I’m trying to make my little Russian tortoise an outside enclosure I live in Arizona and I’m thinking of either making it in grass or in a rocky area and what should I add heating wise hides and how big should the outside enclosure be what should I use stuff like that
What do you guys suggest I’m trying to make my tortoise an outside enclosure
- Thread starter Mosin
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In this pic he look like burger
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I like to use the side of the house, or one of the property line fences as one wall of the tortoise yard. If you use your house's side yard, that's usually a good spot for a tortoise yard. Main thin to think about is the tortoise's safety - can he climb out, can he dig under, will it be too hot, is there shade, etc.
If you don't make your fence down to the ground, and he can see daylight under the fence, he's going to dig in that spot and escape. So make sure there's ground contact all the way around the bottom of the fence.
With a Russian tortoise you don't need any kind of heat. They are very cold hardy, and will brumate during the winter. If you have a cool night during the summer, that's no problem either. As long as he can warm up in the sun the next day, cool nights won't bother him.
For one Russian tortoise I like to see about 16' x 8' as minimum. My russians dig down into the dirt to shelter, usually under a clump of grass. I have a little dog house in there for them, but they don't use it, preferring to dig UNDER the dog house. I also have a cinder block that they like to hide inside of.
Bear in mind that Russian tortoises don't eat much grass, preferring the broad-leaf weeds and plants, so making your enclosure in the grass means you will be mowing/cutting the grass all the time.
Russians like to climb, so in the rocky area might be good as long as there's enough shade during your hot summers.
If you don't make your fence down to the ground, and he can see daylight under the fence, he's going to dig in that spot and escape. So make sure there's ground contact all the way around the bottom of the fence.
With a Russian tortoise you don't need any kind of heat. They are very cold hardy, and will brumate during the winter. If you have a cool night during the summer, that's no problem either. As long as he can warm up in the sun the next day, cool nights won't bother him.
For one Russian tortoise I like to see about 16' x 8' as minimum. My russians dig down into the dirt to shelter, usually under a clump of grass. I have a little dog house in there for them, but they don't use it, preferring to dig UNDER the dog house. I also have a cinder block that they like to hide inside of.
Bear in mind that Russian tortoises don't eat much grass, preferring the broad-leaf weeds and plants, so making your enclosure in the grass means you will be mowing/cutting the grass all the time.
Russians like to climb, so in the rocky area might be good as long as there's enough shade during your hot summers.
Thanks dude this helped a lot I think I’m going to make it in the rocky area the only concern is with the rocks get too hot I’m not sure that would be a concern but my Russian really likes grass I take them out in the grass all the time and he mows on it
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