Is my outdoor tortoise's enclosure big enough?

[RoseHeart]

I am obsessed with keeping my tortoise happy. He deserves the best. I let him roam around freely in this area shown in the images. He sleeps in the right corner mostly (by the spade). If you look closely you can see some bamboo pieces that he crawls under. There's a lot of hiding spots (see second picture) and he crawl into the plant area in the left corner. However he doesn't like to sleep there at all. My biggest concern is that he is unhappy. He walks around the enclosure all the time, around and around. He eats very well (all natural diet). I'm just concerned that he is bored sometimes and that him walking around so much is a sign of distress. I could be wrong. I just want him to be happy and for someone to confirm he is okay.

I included a picture of my boy so that you can see his size more or less <3 He isn't a big fella but also not very small. He is my world and I want him happy. (also for reference, his "type/family tree" is from this area so he isn't taken from another climate or anything like that). I am aware that the grass is dry but this is normal for a South African summer climate. It gets very hot here and because he is from this area, I'm positive he is content with the climate.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Have you tried offering a large shaded area or a "doghouse"?
Also, maybe a shallow pool.
My tortoises also roam around when they are comfortable, but even moreso when they are not. Could he be looking for a cooler or warmer area?

 

[RoseHeart]

Have you tried offering a large shaded area or a "doghouse"?
Also, maybe a shallow pool.
My tortoises also roam around when they are comfortable, but even moreso when they are not. Could he be looking for a cooler or warmer area?

Usually only from 11am till about 2pm there is very little shade but even during those times there are still shade areas. The bushy area is never directly in the sun so he can cool off there and also by the water foundation (bottom left corner in panorama picture). He has a little shallow small water pool area that he drinks water from but I could make a better effort to put it in a cooler spot and I'll also work on getting him more shade during very hot days Thank you for your suggestions. I will work on it.

I hope he's okay

 

[ZEROPILOT]

He eats. he's very active and that's all very good.
It also looks like he can regulate the temperature to suit his needs/wants.
I have no idea what tortoise you have. Is it one that digs? For example, here in Florida we have wild Gopher tortoises. They live in burrows and only come out when the temperature suits them to eat, etc. The Redfoot tortoises that I keep also retreat until the cooler part of the day. So he might be uncomfortable or he could just be restless.
Has he been in that enclosure for very long?

 

[RoseHeart]

He eats. he's very active and that's all very good.
It also looks like he can regulate the temperature to suit his needs/wants.
I have no idea what tortoise you have. Is it one that digs? For example, here in Florida we have wild Gopher tortoises. They live in burrows and only come out when the temperature suits them to eat, etc. The Redfoot tortoises that I keep also retreat until the cooler part of the day. So he might be uncomfortable or he could just be restless.
Has he been in that enclosure for very long?

I've had him for around 3 years now. He has always lived here inside the courtyard. I do occasionally take him out to our front garden to walk around there and explore but it requires me to supervise him the whole time so he doesn't wander off So I can't do it often. He also doesn't dig in general. He only digs a liiiitle bit when he is making himself a spot to sleep in or lay in but it's not much.

I'm starting to think he may just be walking around so much due to him looking for food because we really don't give him much. We give him a few Hibiscus flowers daily from our garden and occasionally lettuce. cucumber or tomato but that's it. The rest of the time he eats things from the garden so maybe he just walks around so frantically for food. He also walks but then randomly plops down and lays there for a few minutes and then he goes off again.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Cucumber and tomatoes should not be fed very often. IMO
What you can do is offer hibiscus leaves as well as flowers. I give my tortoises whole branches of hibiscus when I trim my plants. The branches grow back quickly.
Can you toss a handful of leaves in there as well?

 

[fruebear]

I've had him for around 3 years now. He has always lived here inside the courtyard. I do occasionally take him out to our front garden to walk around there and explore but it requires me to supervise him the whole time so he doesn't wander off So I can't do it often. He also doesn't dig in general. He only digs a liiiitle bit when he is making himself a spot to sleep in or lay in but it's not much.

I'm starting to think he may just be walking around so much due to him looking for food because we really don't give him much. We give him a few Hibiscus flowers daily from our garden and occasionally lettuce. cucumber or tomato but that's it. The rest of the time he eats things from the garden so maybe he just walks around so frantically for food. He also walks but then randomly plops down and lays there for a few minutes and then he goes off again.

I have a 130 pound sulfate and a 100 pounder . We give them a bag apiece of mustard greens everyday and they have roughly a 30 by 100 foot enclosure to forage on . Once one of them would walk for a bit then rest and then move on .Turns out he had worms and needed to be dewormed . Apparently it was bad enough to weaken him. You may want to check that out and feed him some greens since the grass he has do forage on looks very brown .

 

[Levi the Leopard]

Let your water hose run in that yard for a little while a few times a week. The green grass and weeds that are going to spring up will be a perfect diet for your tortoise..then you don't have to "feed him" so much