Outdoor enclosure indirect sun

Katie Giles

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Austin, TX
I will confess up front to not having an ideal setup for our tortoise, but we are trying to improve so please reserve judgment! He has a UV light on his indoor enclosure, and we bring him outside regularly, but don't have a permanent habitat so we have to just watch him the whole time. That's fine during the time of Covid, but eventually we will hopefully leave our house again.
I would love to turn this planter into an outdoor space for him because it has the depth I think we need, but it doesn't get much direct sun. Not sure if that's an issue if we bring him inside periodically (and during cooler winter months) to get UV from the light? It's plenty warm enough- we live in Texas. Thoughts?

ETA we are going to wall off the tree separately. And removing the plants.
 

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method89

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you are doing UV backwards... most people will bring their torts out for Sun/UV. The planter idea would be a great setup if it received more sun. I know its a lot of work for a tortoise but is trimming that shade tree an option?
 

Tom

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I will confess up front to not having an ideal setup for our tortoise, but we are trying to improve so please reserve judgment! He has a UV light on his indoor enclosure, and we bring him outside regularly, but don't have a permanent habitat so we have to just watch him the whole time. That's fine during the time of Covid, but eventually we will hopefully leave our house again.
I would love to turn this planter into an outdoor space for him because it has the depth I think we need, but it doesn't get much direct sun. Not sure if that's an issue if we bring him inside periodically (and during cooler winter months) to get UV from the light? It's plenty warm enough- we live in Texas. Thoughts?

ETA we are going to wall off the tree separately. And removing the plants.
You are going to lose him if you keep letting him run loose. Everyone does eventually. Its really easy to make a secure outdoor enclosure. Large kiddie pool from Walmart. Cinderblocks and a welded wire lid. A sheet of plywood and some 2x12 planks... Many easy, cheap ways to do it.

Your area there looks good with some modifications. Patchy sun works great during warmer weather. It really depends on the temperatures.

Check this out for more care info and ideas:
 

Katie Giles

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Austin, TX
You are going to lose him if you keep letting him run loose. Everyone does eventually. Its really easy to make a secure outdoor enclosure. Large kiddie pool from Walmart. Cinderblocks and a welded wire lid. A sheet of plywood and some 2x12 planks... Many easy, cheap ways to do it.

Your area there looks good with some modifications. Patchy sun works great during warmer weather. It really depends on the temperatures.

Check this out for more care info and ideas:

We definitely don't just let him run loose. We have a couple of large planters like that that he runs around in. He can't climb out. It's just not safe because it's uncovered. Temperatures up to 100 degrees most days in the summer but about 20 degrees cooler in the shade.

I'll look that over, thank you!
 

Katie Giles

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Austin, TX
you are doing UV backwards... most people will bring their torts out for Sun/UV. The planter idea would be a great setup if it received more sun. I know its a lot of work for a tortoise but is trimming that shade tree an option?

Like I said, not ideal, but we are trying to get there! We are actually having the trees trimmed before we start this project so hopefully we will find a sunnier spot. Plan B will be to tear out the planter and move it to a sunnier part of the yard, but I was hoping to not have to reinvent the wheel. Also, my husband might kill me.
 

VJRDuran

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Katie, We are doing the same thing; turning our large planter into an outdoor enclosure. We aren't done yet as we have some tomatoes growing in one corner, and we have to build up the siding (with overhang) so our tortoise can't get out. But what little he has been in it, he seems to really enjoy it.

This past spring, right after we got Scooter, we put together a small outdoor enclosure/kitty pool out on our deck. Scooter didn't like it much at all. (I think it was too small for him) So, for most of the summer, we have taken him outside in our big back yard and let him get his sun/exercise/do his toilet each morning. And, like you, we constantly supervised him.

I had to remove a lot of old, overgrown plants and will be planting Scooter-friendly plants such as spider plants, hibiscus, marigolds, and others. There are four sections to this planter; only three are pictured. Scooter will have access to the three pictured sections as I build up the soil and/or place ramps for him to get over the dividers. One section is his "run" which will have his food, water, hides, and places to explore. The section with the tomatoes will become his deep hide. The other open area will be where I will put some of the plants with other plants going into the "run" and into the fourth not-pictured section.
Our planter has morning shade, afternoon sun except for the area under the deck stairs; that will be in the shade most of the day.
By the way, we live in Minnesota, so this will not be a year-round enclosure for him.
 

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Katie Giles

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Austin, TX
Katie, We are doing the same thing; turning our large planter into an outdoor enclosure. We aren't done yet as we have some tomatoes growing in one corner, and we have to build up the siding (with overhang) so our tortoise can't get out. But what little he has been in it, he seems to really enjoy it.

This past spring, right after we got Scooter, we put together a small outdoor enclosure/kitty pool out on our deck. Scooter didn't like it much at all. (I think it was too small for him) So, for most of the summer, we have taken him outside in our big back yard and let him get his sun/exercise/do his toilet each morning. And, like you, we constantly supervised him.

I had to remove a lot of old, overgrown plants and will be planting Scooter-friendly plants such as spider plants, hibiscus, marigolds, and others. There are four sections to this planter; only three are pictured. Scooter will have access to the three pictured sections as I build up the soil and/or place ramps for him to get over the dividers. One section is his "run" which will have his food, water, hides, and places to explore. The section with the tomatoes will become his deep hide. The other open area will be where I will put some of the plants with other plants going into the "run" and into the fourth not-pictured section.
Our planter has morning shade, afternoon sun except for the area under the deck stairs; that will be in the shade most of the day.
By the way, we live in Minnesota, so this will not be a year-round enclosure for him.

Ours is named Scooter also!! Thanks for the ideas, I think we are going in the right direction.
 
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