Hello

Status
Not open for further replies.

jejton

New Member
10 Year Member!
5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 22, 2008
Messages
17
Hi all,
I'm a semi-newbie. I've kept some turtles when I was much younger -RES, softshell and musk. Right now I have a Red-Footed, Russian Tortoise and 3-toed Eastern Box turtle - all CL rescues. They are temporarily housed in my basement but I want to build them an outdoor pen now. I have some questions.

1.) The pen only has to last 3-4 years as I will be moving out by then. What kind of wood that works will be cheapest?

2.) Will 6x4 be big enough ? There's an area by the deck about that size which would be ideal as its in a good place to be enjoyed without sticking out like a sore thumb.

3.) That area gets 4-6 hours of direct sun each day. Is that enough or should I try to find a spot that gets more? I can extend the pen under the deck a bit to provide a sheltered area.

Thanks
Eric
 

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
Well, Eric...that area wouldn't be big enough for 3 pens. You need a dry, well-planted-with-weeds-and-grasses pen for the steppe tortoise, a humid, shady pen for the redfoot, and a partially shaded environment for the eastern box turtle. Since its to be temporary, you could set up three plastic kiddy pools outdoors for the three types of turtle/tortoise. It would be easy to place them in the part of the yard where they would get the most or least sun. Put in some substrate, some plants, a water hole and a hide and Bob's Your Uncle!!

Yvonne
 

Jacqui

Wanna be raiser of Lemon Drop tortoises
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Joined
Aug 28, 2007
Messages
39,941
Location (City and/or State)
A Land Far Away...
Hi Eric and welcome! Are they all currently housed together? What size are they?
 

jejton

New Member
10 Year Member!
5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 22, 2008
Messages
17
Hi
Thaks for the info. Right now they are all together in one large rubbermaid ( i am aware that this is not good ) but it wasnt meant to be for more than a couple of weeks since I want to build this pen. The red-foot is about 9-10 inches, the other two are about 6 inches ( measuring the carpace ). As for the enclosure, I want to build one pen large enough for all three. The area I had in mind would have the deck overhanging a portion for permanent shade, with the rest getting 4-6 hours of direct sunlight. The rest of the day its shaded. I'm on Long Island, NY near the water so its decently humid most of the spring and summer but not as bad as the south. Weeds, plants, grasses, cover the whole area and I would be planting more edibles within the pen. I dont like the kiddy pool as its not aesthetic or safe ( I plan on making a secure cover so they can stay out overnite when its warm ). I plan on having a couple of water holes, some hay/compost and a sandy corner. I can play around with the size if needed. I'm more concerned about the type of wood I can use and the hours of direct sunlight ( keep in mind that they will always have a shaded area regardless of where I do place the pen ) needed. Any comments?
 

jejton

New Member
10 Year Member!
5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 22, 2008
Messages
17
Thank you.

Yvonne, if you think its best to separate one of the turtles from the other two ( though I have not noticed signs of stress or aggression ) I can always put a divider in the pen.

Eagerly awaiting feedback so as to start the project.
 

jlyoncc1

Active Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Oct 3, 2007
Messages
2,038
Location (City and/or State)
NJ
I have to agree with Yvonne. Separate housing is really necessary. You could risk one or all of your shelled kids by them transferring "germs" to each other that may not be harmful to themselves but could by harmful to each other. As far as enclosure walls, some people use 2x8 or 2x10's, some use vinyl siding. Check out the enclosure forum here and you will see some really great ideas!!
 

jejton

New Member
10 Year Member!
5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 22, 2008
Messages
17
Hi Dee,

I'm not worried about cross contamination as they were all kept together by the previous owner for a few years and are all still healthy. If they were freshly imported or previously kept seperately that would be a very valid concern. Aggression was another potential issue but I have been watching them closely and in the outdoor pen they will have even more room and lots of landscaping to keep them from feeling crowded. I will check out that forum as you recommend. I figured 2x12 as I have seen that size in HD and it would allow me to have 24" height which I thought was high enough but if needed I can go higher.

I still hope someone can address the specific issues I asked about - size, suitability of poplar or exterior plywood ( another recommendation someone made ) and hours of direct sunlight needed.
 

egyptiandan

New Member
10 Year Member!
5 Year Member
Joined
Aug 31, 2007
Messages
5,788
Location (City and/or State)
USA
Hi Eric,
I hate to jump on it, but everyone so far has given excellent advice as to setting up your turtle and tortoises.
We'll ignore the pathogens and jump to the fact, like Yvonne said, that all three of your animals need different enviromental condition to do well and thrive. Just because they've been housed together in the past and are still alive, doesn't mean they will keep doing well if housed together into the future.
If you only have room for one pen, maybe you should think about rehoming 2 of your animals.
You can use plywood for a temporary enclosure, just make sure you bury it 6 inches in the ground.

Danny
 

jejton

New Member
10 Year Member!
5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 22, 2008
Messages
17
Ok lets go with the separate enclosures. How many square feet should they each have ? When you say temporary, will 3-4 years be ok for the plywood? I asked about poplar because the dimensions were more suitable and it was pretty cheap. Would that work as well as the plywood? I was planning on burying it closer to 12" so that I can allow the box turtle to overwinter outdoors but if 6" is sufficient, better for my back.
 

egyptiandan

New Member
10 Year Member!
5 Year Member
Joined
Aug 31, 2007
Messages
5,788
Location (City and/or State)
USA
You can use the popular for the enclosures of all of them. :D
For 1 box turtle a pen 6' X 4' would be just fine. If your planning on over-wintering the box turtle I would go down the 12" like you were thinking.
For the Russian tortoise a pen 6' X 4' also will be fine. This one you'd only have to go down 6".
The Redfoot will need a pen 8' X 4' and only need to bury it a couple of inches in the ground.

Danny
 

Crazy1

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Aug 21, 2007
Messages
6,068
Location (City and/or State)
Inland Empire, CA
Eric, any wood but pine, cedar or a redwood - so Poplar should be fine. seal it well and let it cure at least a week or more before you place the turts and torts into it. Russians dig. Make sure you have it buried well or place wire down (my personal favorite). Any of the woods should last 3-4 years if sealed properly. Also please do not use screen for your top as it prevents UVB from getting in. a chicken wire or hardware cloth would be much better. As far as sunlight check the care sheets for each tort and turt. They all have different needs. Same as for size. The care sheets usually tell how big an area should be then just add it up.
 

jejton

New Member
10 Year Member!
5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 22, 2008
Messages
17
Robyn, Dan - Thanks for the replies. I was planning on using chicken wire ( I just call them all screening generically ). As for the lighting requirements, all the sheets I have read list indoor lighting requirements but not hours needed if kept outdoors. I wasn't sure if they would be the same.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

New Posts

Top