Bird net? (New outdoor enclosure)

[tortoishell]

Recently the climate around here is suitable to let my rt outside, so I am in the process of building a new outdoor enclosure. It's around ten feet by about seven feet. For the wall I have layered two bricks on top of each other so that he can't climb out. He has a saucer for water and a hide. I am planning to plant lettuce, hibiscus, dandelion seeds, and clovers, etc. My main question is, how do I protect him from predators? Do I need a bird net? Raccoons appear occasionally and could easily climb the wall. My rt is 5 1/2 inches. Is that big enough for his shell to naturally protect him? If not, how do I keep predators out?

 

[richosullivan]

Recently the climate around here is suitable to let my rt outside, so I am in the process of building a new outdoor enclosure. It's around ten feet by about seven feet. For the wall I have layered two bricks on top of each other so that he can't climb out. He has a saucer for water and a hide. I am planning to plant lettuce, hibiscus, dandelion seeds, and clovers, etc. My main question is, how do I protect him from predators? Do I need a bird net? Raccoons appear occasionally and could easily climb the wall. My rt is 5 1/2 inches. Is that big enough for his shell to naturally protect him? If not, how do I keep predators out?

I used galvenized, coated mesh fencing - bird net isn't strong enough to keep out the racoons:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015PD9KIY/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

 

[stevenf625]

You’re definitely going to need MORE protection if raccoons are about, and a perimeter made of bricks stacked 2 layers high will be easily pushed over by a racoon even if you top it over with something.

For my 5” Herman I made the following cage using commonly available wire shelf cubes.
https://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/st...modular-shelving-and-storage-cubes/1016719773
The shelf cube wire is heavy enough to provide protection from just about anything and the small square openings are 1-1/4” sq, too small for a cat or raccoon to reach through easily.

Note: Once the panels are assembled together using the black plastic nodes you MUST reinforce each panel to panel join with tie-wraps to keep them from separating again.

My cage consists of two (3x3panel) halves butted together and hinged together with a pair of carbines. To access the interior of the cage you simple lift one cage half and pivot it over to rest on top of the other half. If you want a bigger cage I think 4x3 panel halves would work too.

To keep the tortoise from seeing out and to keep him from climbing the wire grids I made a wooden rectangle frame which runs along the inside of the cage You could do a stacked brick frame instead.
My tortoise never tries to dig so I have no provision to stop escape that way but for a Russian you are going to need something extra around the perimeter to stop it from tunneling out.

Note:
The 2 red L's shown on the sketch are shelf panels inside the cage, serving as support columns.
The green plastic chicken netting on the top of the cage is not needed, just something additional I put there because I was worried about cats reaching down into the cage from above ( they actually never try so not needed).

 

[tortoishell]

Thanks for the replies! I have some cat fencing lying around, so do you think that would be worth a try before I use the wire?

 

[Tom]

First, please go into your user profile and put in your location. Different advice for different parts of the world.

I prefer to use the outdoor enclosure in the day time, and bring them in at night. Then you should have to worry too much about anything but the family dog during the day.

If you want to leave the tortoise outside full time, then a secure night box that you can close up will keep the tortoise safe without having to build an entire cage. You can also add a radiant heat panel and a thermostat to keep those spring and fall night temperatures a little less extreme.

Here is an example of a night box that could work. You could make it much smaller for your tortoise than this one that I made for a large sulcata, but the concept is the same: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/another-night-box-thread.88966/

Here is what I did for my russians in my hot climate with cold nights:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/semi-underground-russian-box.98590/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/heating-an-outdoor-russian-night-box.116180/#post-1077261

 

[stevenf625]

with racoons about I'd take him in at night regardless of the temperature.
I have rats and possums roaming my yard at night, so I always bring him indoors at night

 

[Yvonne G]

I second the indoors at night suggestion. When you bring them in, a cardboard box of shredded paper is just fine. You don't need a whole other enclosure, because all he's going to do overnight indoors is sleep, and he can do that just as well in a box.

 

[tortoishell]

He does have an indoor enclosure because some days it's too cold to go outside, so he's completely safe at night.