Enclosure lid? I live in a rainy area.

babyhermanns

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Hello, i currently have my baby hermanns tortoise in a raised garden bed outside. She has a mesh lid, and whenever it rains i have to go and cover her up with a tarp. This is extremely difficult as when i am sleeping it can rain, and the tarp doesn’t always stop all of the water. Here in florida it is also very warm. Under the tarp it gets very humid. I am upgrading her soon into an enclosure twice the size and i need ideas for a lid. The lid needs to have some way to block the rain permanently, yet it needs to be able to let the light shine through from the sun. Please let me know if you have any ideas.

Thank you.
 

Toddrickfl1

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Hello, i currently have my baby hermanns tortoise in a raised garden bed outside. She has a mesh lid, and whenever it rains i have to go and cover her up with a tarp. This is extremely difficult as when i am sleeping it can rain, and the tarp doesn’t always stop all of the water. Here in florida it is also very warm. Under the tarp it gets very humid. I am upgrading her soon into an enclosure twice the size and i need ideas for a lid. The lid needs to have some way to block the rain permanently, yet it needs to be able to let the light shine through from the sun. Please let me know if you have any ideas.

Thank you.
I'm curious as to why you want to block the rain? Does it flood in the garden bed? If not there's really no reason to prevent your tortoise from getting rained on. My Torts love when it rains.
 

method89

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A well draining substrate is more important than a lid, imo. As long as the enclosure isn't filling up like a pool then you should be fine
 

babyhermanns

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I'm curious as to why you want to block the rain? Does it flood in the garden bed? If not there's really no reason to prevent your tortoise from getting rained on. My Torts love when it rains.
Really? Our house vet came by to check on the dogs and said that whenever it gets wet, we should change out our tortoises substrate. If it gets wet it tends to mold. What can i do?
 

Toddrickfl1

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Really? Our house vet came by to check on the dogs and said that whenever it gets wet, we should change out our tortoises substrate. If it gets wet it tends to mold. What can i do?
The only time I've ever encountered mold is on waste or old food and I've kept my enclosures super moist. If you spot clean up any waste and remove the uneaten food daily you shouldn't have any problems with mold.
 

babyhermanns

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alright, thank you. what substrates would you recommend for good drainage? what else can i do to help the overall drainage?
 

TammyJ

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Outdoor enclosure in warm, sunny Florida! I am in Jamaica in the Caribbean (south of Cuba). My redfoot has an outdoor enclosure made of blocks, covered with wire mesh and a tarp. The tarp is pulled to cover three quarters of the space most of the time, leaving a quarter exposed to the sunshine, and that is also where the pool is. This arrangement works for me and the tort and keeps the space nice and humid. When we have our "Winter" (like now) and the temps get below 70F at night, I move the tort inside to his indoor box for the night. The most important thing: don't let them get cold as well as wet!
 

babyhermanns

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Outdoor enclosure in warm, sunny Florida! I am in Jamaica in the Caribbean (south of Cuba). My redfoot has an outdoor enclosure made of blocks, covered with wire mesh and a tarp. The tarp is pulled to cover three quarters of the space most of the time, leaving a quarter exposed to the sunshine, and that is also where the pool is. This arrangement works for me and the tort and keeps the space nice and humid. When we have our "Winter" (like now) and the temps get below 70F at night, I move the tort inside to his indoor box for the night. The most important thing: don't let them get cold as well as wet!
Thank you so much! This totally helps
 
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