Getting ready to transfer Mr. Pickles outside, need feedback and opinions! (pics!

jmhoesch

Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jan 26, 2013
Messages
127
We're in southern AZ and Mr. Pickles has been in a large tank since we got him last year. My husband has worked hard to make a desert oasis for Mr. Pickles outside. We're almost finished. Questions:
How do we transition him? Just put him out there? Put him out there a few hours each day?

About his food. He's on a spring mix diet now, but we've planted grasses, weeds, flowers (all edible and pesticide free!) in his enclosure and they are growing nicely. Do we still give him a little spring mix to help w/ the transition?

Lastly, what do you guys think of the enclosure. His big burrow in the middle my husband made from cinder blocks, insulated boards and concrete, then covered it w/ dirt. We are also going to put another little burrow in there consisting of a broken southwestern pot 1/2 buried in the ground w/ bedding inside of it. These were taken a month ago, most of the ground is now covered in grass and weeds.

DSC03182.JPG DSC03183.JPG

DSC03188.JPG DSC03211.JPG DSC03209.JPG DSC03205.JPG DSC03205.JPG DSC03208.JPG
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
TFO Admin
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,390
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
I love the occotillo and the cactus skeleton. Does that grow in your neck of the woods. Nice enclosure. And the way you have made the top slate hang over into the enclosure to inhibit climbing is great. Very nice-looking, safe habitat. Take some temperature readings inside the 'burrow' in the heat of the day and let us know how cool it stays in there. Maybe try to figure out some sort of hanging something-or-other to cover the door way.
 

jmhoesch

Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jan 26, 2013
Messages
127
Originally, this was just our cactus garden. We removed a lot of the plants/cacti because they weren't safe and planted them elsewhere in our yard. We then made a better border around it so he couldn't get out. Yes, that ocotillo grows ALL OVER the place here. My husband shaved the bottom 8 inches of it so Mr. Pickles won't get stuck w/ any thorns. I most worried about the heat in the summer. It gets to 115 here June, July, August. In the next few months most of the plants will provide A LOT of shade. Sun is not a problem here. lol It's sunny here 300 days of the year.

We'll take temp. readings thru out the spring summer to gage how hot it is in there. His tank is now between 85/90 in the basking spot. If it gets too hot, how do we cool it down? A mist sprayer?
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
TFO Admin
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,390
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
That's what I use. I have drip pipe on T-posts about 5' above the ground and there are sprinkler-type drip emitters ever so often along the pipe. But I only use that for the rain forest type tortoises. The desert types, like leopards, russians, sulcata and desert tortoises have to make due with their shade trees and houses under the trees. Dudley, the sulcata, has never tried to dig a burrow, and I've always felt that was because his house was cool enough for him. I've never actually checked out the temp in the house, but he spends most of his days parked under a large bush in his pen.
 

webskipper

Member
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Joined
Nov 22, 2009
Messages
641
Location (City and/or State)
AZ
Drip systems rule for plants.
 

T33's Torts

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 23, 2013
Messages
8,066
Location (City and/or State)
Neverland!
How big is this guy? Will this be his full time area, or will he come inside at night?
 

jmhoesch

Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jan 26, 2013
Messages
127
He's a golden greek so about 6 inches I believe? That's him there on the left in my profile pic. This will be his full time area. I'm not sure about the winter however. We might bring him in, haven't decided yet. We're not sure how to acclimate him to his new home either. Do we just put him out there when it's ready? (about another few weeks) Do we put him out there for a few hours each day? Do we put his food out there to or only put a little bit til he gets used to eating the weeds and flowers?
 

T33's Torts

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 23, 2013
Messages
8,066
Location (City and/or State)
Neverland!
I would be concerned about animals getting him. In the city, I have problems with raccoons, stray cats, skunks, opossum, etc.
 

jmhoesch

Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jan 26, 2013
Messages
127
Well, we live in a house w/ a locked gate to the back yard. We've lived here for 10 years and haven't seen anything bigger then a scorpion in our backyard. Several in our neighborhood have some sort of open torti enclosure with no problems. Should we try to put some sort of top on it?
 

mikeh

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 16, 2013
Messages
1,050
Which exposure are the walls facing? South, south/west exposure masonry walls radiate very high heat on sunny days, making the immediate area much, much hotter. Corners amplify it further. Tall shade blocking the wall/painting the wall white/covering the south wall in vine are some ideas to alleviate radiant heat.
 
Top