Hello,
I am new 'mom' to two adult Russian tortoises, Boris and Ivan. We recently finished this outdoor home for them. There is still work to be done (more plants to add, the top roof/door of the secured enclosure is still to be hinged, etc.), but as these guys needed a home sooner than later-- they are already trying it out! Their 'yard' is roughly 22'x20' in a sort of organic bean shape (so no 'opportunistic' corners for escapes *knocks on wood!*). A small 3'x4' secured area is attached w/ meshwire roof/door & a removable, sliding panel that either: secures them in at night from predators or is left open during day so they have access to their yard (all around perimeter is 1' of wire/hardware cloth buried beneath cinderblock walls).
The soil is already very sandy here and the juniper/pinion trees around yard offer shade in different areas of their yard throughout day (fyi, we live in high desert region of southern Utah). The main burrow in their secured area has a buried irrigation box w/ lid so I can get them out when I need. There is a narrow tunnel leading into burrow (w/ bricks on inside walls for support). A waterproof mat (old computer mat) was laid on top of burrow & tunnel (w/ a cut-out around the lid). Lastly, a large rock was placed over lid & another wide rock over tunnel to help keep insulated. I just left the natural sandy-soil for their bedding inside.
Native plants already included in their yard were: large mormon tea bush (ephedra); teddy bear cholla cactus (lower branches have been removed or blocked off so spines not reachable by torts); numerous apricot globemallows; indian ricegrass; banana yuccas; white evening primrose; small desert willow; and two small juniper trees.
Other plants include: Mexican evening primrose, stonecrop sedum (has wire fence around it w/ just a few sprigs growing out so Boris doesn't eat too much of it!), ice plant, sand sage, big sage, purslane (just a small plant or two), blue gramma grass (for cooling cover), some other green grass that I haven't identified yet, yarrow, comfrey, fennel, creeping weed, and a couple other weird pokey-things that sprouted up that I will be identifying soon or pulling up! (I think they were young chollas but not sure...)
I have tried to research as much as I could (thanks to all your great photos & posts), but any 'creative project' is best served by many other sets of eyes-- so thank you for any suggestions/feedback you may care to offer. Sincerely, Jenny Dawn
P.S.- Here's Boris cruisin' around...
(I am still figuring out how to add photos, so lets see if these work...!)
I am new 'mom' to two adult Russian tortoises, Boris and Ivan. We recently finished this outdoor home for them. There is still work to be done (more plants to add, the top roof/door of the secured enclosure is still to be hinged, etc.), but as these guys needed a home sooner than later-- they are already trying it out! Their 'yard' is roughly 22'x20' in a sort of organic bean shape (so no 'opportunistic' corners for escapes *knocks on wood!*). A small 3'x4' secured area is attached w/ meshwire roof/door & a removable, sliding panel that either: secures them in at night from predators or is left open during day so they have access to their yard (all around perimeter is 1' of wire/hardware cloth buried beneath cinderblock walls).
The soil is already very sandy here and the juniper/pinion trees around yard offer shade in different areas of their yard throughout day (fyi, we live in high desert region of southern Utah). The main burrow in their secured area has a buried irrigation box w/ lid so I can get them out when I need. There is a narrow tunnel leading into burrow (w/ bricks on inside walls for support). A waterproof mat (old computer mat) was laid on top of burrow & tunnel (w/ a cut-out around the lid). Lastly, a large rock was placed over lid & another wide rock over tunnel to help keep insulated. I just left the natural sandy-soil for their bedding inside.
Native plants already included in their yard were: large mormon tea bush (ephedra); teddy bear cholla cactus (lower branches have been removed or blocked off so spines not reachable by torts); numerous apricot globemallows; indian ricegrass; banana yuccas; white evening primrose; small desert willow; and two small juniper trees.
Other plants include: Mexican evening primrose, stonecrop sedum (has wire fence around it w/ just a few sprigs growing out so Boris doesn't eat too much of it!), ice plant, sand sage, big sage, purslane (just a small plant or two), blue gramma grass (for cooling cover), some other green grass that I haven't identified yet, yarrow, comfrey, fennel, creeping weed, and a couple other weird pokey-things that sprouted up that I will be identifying soon or pulling up! (I think they were young chollas but not sure...)
I have tried to research as much as I could (thanks to all your great photos & posts), but any 'creative project' is best served by many other sets of eyes-- so thank you for any suggestions/feedback you may care to offer. Sincerely, Jenny Dawn
P.S.- Here's Boris cruisin' around...
(I am still figuring out how to add photos, so lets see if these work...!)
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