Need outside enclosure ideas for adult star

Kriti

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Hi . I own an indian star tortoise. I live in india and have abundant space in my garden but cats and dogs can easily trespass there , dig in the soil and so I am worried about keeping my star there. If I could get some ideas on how I could make a safe enclosure for her that would be really appreciated. Please post pictures if possible .
 

Yvonne G

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You can keep cats out of the enclosure by figuring out a way to cover it with chicken wire, but I don't think chicken wire is strong enough to keep dogs out.

(I'm wondering why your "location" shows that you're in Ohio??)
 

Kriti

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Yeah that is because I am with my parents right now . Do I need to change my location ?
 

Kriti

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You can keep cats out of the enclosure by figuring out a way to cover it with chicken wire, but I don't think chicken wire is strong enough to keep dogs out.

(I'm wondering why your "location" shows that you're in Ohio??)
Could you please tell me how to change my location to India because I will be staying here for a while now and my tort is going to stay here anyways . Thanks !
 

NadineB

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Markw84

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Hi . I own an indian star tortoise. I live in india and have abundant space in my garden but cats and dogs can easily trespass there , dig in the soil and so I am worried about keeping my star there. If I could get some ideas on how I could make a safe enclosure for her that would be really appreciated. Please post pictures if possible .
Because homes and yards can be so different in India, can you please provide a few pictures of what you have to work with? Patio? Garden area? Large yard?
 

Yvonne G

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Could you please tell me how to change my location to India because I will be staying here for a while now and my tort is going to stay here anyways . Thanks !
Click on your name in the upper right of the screen then look for "location"
 

Kriti

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Because homes and yards can be so different in India, can you please provide a few pictures of what you have to work with? Patio? Garden area? Large yard?
Sure ,I will do that . Its night here right now though ; so will get back by tomorrow
 

Kriti

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I have my greek tortoise in an outdoor enclosure in an area with lots of cats too. I used this fence: https://images.obi.at/product/DE/800x600/269544_1.jpg as boundary and a piece of fence like this: https://www.draht-driller.de/seite/bilder/zinkgitter-anthrazit.jpg as well as chicken wire to make a kind of "lid" that you can open and close. You'd have to lift to open so animals won't get in and the tortoise won't get out
Thanks a lot . Could you please show your set up so that I could get a better idea because that wooden fence is a piece of cake for cats here . So I would like to know how you set it up .Thanks !
 

Kriti

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Because homes and yards can be so different in India, can you please provide a few pictures of what you have to work with? Patio? Garden area? Large yard?
I am posting the pics of the garden area . I would however like to keep her in the space shown in the first photo as I can keep an eye on her here and grow some edible plants for her as well.
 

Kriti

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Because homes and yards can be so different in India, can you please provide a few pictures of what you have to work with? Patio? Garden area? Large yard?
 

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Blackdog1714

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Here is mine for my russian and should suffice while your Star is growing. The hardware cloth (small metal mesh) goes under the entire enclosure to discouraging digging out or in (intruders).
I used an old aluminum fence panel for the lid and zip tied chicken wire to it. For your star you could add a misting system to keep the humidity up. I live in VA so humidity outside is not an
issue in summer. Good luck
IMG_1769 (6).jpegIMG_1768 (1).jpeg
 

Markw84

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Not the first one , the second one actually .... where I would like to keep her @Markw84
I actually like the plant cover in the first area. Make her area very well planted as they love to hide and push through bushes, grasses, overgrowth. That is where they feel most secure. Make an enclosure along the lines posted just above by @Blackdog1714 . I use an enclosure along that line for my Burmese stars, but mine is not covered. You could do a combination of the two ideas to dress it up and give a place to grow herbs/tortoise food. Here's my enclosure. I use a double planter as a perimeter, but you could do a single planter in front with the outside of the planter 8" tall and the inside (tortoise side) perhaps 16" tall. Put a 2x2 lip on it and then use that to set your cover on similar to Blackdog.

Here's my Burmese enclosure. I let it grow over and don't cut much back. The lower planter is old testudo mix. The upper planter is petunia and pansy.

IMG_0774.jpg
 

Kriti

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I actually like the plant cover in the first area. Make her area very well planted as they love to hide and push through bushes, grasses, overgrowth. That is where they feel most secure. Make an enclosure along the lines posted just above by @Blackdog1714 . I use an enclosure along that line for my Burmese stars, but mine is not covered. You could do a combination of the two ideas to dress it up and give a place to grow herbs/tortoise food. Here's my enclosure. I use a double planter as a perimeter, but you could do a single planter in front with the outside of the planter 8" tall and the inside (tortoise side) perhaps 16" tall. Put a 2x2 lip on it and then use that to set your cover on similar to Blackdog.

Here's my Burmese enclosure. I let it grow over and don't cut much back. The lower planter is old testudo mix. The upper planter is petunia and pansy.

View attachment 292326
Thanks @Markw84 and @Blackdog1714 for the ideas.Both your enclosures are lovely . But I am a bit confused about the height of the enclosure , if I grow plants in there how will I cover it ?
 
L

LasTortugasNinja

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Thanks @Markw84 and @Blackdog1714 for the ideas.Both your enclosures are lovely . But I am a bit confused about the height of the enclosure , if I grow plants in there how will I cover it ?
For adult larger species of tortoises, if you have a fence to keep out dogs, coyotes, etc, you’ll be fine. Generally speaking, cats will avoid an animal the same size or bigger than them. Small tortoise species you can make a lid using chicken wire. You can actually cut holes and wrap the cut ends against themselves to prevent scratches, and put the lid down over the higher plants.

I knew someone who built her parrot aviary between 50+ year old trees in her yard. She build out the frame of the aviary, and cut the chicken wire around the trees’ larger branches and fed those branches through into the aviary. That way her birds could enjoy fresh fruit and leaves, as well as natural branches to prevent muscle atrophy in the feet.

something similar could be done around shrubs. Place the fenced lid on the enclosure, feed the larger plants through their holes, and lock into place. The fence will be enough to deter a casual predator.
 

g4mobile

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Hi . I own an indian star tortoise. I live in india and have abundant space in my garden but cats and dogs can easily trespass there , dig in the soil and so I am worried about keeping my star there. If I could get some ideas on how I could make a safe enclosure for her that would be really appreciated. Please post pictures if possible .
I just posted my new outdoor enclosure for our 4.25" burmese star.

IMG_2946.jpg
 

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