New outdoor enclosure

Brockazoid

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I just made my first outdoor enclosure for my sulcata.its 6x4 and it's got a little burrow some rocks planted some tortoise grazing seed mix I got from Arizona tortoise compound.im gonna be adding more stuff as I go but I just wanted you guys to check it out tell me what you think20180427_152604.jpg20180427_152614.jpg20180427_152622.jpg
 

NorCal tortoise guy

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He's about 3 inches right now.but yeah I kinda figured it's not gonna last him very long lol I just wanted to see if I was capable of making an enclosure
Good sounds like a good plan! How much time dose your tortoise spend outside? At that size they still need to live In a very humid enclosure. Spending a few hours a day out side is about right. Sorry for all the questions we just like to help tortoises get the very best around here!
 

Brockazoid

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Good sounds like a good plan! How much time dose your tortoise spend outside? At that size they still need to live In a very humid enclosure. Spending a few hours a day out side is about right. Sorry for all the questions we just like to help tortoises get the very best around here!
I leave him outside for about an hour or two then I bring him inside for a soak and put him back in him indoor enclosure I sealed his enclosure up wit foil paper it stays at about 78% humidity 100f in his basking area and the rest of the enclosure is 85-80f
 

Tom

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I have a few comments. (As usual…) It looks like a great enclosure to me.

  • Check the temps inside the burrow area early and often.
  • Don't be surprised if your tortoise won't use the burrow for weeks or months. A russian would go in there on day one, but sulcatas seem to have an aversion to any sort of hole in the ground as if there is a tortoise eating monster in every hole. Because in Africa, there is… Keep putting the tortoise in the hole and eventually they realize it is safe and that it is their hole in the ground.
  • You are going to need some serious overhead shade in summer to be able to use that. Maybe some umbrellas with heavily weighted stands?
  • I'd make a lid with welded wire for it. No one thinks their dog will harm their tortoise, until the day the dogs harms the tortoise. Don't chance it.
 

Brockazoid

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I have a few comments. (As usual…) It looks like a great enclosure to me.

  • Check the temps inside the burrow area early and often.
  • Don't be surprised if your tortoise won't use the burrow for weeks or months. A russian would go in there on day one, but sulcatas seem to have an aversion to any sort of hole in the ground as if there is a tortoise eating monster in every hole. Because in Africa, there is… Keep putting the tortoise in the hole and eventually they realize it is safe and that it is their hole in the ground.
  • You are going to need some serious overhead shade in summer to be able to use that. Maybe some umbrellas with heavily weighted stands?
  • I'd make a lid with welded wire for it. No one thinks their dog will harm their tortoise, until the day the dogs harms the tortoise. Don't chance it.
Thanks Tom I appreciate the advice.i was wondering why it took him so long to warm up to his hides/burrows.whats a good temp for the burrow if you don't mind me asking.and yeah I working on making a cover for it I don't leave him unattended just yet.
 

Brockazoid

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Thanks Tom I appreciate the advice.i was wondering why it took him so long to warm up to his hides/burrows.whats a good temp for the burrow if you don't mind me asking.and yeah I working on making a cover for it I don't leave him unattended just yet.
Ohh and also I figured I was gonna need to make some shade cause the area I chose is in direct sunlight most of the day
 

Tom

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Thanks Tom I appreciate the advice.i was wondering why it took him so long to warm up to his hides/burrows.whats a good temp for the burrow if you don't mind me asking.and yeah I working on making a cover for it I don't leave him unattended just yet.
The idea for the burrow temp is that it needs to be cooler than the above ground temp outside. So when its 105 in summer, that burrow will hopefully not get much over 90, as an example. We don't want their core temp getting much higher than our own core temp. Above 100 gets dangerous for them, as it does for us. They can't cool off by sweating though. So if it is 105 in the shade, your tortoise is going to warm up to 105. This is too high. There needs to be a cooler area. Either a mud hole, an area with sprinklers or misters, or the easiest and best way is to let them dig their own burrow for summer time use, or encourage them to use the burrows that we make for them.
 

Brockazoid

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The idea for the burrow temp is that it needs to be cooler than the above ground temp outside. So when its 105 in summer, that burrow will hopefully not get much over 90, as an example. We don't want their core temp getting much higher than our own core temp. Above 100 gets dangerous for them, as it does for us. They can't cool off by sweating though. So if it is 105 in the shade, your tortoise is going to warm up to 105. This is too high. There needs to be a cooler area. Either a mud hole, an area with sprinklers or misters, or the easiest and best way is to let them dig their own burrow for summer time use, or encourage them to use the burrows that we make for them.
Ohh okay I see what you mean.once again thank you for the advice/help I appreciate it very much
 

Brockazoid

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Just to start off with, I do not house Sulcata. However, I do have CDTs and the first thing that popped in my head was, hey they should put another piece of plywood over the top that covers that burrow area so that half the enclosure has a shade over half.
What a trip that you say that cause when I have the cover on that's exactly what I do
 

shellandpenny

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Jan 29, 2018
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Love this! I just got a baby sulcata and right now he’s in a giant concrete mixing tub from Home Depot. Eventually gonna move him outside and this enclosure is giving me ideas... thanks!
 
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