Russian Outdoor Pen

[floridakat85]

I read through the outdoor pen section of Tortoiseforum and found some pictures, but not a whole lot of detailed sort of explanations about how to really build a solid, safe, interesting outdoor pen for Russians. I have a garden in my front yard that I want to fence off and convert into an outdoor enclosure, but I'm worried about his digging. How can I ensure that he won't dig a hole and disappear if I let him roam outside? Are there ways to prevent him from digging his way out?

Also, besides dandelion weeds, what are some sturdy, easy-to-care-for plants for a non-green thumber to grow that he could graze on if he liked?

What other kinds of stimuli could I provide in an outdoor pen, besides plants and dirt piles to dig in?

Any other tips or advice?

Thanks in advance

 

[Yvonne G]

Russians are real good diggers. When I first built an outdoor Russian pen I dug down next to the fence all the way around about 3". Then I cut strips of hardware cloth 6" wide by however long I had the wire. I bent the strip in half lengthwise, so that it was 3" up and 3" sideways. Looking at the strip from one end it would have looked like an "L". I stapled one side of the "L" to the bottom of the fence and the wire went down into the ground then out towards the inside of the pen. Then I put the dirt back, covering the wire. When a tortoise goes to the fence to dig a hole, he doesn't back away from the fence and say, "H-m-m...since the wire is out 3" from the fence I guess I'd better start digging out 3"." No, they go right up next to the fence and start their digging. So they can't dig down because the wire is there. The wire will rust and rot away after a few years, but the tortoises don't know that, and they don't keep trying to dig out.

The wire thing is pretty time consuming and kind of hard to do. Another way is to just buy some rectangular stepping stones (called masonry caps) and lay them all along inside the fence. Same deal as above. The tortoise goes right up next to the fence to dig, and can't get anyplace because the cement is there.

A bush or tree is always nice. And of course, an area where they can dig into the dirt to hide. Don't cover the whole thing with plantings because they like to come out in the morning and sun to warm up. The bare dirt is the best place for warming.