking and wading .

As your sulcata grows it will require more room the best thing to do is to do the adult set up for the area at least 12‘ x 12’ the larger the better sence sulcata’s like to roam about and graze