I have a 10' x 12' enclosure separated into two parts, 10' x 4' enclosed "night" section, and then 10 x 8' "open" section. So big for a Russian, but not big for a human to see. My tortoise is very boring. He doesn't try to escape, he doesn't pace, he doesn't wander around much, when he digs in he leaves half his backside exposed making him easy to find, and he is pretty firm in his routine. I put him out in the "big" section in the morning, and at some point he makes his way to the enclosed section and once he settles down around 4pm or so in one of his two "night" spots, he is done. Its still cool enough at night that I bring him to his indoor enclosure, but when it stays over 60 at night, he can stay outside full time.
Last night the little %$$@# pulled a Houdini on me. I spent FORTY FIVE minutes trying to find him. Around 3pm I saw him in his deep shade/night area, where he usually starts to settle down for the night. I don't think he has ever left that part of the enclosure once he goes into it by late afternoon. But he was NOT there when I went to get him around six. Nothing. I dug up every hiding spot, I searched the corners to see if he could have climbed anything, I looked at my video camera to see if some crazy interloper came in. Nothing.
Eventually searching under every weed and blade of grass, I found him dug in the very center of the enclosure (the hardest spot to reach) in an area you can't see easily if you push the overgrown weeds aside. He has never gone "back to the big area" at night before. I think I'm going to have to cut back the growth, I can't take this again!
Last night the little %$$@# pulled a Houdini on me. I spent FORTY FIVE minutes trying to find him. Around 3pm I saw him in his deep shade/night area, where he usually starts to settle down for the night. I don't think he has ever left that part of the enclosure once he goes into it by late afternoon. But he was NOT there when I went to get him around six. Nothing. I dug up every hiding spot, I searched the corners to see if he could have climbed anything, I looked at my video camera to see if some crazy interloper came in. Nothing.
Eventually searching under every weed and blade of grass, I found him dug in the very center of the enclosure (the hardest spot to reach) in an area you can't see easily if you push the overgrown weeds aside. He has never gone "back to the big area" at night before. I think I'm going to have to cut back the growth, I can't take this again!
it had other ideas.
