My Russian Tortoises ❤️

[Janelle Green]

Ya we have some gorgeous fall days even winter some days will be 65 sunny love it. I'm
At petsmart now shopping for they small outdoor enclosure for fall/winter on our nice days

 

[Janelle Green]

I can't wait for spring half my backyard will
Be their outdoor enclosure I have so many ideas

 

[leigti]

This is part of it, the other half across the bridge is basically a mirror image because I have no creativity check out the enclosures section here on the forum. There are some very creative people with great enclosures.

 

[GingerLove]

Nice ramp, @leigti ! I just finished building one! Out of curiosity... you and Janelle keep referring to different halves. Is one half shaded or something? Just curious.

 

[leigti]

Ya we have some gorgeous fall days even winter some days will be 65 sunny love it. I'm
At petsmart now shopping for they small outdoor enclosure for fall/winter on our nice days

A large plastic bin would be the easiest. And it will help keep the heat in.

 

[leigti]

Nice ramp, @leigti ! I just finished building one! Out of curiosity... you and Janelle keep referring to different halves. Is one half shaded or something? Just curious.

She is talking about the dark half of the enclosure for her to small Russians. I am talking about the second half of the enclosure that is connected by the ramp. The enclosure is basically to stock thanks connected by a ramp. With a clear shower curtain over the top to keep heat in.

 

[Janelle Green]

I'm talking about separate sides I have one cool humidity side and one warmer side with bark I also have the enclosure divided and the only way they can get to each side is by going through the log . I put a divider in because I have 2 babies and want them to have their own privacy and space. People make some awesome enclosures , I am so thrilled with how mine turned out ,I designed it and my husband built it but I helped lol. It's actually very easy to build one if you have power tools , my husbands a contractor so it was nothing for him to make one

 

[Janelle Green]

Here's a better picture of how I separated my enclosure. Babies need more humidity so it helps keep one side nice and cool and humid. I added half a lid so my toddler does not get into the enclosure. It's so fun building them we can't wait to start on the next one which will be massive because eventually they all 3 will be together when the girls get a lot bigger. We want to do Plexi glass siding on front so we can see in from that way and want to do double tiered. We'll probably make the girls a double tiered enclosure so each has their own enclosure completely. My divider is working out great though they'll switch sides and both sleep on opposite sides, I want them to eat on opposite sides as well. Building their outdoor enclosure now I got such good stuff at petsmart tonight for it big rock cave that they can climb and bask on

 

[Janelle Green]

A large plastic bin would be the easiest. And it will help keep the heat in.

It is easiest and cheapest just not very nice looking lol and as I am a women I like my house to look nice so I went with tortoise table and we are going to stain it light antique blue

 

[Janelle Green]

My petsmart haul tonight for the girls fall/winter outdoor enclosure. Used for nice days only

 

[Janelle Green]

Made the tortoises a tort bath got a fabric bath mat so they can't slide around they'll be so relaxed and just bought a plastic tub spent $14 making it

 

[leigti]

For a winter outdoor enclosure in Colorado, he'll only be out there for maybe an hour or two on a very few days so you don't need anything fancy.
You said you have a cool humid side and then a bark side. Humidity should be the same throughout. And they should have a warm humid hide. Cold and humidity together usually leads to respiratory infections. Russians aren't as touchy about that as say Leopard tortoises but still .
Yeah, my enclosure is definitely not pretty. But it works. The hatchlings enclosure is prettier.

 

[Janelle Green]

For a winter outdoor enclosure in Colorado, he'll only be out there for maybe an hour or two on a very few days so you don't need anything fancy.
You said you have a cool humid side and then a bark side. Humidity should be the same throughout. And they should have a warm humid hide. Cold and humidity together usually leads to respiratory infections. Russians aren't as touchy about that as say Leopard tortoises but still .
Yeah, my enclosure is definitely not pretty. But it works. The hatchlings enclosure is prettier. View attachment 189276

Ya I just call it the cool side because the coco and it's nice and dark with the big plant in the corner but I mist both sides so ya both have humidity. Your enclosure is very pretty! I love it I have a glass one for Franklin as well so pretty love to be able to see everything. What type of tortoises do you have ? Also how often should I give the girls a bath? The owner told me once a week but I bathe Franklin 2x a week

 

[Janelle Green]

I know it doesn't have to be fancy but I like them to look like zen gardens lol I love building the enclosures it's so fun for me so I really get into the outdoor enclosures. I just can't wait for spring to do their huge one , my yard is divided by a side walk down the middle so I'm going to put them on the smaller side going to use bricks for the walls I like that look better.

 

[leigti]

There are some very creative enclosures out there. Very pretty ones also. Setting up the enclosures is a lot of fun. And he will probably find that it never really ends. At least for me I am always tweaking things. I tweak the outdoor enclosure before summer and then I tweak the indoor enclosure before winter. I have Russian tortoises.

 

[Janelle Green]

Oh great best tortoise! How many do you have ? And ya it does seem to never end lol just come up with more ideas.

 

[Janelle Green]

Can you find the Tortoise?

 

[leigti]

Oh wow, I'm really not good at this. I'd say the top left corner and then at the bottom below the greens. Just an FYI, try putting the greens on a terra-cotta plate or a piece of slate or rock. That way your tortoises don't ingest any more of the substrate than they have to. They will still kick it around and drag it around but at least some of it will stay clean.

 

[leigti]

I have one adult and one hatchling. I've had the adult for about four years and the hatchling for less than a month. Tortoises are addicting. If I had the time money and space I would have many of them but two is good for now.

 

[Janelle Green]

I pretty much got the 2nd hatchling for free , I was only planing on buying one but we became friends and I let her come check their enclosure and my house out so she gave me a great deal I couldn't pass up but ya it's a super expensive hobby.