Exercise (anything new?)

[Dave CH]

Afternoon (here) everyone,
We have two young Hermmans, aged 10.
They spend their lives outside in a garden (yard) enclosure or inside in a terrarium. Enclosure and terrarium are each around 22 square feet.

Last year we had to worm one of the two, and for some reason my partner decided to take him for a walk around the yard. For about three hours.
And. He. Loved it. But. Loved. It.

I've no doubt at all that this was good for him in every way.
But I really can't do that even once a week, even if I'd like to, which of course I would.

So here I am, daydreaming of some brilliant invention/gadget/thing that allows torts to get exercise safely. I'm imagining some kind of transparent tunnel (the kind people use for training dogs) that could be extended for hundreds of feet over all sorts of terrain, or even connected up to form a closed loop.
And I'm hoping that someone answers: Ya know, I got one last year, and here's the link.

With best wishes from spring-winter-spring-winter Switzerland -
Dave CH

 

[wellington]

Being outside is the best exercise and the happiest they can get. Is there a reason they don't live outside when weather is nice? I read that they used too, was that before you got them?
For indoor exercise, some people use a large hamster wheel. A large indoor enclosure is best. Minimum is a 4x8 for each one, never housing in pairs. Bigger is always so much better

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

Look up chicken tunnels, it might be what you are looking for. Are you worried about predators in your area?

 

[Dave CH]

Hi @wellington
Thanks for getting back to me. They're always out when the weather permits. But today, for example, it's only 46 F, which means that they're inside. And that will be the case until Friday I think, when spring returns.

Inside and outside enclosures are approx. 6 1/2 by 3 1/2. This is standard for what's available here for outside pens, and we built the inside tanks ourselves to a design posted on these forums (Sterant's exanded PVC design) .

They're housed separately.

Hamster wheel: Now, someone suggested that to me recently. I thought it might resemble torture. But maybe it would work...

Dave

 

[Dave CH]

Look up chicken tunnels, it might be what you are looking for. Are you worried about predators in your area?

I just did.
I'm in love.
Thank you.

Predators: Yes, even the larger of the two guys could easily be taken by a crow for example. The garden is dog free, and while we have a lot of fauna, it only comes in at night, and they're always in at night. So birds are the main concern. I'm not sure raptors, for example, would be too interested. But we do have Northern Goshawk in the garden occasionally, so I wouldn't take the risk.

OK, so we might be on to something here, even if it's home-built.
The issue I can envisage with bought "kit" (as we say back home) is that the ground is uneven and the garden slopes southward. And that makes for lots of little tempting cracks (between tunnel wall and floor) for torts to escape through. So, perhaps a tunnel with its own floor...

Dave