Enclosure size

[Yurtle]

Hi, I plan to build a much larger indoor enclosure for my two box turtles for when they come inside this winter. I was thinking of building a 20 square foot enclosure for them, but my question is will this be big enough for them? I also want to keep the option open of getting a 3rd turtle, is this cage size too small for a 3rd turtle?

 

[JoesMum]

A bare minimum size would be 4'x8' that's 32 square feet and 3 would require more.

Pairs are not recommended as torts are experts bullies. I suggest you read this and consider separating them http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/pairs.34837/

 

[cmacusa3]

Hi, I plan to build a much larger indoor enclosure for my two box turtles for when they come inside this winter. I was thinking of building a 20 square foot enclosure for them, but my question is will this be big enough for them? I also want to keep the option open of getting a 3rd turtle, is this cage size too small for a 3rd turtle?

Do you not want them to hibernate?

 

[Yurtle]

Do you not want them to hibernate?

I tried hibernating them last year inside, but I had trouble keeping the temapature between 40 and 50° so they only got a weeks worth of hibernation before I gave up. I was also talking with my vet about it and she said that hibernation was too risky and it'd be best to just play it safe and keep them awake during the winter.

 

[JoesMum]

That stable temperature around 5C (41F) is really important. As long as it doesn't drop below freezing and go above 10C (50F) you're fine.

Finding the place where you can do it is a problem.

I double box Joe, the outer box being huge, the size of a Tea Chest, and keep him in the garage which doesn't get used for the car so the door isn't constantly being opened. I put the outdoor sensor from an indoor/outdoor thermometer which has a min/max function in the inner box with Joe so I can keep an eye on his actual temperature easily.

I also have an electric radiator in the garage on a frost thermostat. It cuts in at 2C and just stops the garage temperature dropping below freezing.

It's important not to put them down too early or for too long. Smaller torts can hibernate less than bigger ones. Typically, Joe goes down late November or early December.

Joe weighs over 3kg (7lb) and I usually hibernate him for around 3 months-ish. The winter before last was 4 months when late snow, and the fact that he'd lost no weight, meant it was easier to leave him down.

But we've been doing this for 40 years. No tort has to hibernate and if you have any concerns, it's better not to.

 

[cmacusa3]

I hibernate mine in the garage every year, I put them in tubs of a dirt mix and they dig in around November and stay down until late March. Nothing special is done, I don't worry about temps and never had an issue.

 

[JoesMum]

I hibernate mine in the garage every year, I put them in tubs of a dirt mix and they dig in around November and stay down until late March. Nothing special is done, I don't worry about temps and never had an issue.

It's what works best for the tort and the person controlling it. That sounds pretty cool