Need some ideas for an outside enclosure!

[JoshGoldberg]

Today my lilzilla decided that she didnt like her outside enclosure and that she wanted to be in the outside world. So she dug under the "play pen" and walked 3/4 of an acre to go hide in some bricks. I DONT WANT THIS HAPPENING AGAIN! She is only about 4 inches and i only feed her when she can graze outside! Any ideas that not only look good but will also function for a growing boy-girl!

 

[Alaskamike]

As you know (especially now) Sully's are diggers. I don't know where you live, or if its possible, but to keep your little one in you will have to make some modifications.
Some have had success by providing a pre-made 'cave' for them. There are many ways to do this. A drainage pipe cut in half and inbedded in the ground provides a place to crawl into and relief from the sun. The plastic ones work for this and are easy to cut. You can burry a wooden box, or even a Tupperware container in the ground a bit and do the same thing.
But he may still get under the surround if he wants to. The only real safe solution is to trench the surround and in-bed something to stop him from getting under it. I used a 12" board on mine, but you can use your imagination and materials available. They seem to like to dig right at the boarder of their world
There is a section on Tortoise Enclosures that has many ideas and photos. Go see what others have done.

 

[mushmouth26]

Does she have shade in the pen. If the tort is getting to hot.. it will dig to burrow usually along the perimeter in my experience. They need to be able to cool down and need a place to get out of the sun. Also you could create or dig an artificial burrow in the middle of the pin and they will continue to dig there to make it thier own. Ive done this in the past.

 

[JoshGoldberg]

Does she have shade in the pen. If the tort is getting to hot.. it will dig to burrow usually along the perimeter in my experience. They need to be able to cool down and need a place to get out of the sun. Also you could create or dig an artificial burrow in the middle of the pin and they will continue to dig there to make it thier own. Ive done this in the past.

My tort likes to burrow right under the heat lamp

 

[Tom]

Show us a pic of the current outside enclosure.

Here are some ways to keep them contained, but LISTEN to what Mike and mushmouth said about heat. Burrowing under the heat lamp inside and over heating outside are two very different things. Many tortoises die outside in the sun because they can't get to a cooler area. I don't know if this is what was happening in your case or not, but if your tortoise was stuck in the sun and overheating, its great escape may have saved its life.

Here are some enclosure ideas:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/daisys-new-enclosure.28662/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/enclosure-expansion.38788/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread...table-but-safe-outdoor-baby-enclosures.30683/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/cheap-easy-simple-sunning-enclosure.14680/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/simple-sunning-enclosure.104351/

 

[JoshGoldberg]

Show us a pic of the current outside enclosure.

Here are some ways to keep them contained, but LISTEN to what Mike and mushmouth said about heat. Burrowing under the heat lamp inside and over heating outside are two very different things. Many tortoises die outside in the sun because they can't get to a cooler area. I don't know if this is what was happening in your case or not, but if your tortoise was stuck in the sun and overheating, its great escape may have saved its life.

Here are some enclosure ideas:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/daisys-new-enclosure.28662/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/enclosure-expansion.38788/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread...table-but-safe-outdoor-baby-enclosures.30683/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/cheap-easy-simple-sunning-enclosure.14680/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/simple-sunning-enclosure.104351/

She wasn't trying to escape the heat, she has a cool spot under shade that is around 20 degrees cooler, 60-70 degrees and she got out of that area, she didn't have any dandelions in her enclosure and was found by the bricks, right next to a stump of chewed up dandelions

 

[Tom]

She wasn't trying to escape the heat, she has a cool spot under shade that is around 20 degrees cooler, 60-70 degrees and she got out of that area, she didn't have any dandelions in her enclosure and was found by the bricks, right next to a stump of chewed up dandelions

Okay. That is good.

Still, I've never had one escape any of my enclosures, so it would be great to know what you were using to contain her.

 

[JoshGoldberg]

Okay. That is good.

Still, I've never had one escape any of my enclosures, so it would be great to know what you were using to contain her.

The open topped enclosure i was using i buried slightly into the ground and left her out for a good portion of the day, now however, I only lwt her out when i can watch her

 

[Tort Love]

Today my lilzilla decided that she didnt like her outside enclosure and that she wanted to be in the outside world. So she dug under the "play pen" and walked 3/4 of an acre to go hide in some bricks. I DONT WANT THIS HAPPENING AGAIN! She is only about 4 inches and i only feed her when she can graze outside! Any ideas that not only look good but will also function for a growing boy-girl!

 

[Tort Love]

So when they go in there but they're actually going into a 30 gallon trash can with dirt in it so they can dig but they can't dig far and they're totally happy that way then when I come home from work I let them out in the yard there is a board over the trash can for easy access

 

[JoshGoldberg]

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Thanks! But the fence wouldn't work as my 2 dogs like to chew fences, my eldest dog Lucy likes to think that lilzilla is a ball and tries to pick her up, and my youngest dog Scooby treats lilzilla like his puppy, he keeps his mom, Lucy, away from her and sleeps next to her tank, I have put lilzilla and Scooby together on occasion under supervision. And have only seen Scooby pick her up once, and he used his gums and layed lilzilla by his chest and fell asleep with lilzilla tucked away under his belly. That story took way too much space sorry! But I wont let my tort near my dogs untill lilzilla is much bigger

 

[JoshGoldberg]

So when they go in there but they're actually going into a 30 gallon trash can with dirt in it so they can dig but they can't dig far and they're totally happy that way then when I come home from work I let them out in the yard there is a board over the trash can for easy access

Where do I get a big bin

 

[AzAngel]

My baby Bowser sleepin.​

 

[mushmouth26]

You can get a big trash bin like that at walmart. What are you fencing them in with? Can the see past it? Or does it block their outside view?

 

[JoshGoldberg]

You can get a big trash bin like that at walmart. What are you fencing them in with? Can the see past it? Or does it block their outside view?

I will be using Bricks, or cinderblocks