Do sulcata's climb well? Temporary pen.

[boutselis]

While trying to figure out a good way to corral a 1/4 acre portion of our property for our new resident some one suggested 10" wide boards. At first I figured a 20" long sulcata could climb over a 10" barrier but I am not sure about that now that I have watched her for a bit.

So do they climb well? Would they climb over 10"? My red foot Albert turned out to be a great climber and thats why I am worried about it.

Right now She is penned in my Vegetable garden. I don't use it in the summer and let it get over grown. She really seems to like it. There is a raised planter that she goes under at night to sleep and for shade in the day and she loves most of the weeds in there.

I Used some rabbit wire for pen sides for now. it was the best I could do on short notice. I bent it so that about a foot runs along the ground and the sides are 2 feet high. It is fastened in with 3 foot long grade stakes every 4 feet and is also backed up by a cheap rail fence that was there to keep the horse out.


Can she break this rabbit wire? Is this situation going to work for the next few months. the garden about 80' by 25' so there is a good bit of room.

 

[Tom]

You need something that also provides a visual barrier. You can go to a hardware store and get some cheap plywood and have them cut it into thirds lengthwise for you. This will give you 24' of 16"high plywood for each sheet. You can then attach this to your wire.

The 10" boards work great, but you'll need two high. They are really only 9 1/2" and yes your tortoise COULD get over it if it really wanted to, even though it might not be graceful.

If your tortoise can see through, it will likely continually try to push through and it can injure itself this way.

And she really needs a shelter of some sort. They will tuck themselves into anyplace convenient, but they really do need some place where they are protected from the elements. In the wild they would dig a burrow or get into some tight spot of their choosing.

Did we sex "her" and I missed the thread yesterday? You are getting a quick lesson in how difficult and expensive it can be to house a large sulcata. She's a very good looking one. Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[Jacob]

They Can Climb All Right

 

[boutselis]

You need something that also provides a visual barrier. You can go to a hardware store and get some cheap plywood and have them cut it into thirds lengthwise for you. This will give you 24' of 16"high plywood for each sheet. You can then attach this to your wire.

The 10" boards work great, but you'll need two high. They are really only 9 1/2" and yes your tortoise COULD get over it if it really wanted to, even though it might not be graceful.

If your tortoise can see through, it will likely continually try to push through and it can injure itself this way.

And she really needs a shelter of some sort. They will tuck themselves into anyplace convenient, but they really do need some place where they are protected from the elements. In the wild they would dig a burrow or get into some tight spot of their choosing.

Did we sex "her" and I missed the thread yesterday? You are getting a quick lesson in how difficult and expensive it can be to house a large sulcata. She's a very good looking one. Good luck and keep us posted.

Did not "sex" her. I am only guessing female because of the polished area on her lower back. From what I read the females get that from breeding.

Expensive. Yes!!! I spent $80 just on her temporary pen. Her real pen is going to cost about $500 or more.

---

I almost forgot. There is a raised planter in the garden. She can just fit under it and liked to get under there and nestle next to a mango tree. It covers her completely. I may put some sides on it so she will feel more secure.

 

[Laura]

post more pics of this tort.. we can sex it for you too..
Nothing about them is cheap.. except for the entertainment they provide.

 

[chairman]

My 8-9" sulcata seems to be unable to climb obstacles that my Home's hingeback could have at under 5". That said, her fence is still taller than her overall shell length + length of her legs on 'tip-toe' + a couple inches.

I personally would have a 3' tall fence for a 20" sulcata. For my sulcata fencing I use 4 x 4 posts spaced every 8-10' to hold up 6" pressure treated decking boards. Right now my boards are 2-3 high depending on terrain with a couple inch gap between boards (makes for about a 14" fence). I will add more boards as my tortoise grows. I may have to add more vertical supports eventually, I guess it will just depend on how resiliant the decking boards are compared to how motivated my tortoise is to escape. This option is particularly economical for me because my local home improvement stores sell the decking boards that are damaged by the strapping used to secure the boards for shipping at a 50% discount because they are undesirable for use in decks. The employees that helped me grab a pile of dinged up boards seemed fairly enthusiastic about finding someone to dump all their "damaged" stock off on. Tom's suggestion about the plywood is a good one but wouldn't work for me because untreated/unpainted plywood rots far too quickly where I live.

 

[boutselis]

thanks for the info so far. I also would like to know if anyone has had a problem with their tortoise digging out of a pen much like dogs seem to do and Not just under ground like when making a burrow.

 

[Yvonne G]

Sulcatas will just push and bulldoze their way through a wire fence. I've seen them escape from chain link fencing that was not down into concrete, just by pushing against the bottom.

On a solid fence, if the tortoise, any type of tortoise or box turtle, can see daylight under the fence, yes, they will dig to get to the other side.

 

[boutselis]

Sulcatas will just push and bulldoze their way through a wire fence. I've seen them escape from chain link fencing that was not down into concrete, just by pushing against the bottom.

On a solid fence, if the tortoise, any type of tortoise or box turtle, can see daylight under the fence, yes, they will dig to get to the other side.

Wow. They do seem pretty tough.

So far she seems really content in the garden. I Guess because there is lots of various types of food (different weeds and grasses plus some old collard greens) and areas of shade. Now that i know she can break through rabbit wire we will make sure and check on her a few times a day to see any signs of breaking out untill her giant pen is built.

thanks

 

[tyler0912]

not sure about sulcatas' but my redfoot is a good climber also!