Tortoise house being built- questions for experts

[fanofthedog]

HI everyone!

Hope everyone is doing great and all tortoises are still enjoying the summer!
My guy is 13 and just clocked in at the vet at 115lbs. He has been living in a dogloo successfully but now we are finally having a house built for him. Here are a few random questions. I would love if anyone had feedback!

1. Does color matter? I notice that @Tom always has green. My house is the color of Tom's night boxes and my Tyler literally walks into our walls all day long.( I think his vision was impaired as a baby before I got him) Can I give him a brighter color of house?

2. Does size matter? (no, really) Do tortoises feel "comfort" of a smaller space because it feels like a true "hide" and also do they feel more like its a hide with a smaller entry/door frame?

3. What flooring is best? I can have wood or even vinyl. I feel like vinyl would feel/smell unnatural.

Thats it! Thanks for any tips. I am so excited to finally be getting this done. Tyler's dogloo doorway is 24 inches and he is 21.5 from side to side so its finally time. Moving on up like George Jefferson!!

Thanks for your help.
Karen
- Tyler- African Sulcata

 

[Yvonne G]

My house is grey, so I painted my shed grey. I don't think color makes a difference to the tortoise. I left the interior walls natural with no paint or finish. Does Tyler actually walk head first into the walls, or does he just scrape his sides along the walls. If the latter, that's just what they do. The stucco along the side of my house is all chipped and scuffed with old paint showing through.

I made my shed big enough that I could comfortably walk in to clean it out, but the tortoise would probably appreciate it smaller. Makes them feel safe to be able to walk under something that flows across their shell then into a cave-like area.

My floor is cement with a 3/4" rubber mat over it. I've left it clean for ease of picking up poop, but you can use substrate if you want to.

I've built Dudley two different houses. This is the link to the first one:

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/housing-a-100lb-sulcata.4744/#post-38599

And then when termites were found, I had to tear that one down and build this one:

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/dudleys-rebuild.111350/

 

[Barrysulcata]

Hi Karen
Barry's box is bare ply colour as I oiled the outside
Inside I've used horse rubber matting 12mm thick on top of ply floor and around sides a foot high inner ply sides with rubber around then between the gaps between box ply and inner ply I filled and packed with hay just because I live in uk and not as hot outside as other places
Tim

 

[fanofthedog]

My house is grey, so I painted my shed grey. I don't think color makes a difference to the tortoise. I left the interior walls natural with no paint or finish. Does Tyler actually walk head first into the walls, or does he just scrape his sides along the walls. If the latter, that's just what they do. The stucco along the side of my house is all chipped and scuffed with old paint showing through.

I made my shed big enough that I could comfortably walk in to clean it out, but the tortoise would probably appreciate it smaller. Makes them feel safe to be able to walk under something that flows across their shell then into a cave-like area.

My floor is cement with a 3/4" rubber mat over it. I've left it clean for ease of picking up poop, but you can use substrate if you want to.

I've built Dudley two different houses. This is the link to the first one:

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/housing-a-100lb-sulcata.4744/#post-38599

And then when termites were found, I had to tear that one down and build this one:

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/dudleys-rebuild.111350/

He walks HEAD FIRST into walls. And everything. But he also rides the sides of all of the walls as well. His shell is scuffed up on both sides. Our property has a huge cement wall that is white and sometimes I feel he just can't SEE which is why he is always scuffing the sides. We have one part of the wall thats brown/brick color and he doesn't seem to walk into that as much LOL

 

[Tom]

HI everyone!

Hope everyone is doing great and all tortoises are still enjoying the summer!
My guy is 13 and just clocked in at the vet at 115lbs. He has been living in a dogloo successfully but now we are finally having a house built for him. Here are a few random questions. I would love if anyone had feedback!

1. Does color matter? I notice that @Tom always has green. My house is the color of Tom's night boxes and my Tyler literally walks into our walls all day long.( I think his vision was impaired as a baby before I got him) Can I give him a brighter color of house?

2. Does size matter? (no, really) Do tortoises feel "comfort" of a smaller space because it feels like a true "hide" and also do they feel more like its a hide with a smaller entry/door frame?

3. What flooring is best? I can have wood or even vinyl. I feel like vinyl would feel/smell unnatural.

Thats it! Thanks for any tips. I am so excited to finally be getting this done. Tyler's dogloo doorway is 24 inches and he is 21.5 from side to side so its finally time. Moving on up like George Jefferson!!

Thanks for your help.
Karen
- Tyler- African Sulcata

Glad to hear all is well.

1. I don't think color matters. I like them to blend in to the landscape a bit, but that is just my preference.
2. Yes. Size does matter. I like to make the boxes at least 48x48", so there is room inside to get off the heat source if they want to. 96x48" will keep the box cleaner longer. I make my sulcata doors 26x16".
3. I use plain untreated plywood and it lasts for many years. I haven't needed to do anything yet, but when the time comes, I'm planning on just covering the old plywood with fresh plywood. I do put a thin layer of dirt down to absorb messes. I scrape out the dirt and replace it as needed.

Hope this helps. More questions are welcome. You won't be bothering me if you ask lots and lots of questions. I'm happy to share what I've learned from building all my own boxes.

 

[fanofthedog]

Glad to hear all is well.

1. I don't think color matters. I like them to blend in to the landscape a bit, but that is just my preference.
2. Yes. Size does matter. I like to make the boxes at least 48x48", so there is room inside to get off the heat source if they want to. 96x48" will keep the box cleaner longer. I make my sulcata doors 26x16".
3. I use plain untreated plywood and it lasts for many years. I haven't needed to do anything yet, but when the time comes, I'm planning on just covering the old plywood with fresh plywood. I do put a thin layer of dirt down to absorb messes. I scrape out the dirt and replace it as needed.

Hope this helps. More questions are welcome. You won't be bothering me if you ask lots and lots of questions. I'm happy to share what I've learned from building all my own boxes.

Well I looked up "Tom & Night Box" and there are so many! We are all really lucky to have your experiences. You spend a lot of time educating people and SHARING all that you have learned and it is highly appreciated!

The dirt on the floor is a fantastic idea. Tyler mostly relieves himself in his house in winter on those few days its too cold to go outside. But the dirt is a perfect solution.

You are a saint of the sulcata world!! Thank you so much!

I will send pictures of the new digs when we start building!

Thanks,
Karen

 

[Tom]

I'm not a saint Karen. I'm just a guy who made all the usual mistakes while learning all this stuff over many years. My animals suffered the consequences while I figured out all of these things. I'm so vocal about this stuff because I don't want other people and their tortoises to have to go through what I went through. That's all.

Anyway, thank you for the super kind words, and I'm glad you find my posts helpful.

Here are all the ones I usually post when people are designing and thinking about their own box. I hope you find some inspiration here:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/another-night-box-thread.88966/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/my-best-night-box-design-yet.66867/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/double-door-night-box.129054/