Pyramid-cold frames... Easy-peesy-lemond-squeezy!
Folks often get caught up on lack of carpentry skills when it comes to providing a cold frame for their tortoise. I thought my little invention might help out a little. I scored a stack of polycarbonate scraps from a local garden center for $5. Polycarbonate is the material used in high-end greenhouses, and it lets heat and UVB in, while being light weight and sturdy. Normally, it is very expensive, but this project was made from scraps. I ended up making 4 of these, and placed them in the areas of the outdoor enclosures where the sun first hits in the morning. It was a good 15-20 degrees warmer inside them than it was outside. My tortoises love them, and I often see 2-3 of them huddled inside in morning, once they come out of their burrows.
The polycarbonate was not too hard to cut. I used chicken shears to cut off one of the corners to make the entry. I sealed all the edges with foil ducting tape, and then used the ducting tape to tape the triangles together to make a 3-sided pyramid. The structure is sturdy, I could lean on the tip if I wanted, and it would hold my weight.
You can see Amber, peeking out of her pyramid in the quarantine area. She is huge - so the house doesn't look very big with her in it. These are actually quite roomy. No carpentry required!
I hope someone finds this useful. If you can't find polycarbonate scraps, simple plexiglass would probably work, too.
Folks often get caught up on lack of carpentry skills when it comes to providing a cold frame for their tortoise. I thought my little invention might help out a little. I scored a stack of polycarbonate scraps from a local garden center for $5. Polycarbonate is the material used in high-end greenhouses, and it lets heat and UVB in, while being light weight and sturdy. Normally, it is very expensive, but this project was made from scraps. I ended up making 4 of these, and placed them in the areas of the outdoor enclosures where the sun first hits in the morning. It was a good 15-20 degrees warmer inside them than it was outside. My tortoises love them, and I often see 2-3 of them huddled inside in morning, once they come out of their burrows.
The polycarbonate was not too hard to cut. I used chicken shears to cut off one of the corners to make the entry. I sealed all the edges with foil ducting tape, and then used the ducting tape to tape the triangles together to make a 3-sided pyramid. The structure is sturdy, I could lean on the tip if I wanted, and it would hold my weight.
You can see Amber, peeking out of her pyramid in the quarantine area. She is huge - so the house doesn't look very big with her in it. These are actually quite roomy. No carpentry required!
I hope someone finds this useful. If you can't find polycarbonate scraps, simple plexiglass would probably work, too.