Myrtle's new pen: journal (under construction!)

Hello!
I am currently building my Russian Myrtle a 20' x 8' enclosure. It should be done in the next couple of days, but being somewhat discouraged by the number of roots in the dirt (currently hammering posts into the ground) I thought I would cheer myself up by posting a progress thread on the tort forum, which is responsible for the fact that my tort is not still languishing in a 6'sq indoor cage.

The pen includes two cabbage palm trees and is close to an oak tree. Because of this, the number of roots in the ground make it impossible for me to bury an underground barrier without killing the trees. So instead I decided to take 4' tomato stakes, cut them in half, and bury them 12" into the ground every three inches. I have tested Myrtle on these stakes and there is no way she can bust out of them. I currently just finished hammering over 250 of these things into the ground, shown in the pictures . Next step are the wooden visual barriers/walls, which I'm thinking will be 18" high.

I would love to keep you guys posted! Any ideas or constructive criticism is greatly appreciated!

~MyrtlesMum0131

It looks scary to me. Although it may last forever and work fine, I still would be in constant panic thinking that the tortoise would get out.
Please don't take it personally.

ZEROPILOT said:

It looks scary to me. Although it may last forever and work fine, I still would be in constant panic thinking that the tortoise would get out.
Please don't take it personally.

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Yes, we thought about that. Of course we are going to put wooden walls all around the perimeter, they just won't be buried into the ground. The tomato stakes are underground only; they're sticking up because we will be anchoring them to the wood for stability. Do you think she would be able to escape underground by possibly wiggling through the stakes?

Oh, good. I was afraid to speak and upset you.

ZEROPILOT said:

Oh, good. I was afraid to speak and upset you.

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Not at all! I appreciate the input

Are you in Florida too? Those plants look tropical.....

ZEROPILOT said:

Are you in Florida too? Those plants look tropical.....

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Actually, no - but close! We used to live in Florida, though.

Stakes and boards are painted!


Unfortunately we are going out of town for the weekend (leaving today), so the pen won't be completed until next week.

Wow, sorry for the hugeness of those images.

Myrtle can't wait until she gets more than 45 supervised outside minutes a day!

Looks good, can't wait to see it completed!

JAYGEE said:

Looks good, can't wait to see it completed!

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Thank you so much!

Glad to hear you can take bad news; because Myrtle is a crafty little devil. All sweet and innocent looking, but once the ground gets soft from rains, she will dig under the boards and then turn sideways so she can slide between the stakes.

My Russians have the mentality that "if my head can fit through there then the rest will too"; and they keep trying until one way or another they escape!

If you decrease the space between the stakes you might have a better chance. Another way to discourage the digging under the walls is to put pavers inside the walls and then add topsoil to increase the inside height. This will also make the enclosure more flood resistant.

Russians can climb and dig with the best of them!

Also, put the boards on the inside of the stakes, otherwise they will use the stakes to climb over the walls.

And, do not forget to cap the corners with an inside overhang to prevent climbing out the corners.

Good luck, and I like the size of your enclosure.

WillTort2 said:

Glad to hear you can take bad news; because Myrtle is a crafty little devil. All sweet and innocent looking, but once the ground gets soft from rains, she will dig under the boards and then turn sideways so she can slide between the stakes.

My Russians have the mentality that "if my head can fit through there then the rest will too"; and they keep trying until one way or another they escape!

If you decrease the space between the stakes you might have a better chance. Another way to discourage the digging under the walls is to put pavers inside the walls and then add topsoil to increase the inside height. This will also make the enclosure more flood resistant.

Russians can climb and dig with the best of them!

Also, put the boards on the inside of the stakes, otherwise they will use the stakes to climb over the walls.

And, do not forget to cap the corners with an inside overhang to prevent climbing out the corners.

Good luck, and I like the size of your enclosure.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice! I'll definitely keep that in mind. The pavers idea seems good because it really is impossible for me to dig a barrier into the ground with all of the roots that we have. The walls will be twice as high as the stakes (12" higher) so I'm thinking that this might limit her? I'm concerned with the aesthetic of the stakes on the outside.

Again, thanks so much for your response!

As far as the looks are concerned, you could put a board on the inside and outside of the stakes. Or run a cap board along the entire top of the wall.

Russians do not need power tools to escape, they have them built in!

I cannot wait to see it when done!! I think puttering around my torts enclosure (or dreaming of a way to expand it) is the best past time ever (although I am sure pounding all those stakes in just about drove you to drink!) Myrtle is a beaut!!

DawnH said:

I cannot wait to see it when done!! I think puttering around my torts enclosure (or dreaming of a way to expand it) is the best past time ever (although I am sure pounding all those stakes in just about drove you to drink!) Myrtle is a beaut!!

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Hahaha yes! I certainly agree. Thanks for the kind words about Myrtle-from what I can see of your torts they are lovely as well!

I think wood barrier attached to the stakes should work well, with something like the pavers along the inside edge.
Pavers set end to end all along the inside of my enclosure have worked well for several years. They use them as a walk way, but don't/can't burrow under. Having 2-3 hides set up on the interior is helpful; they usually bed down in those. Also landscaping with clumping grasses, lavender, rosemary, etc.
Just make sure the hides are flood proof!

lynnedit said:

I think wood barrier attached to the stakes should work well, with something like the pavers along the inside edge.
Pavers set end to end all along the inside of my enclosure have worked well for several years. They use them as a walk way, but don't/can't burrow under. Having 2-3 hides set up on the interior is helpful; they usually bed down in those. Also landscaping with clumping grasses, lavender, rosemary, etc.
Just make sure the hides are flood proof!

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Thanks! That sounds like a wonderful idea; I'll definitely be planning on some hides as soon as I get the basic enclosure done. Good news is the trees in the middle of the pen - she usually burrows around the roots of plants and bushes as opposed to fences or walls.

I can't wait to see it when you are finished. I agree on the pavers along the inside.