Russian Tortoise outdoor enclosure

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HuyckB04

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Hello, all! I adopted a Russian Tortoise last year in the late fall. Now that it's spring, I want to build him an outdoor enclosure! From my research, burrowing is a concern since they can tunnel under the walls of the habitat and escape. In my area, another concern is the raccoon population.

At first, I was going to build Morty's enclosure from cinder blocks, placing one underground, at the additional layers on top. Another idea was to buy a plastic "pond" from the local do-it-yourself store and make that his outdoor habitat. Thought that I'd also feel out this forum for some more ideas!

Are raccoons a threat to Russian Tortoises? If so, I'd have to have some kind of cover on the habitat to keep them out. If there is a cover, it will block the healthy sunlight. Is there a way around this, or do I need to just bring him back in every night? I have so many questions before I start putting a plan together. Thanks in advance for the advice!
 

Yvonne G

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In my experience, they don't so much dig to tunnel under a fence, as they dig to bury themselves. I discourage digging near the fence by laying the rectangular stepping stones (masonry caps) along the inside edge of the fence.

I doubt you could buy a plastic pond big enough for a russian. The minimum size for an adult russian would be 4'x8' and even that's sort of small for outdoors.

Every evening I make the rounds of my tortoise yards and make sure everyone is inside their shelter. Then I close and latch the doors. There's no way I could cover all the tortoise yards on my property, so I just make sure they're all safely locked in at night.
 
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