HELP NEEDED ON OUTDOOR ENCLOSURE.

[kaz311]

I been wanting to do this and I know next year ill have it ready to test it out for my tortoises. For those who dont know me ill give information first and then what I want to do for outside enclosure and then people can help me what do I need and how to do it.

1st off im kevin plain and simple I live in illinois . I have 2 russian tortoises I was going to adopt another today but wont risk my tortoises peaceful harmony or risk the new russian tortoises health and to my own. One is a male 4 to 4.5 inches but 5 inches with head included. Female is 7 inches to 8 inches. No bullying for three years. Never hibernated them cuz I like havkng them around to mess with me causing mishief or see what they do. Indoor encloaure is 7ft lentgh and 4 ft width and 14 inches deep. They are healthy and strong and active. Sexually too but the male usually gives up once in a while he gets lucky with chica he does try to nip but its not really bad where she just hides in her shell until he gives up which is fast lol.

I know its a mess now but its not too bad I can clean ot up good. Here are my thoughts and questions.

1.For substrate ill use top soil. Inches deep varies but most be 12 to 20 inches most likely.
2. For waterhole ill use a small pond like a pool for them with lil mosquito fish or gups to eat the mosquito eggs or bugs that try to pollute the water.
3. I was thinking of using underground hideouts with plant pots buried half way or make tunnels connecting to underground hideouts for them.
4. I was planning to make a small shed bury it in the ground so during winter the tortoises can hibernate inside with a small heater or it may be heated by itself with a small wall cam to see from my phone to monitor how they do. The lil house will go inside the hole I make in the cement large enough to house a small shed and with a tunnel leading to the surface. Or is #4 not necessary or not attainable?
5. Ill grow plants for them to graze and roam and eat and forage as if they are in the wild.
6. Hibernation this enclosure will have to good for them to hibernate in and be safe.
7. Almost forgot I am planning to fix the cage realign them and cover the top with an extra fence so no predators can get to them. The cement underneath asshores me no predators can dig through to them or mole rats or gophers or even tortoises can not dig out.

The objective is to get them closer to wild as possible to achieve best personality out of them. Please share opinions and tell me if which number is good or bad and why and if experience housing outdoor tortoises let me know.

Thank you
Kevin and his two tortoises

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[ascott]

I know this is the cooler time of year, that location looks really shady and like it gets alot of water action...well, there is a drain there so that would be a tip off to my ever observant P) eye that water likely accumulates there?

I like the space, I like the tall fence, I do even like the concrete slab as part of the security you mentioned...I suppose I just am really concerned about the damp/wet appearance of that particular spot...especially if you are going to want the torts to brumate outdoors...

Wait around for some of the others to chime in, the more the merrier

 

[kaz311]

Well I thought about the water accumulation problem. I can put a cover like a roof on the cage. And direct the water flow to a different drain. And use that drain for a water base and put a plug or make one and pull it to drain the water to clean it and put it back in and fill the water base

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[ascott]

Is the current drain easily cleaned out ? I mean, if it gets plugged is it readily accessible without having to tear up hardscape? A roof and run off system is good as long as the area is not "the" run off area, you know what I mean?