Lake access or no??

[EllieMay]

i have been pouring over research and pictures to get ideas for my outdoor Sulcata habitat.. I have 8 acres so size is not an issue. I have a nice beach on a private lake that I could incorporate into the habitat but is this safe or even a good idea? I need some experienced knowledge on this..

 

[daniellenc]

Tortoises aren't the best swimmers so access to water as deep as a lake would not be optimal nor is sand the best surface for them to be eating off of. I would build your enclosure away from the water and provide an additional perimeter outside of the main enclosure so if he digs out he is still trapped.

 

[EllieMay]

Tortoises aren't the best swimmers so access to water as deep as a lake would not be optimal nor is sand the best surface for them to be eating off of. I would build your enclosure away from the water and provide an additional perimeter outside of the main enclosure so if he digs out he is still trapped.

Thanks!

 

[wellington]

I'm no expert with tortoises swimming. Some can swim. Probably most. If you could fence off a small
Portion that wasn't too deep it would be the same as make him a soaking pond. To have the whole lake though I wouldn't do. The little bit of sand that's at the beach shouldn't be a problem as long as you don't feed him on it. Living on sand and having a small portion of it in a big enclosure are very different.

 

[EllieMay]

The beach area isn’t actually sandy... it’s some of the thickest vegetation around... my husband has to cut that with the bushhogg cause the lawn mower can’t handle it.. I could fence into the water ... I was planning on going below surface at least a foot with concrete or similar to keep them from digging with the whole perimeter. The lake area would not account for much of the habitat at all... I just want to be sure I think all this through and cover all the aspects for their safety. It won’t hurt if I can make it look nice and they take care of the landscaping though I will take a picture when I get home so y’all can see.

 

[Bambam1989]

I'm originally from East Texas. I wouldn't let a tort near a lake or river for fear of them becoming a gator snack, or finding trash washed up and eating it.

 

[EllieMay]

I'm originally from East Texas. I wouldn't let a tort near a lake or river for fear of them becoming a gator snack, or finding trash washed up and eating it.

Valid point for sure.. I grew up on Lake Gladewater and gators on the fishing end were common.. we are on a little (25 acres +\-) private lake in a gated community now.. They keep it maintained and I’ve never heard of any gator sightings.. we did have an otter once for a couple of weeks. ??? Food for thought!!

 

[Tom]

The idea of it sounds super cool, and sulcatas do encounter marshes in their native range during the rainy season. Young ones can swim, but I'm told larger ones can't. Haven't tested that theory yet.

Critters, pollution, escape, drowning, entanglement, biological pathogens in the water, and water temperature in winter, would all be concerns to address. The safe bet is to not do it, but the cool factor and hydration, make me think it would be neat if it could be done safely.

Also, there is no need to make a 12" concrete footer around the whole enclosure. They don't "dig out". If they dig, they just dig down at about a 40 degree angle and use that tunnel to come and go. They don't dig down and then back up on the other side of a fence.

 

[wellington]

In my opinion all points of worry are the same worries for on land except the drowning. If you can fence in a small shallow section I would go for it.

 

[Maro2Bear]

Agree with all the good points made. . Id like to see a pix of the property and lake. Does the lake ever flood? All you need is a good gully washer, lake floods, Sully floats away.... A good pix of the area will give us all good info. Jealous of your lake.

Have fun.

 

[EllieMay]

The idea of it sounds super cool, and sulcatas do encounter marshes in their native range during the rainy season. Young ones can swim, but I'm told larger ones can't. Haven't tested that theory yet.

Critters, pollution, escape, drowning, entanglement, biological pathogens in the water, and water temperature in winter, would all be concerns to address. The safe bet is to not do it, but the cool factor and hydration, make me think it would be neat if it could be done safely.

Also, there is no need to make a 12" concrete footer around the whole enclosure. They don't "dig out". If they dig, they just dig down at about a 40 degree angle and use that tunnel to come and go. They don't dig down and then back up on the other side of a fence.

That will save me some work! Thanks.. I have the time to engineer this out door facility correctly. I do have two, so I have to have a divider as well..

 

[EllieMay]

I was considering utilizing this whole area... I have plenty pasture area instead but I like that this is close to the house

 

[Maro2Bear]

I was considering utilizing this whole area... I have plenty pasture area instead but I like that this is close to the house

How big is your Sully now. You have lots of room to expand, thats for sure. What part of east Texas are u near.. we are looking for a place to retire soon thst has climate and space for a Sully!

 

[EllieMay]

How big is your Sully now. You have lots of room to expand, thats for sure. What part of east Texas are u near.. we are looking for a place to retire soon thst has climate and space for a Sully!

Small! They are not quite 3 months old. I only wanted one but the guy that had them was a bigger idiot than me.. and I’m the first to admit I don’t know lots about Tortoise’s . We are in Marshall.. my babies actually came from Oklahoma but I suspect they were headed for Canton trades days:-(

 

[EllieMay]

Agree with all the good points made. . Id like to see a pix of the property and lake. Does the lake ever flood? All you need is a good gully washer, lake floods, Sully floats away.... A good pix of the area will give us all good info. Jealous of your lake.

Have fun.

My land all runs down hill to the lake..so the property doesn’t ever flood. The water level may rise a bit but it would only change their boundary line. My husband and I tell our kids all the time how spoiled they are. We are blessed and they don’t even realize it..

 

[Lyn W]

I would err on the side of caution and say no to be safe - the less hazards the better for me,
but as they are just babies and I believe too young to live out yet, you have plenty of time to plan.

 

[EllieMay]

I would err on the side of caution and say no to be safe - the less hazards the better for me,
but as they are just babies and I believe too young to live out yet, you have plenty of time to plan.

You are right of course! I just won’t stop obsessing until I have a solid plan

 

[ascott]

I was considering utilizing this whole area... I have plenty pasture area instead but I like that this is close to the house

wholly crap, that is a real lake...lol....I would not include that in the enclosure at all...not on purpose anyway....I would account for flooding in the event it occurs but I would not purposefully include the lake....just my take.

 

[SULCY]

I would not think a tortoise would just walk into the lake and drown. If it has a gently sloping bank I would think that they would be fine. Are there no lakes or bodies of water during the rainy season where they come from?

 

[enchilada]

If you want include the lake , you better fence it . Tortoise CAN swim away