Outdoor Enclosure Floor

Doublenn

New Member
Joined
Oct 29, 2020
Messages
10
Location (City and/or State)
Phoenix
Hi all. I'm getting ready to build my golden greek an outdoor enclosure and I wanted to get advice about a floor for it. I was originally thinking of using hardware cloth on the bottom so I don't have to worry about him digging out, but that's not the cheapest. Is that the best option though? Or could I just lay down a sheet of plywood? I'm planning on putting about 6" of soil on top of the flooring since our Phoenix soil is so hard and poor quality.

Also, he's still tiny, just over a year old, only about 2.5" long. Would a 4'x4' enclosure be big enough or should I just go ahead and make him a 4'x8' enclosure?

Any other tips or tricks would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
 

Blackdog1714

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jul 30, 2018
Messages
4,666
Location (City and/or State)
Richmond, VA
I use it my Russians outdoor enclosure to keep the rats from tunneling in. So far it has lasted 2 years in VA.
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,269
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
Hi all. I'm getting ready to build my golden greek an outdoor enclosure and I wanted to get advice about a floor for it. I was originally thinking of using hardware cloth on the bottom so I don't have to worry about him digging out, but that's not the cheapest. Is that the best option though? Or could I just lay down a sheet of plywood? I'm planning on putting about 6" of soil on top of the flooring since our Phoenix soil is so hard and poor quality.

Also, he's still tiny, just over a year old, only about 2.5" long. Would a 4'x4' enclosure be big enough or should I just go ahead and make him a 4'x8' enclosure?

Any other tips or tricks would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Babies need to live mostly indoors until they are at least 4-5 inches. Its great to have an outdoor enclosure for fair weather, but mostly indoors will be better for him.

Your naive dirt will be the best substrate for him. You don't need plywood or hardware cloth, and soil should never be used under a tortoise, unless you composted and made the soil yourself from known safe materials.

Check this out:
 

Doublenn

New Member
Joined
Oct 29, 2020
Messages
10
Location (City and/or State)
Phoenix
Babies need to live mostly indoors until they are at least 4-5 inches. Its great to have an outdoor enclosure for fair weather, but mostly indoors will be better for him.

Your naive dirt will be the best substrate for him. You don't need plywood or hardware cloth, and soil should never be used under a tortoise, unless you composted and made the soil yourself from known safe materials.

Check this out:
Thanks for the info, that's really helpful. I was wondering if he was too young to have outdoors, so I had asked the people at TortoiseSupply. I figured since we're in similar climates, they'd know, and they said they house all their tortoises outdoors. Maybe I'll wait at least another year though.

Out of curiosity, did you say they need to be 4-5 inches before they live outdoors because of predators? I was planning on having a latched top made out of the hardware cloth so he'd be protected. And I wasn't planning on leaving him outdoors all the time, probably just a few hours a day so he can get good sun.

Also, part of the reason I wanted to use a top soil is because we can't plant much directly in our soil here and I wanted to have live plants in his enclosure.
 
Last edited:

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,269
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
Thanks for the info, that's really helpful. I was wondering if he was too young to have outdoors, so I had asked the people at TortoiseSupply. I figured since we're in similar climates, they'd know, and they said they house all their tortoises outdoors. Maybe I'll wait at least another year though.

Out of curiosity, did you say they need to be 4-5 inches before they live outdoors because of predators? I was planning on having a latched top made out of the hardware cloth so he'd be protected. And I wasn't planning on leaving him outdoors all the time, probably just a few hours a day so he can get good sun.

Also, part of the reason I wanted to use a top soil is because we can't plant much directly in our soil here and I wanted to have live plants in his enclosure.
I say keep them indoors because babies do better indoors. Outside all day is not good for them. I've done many side by side comparisons with clutchmates over many years to reach this conclusion. Predators aren't a factor in this because I assume the tortoise will be properly protected one way or another. I like Tyler and his wife Sarah, but I don't agree with housing babies outdoors all day. Adults yes. Babies no.

You don't want the tortoise to have access to soil. It might not be safe. I would grow things in pots or out of the tortoises reach on the outside of the pen. I use raised beds in some of my enclosures. Read the first few posts in this thread. Get to at least post number four: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/some-questions-about-food.187091/#post-1884734
 

Doublenn

New Member
Joined
Oct 29, 2020
Messages
10
Location (City and/or State)
Phoenix
I say keep them indoors because babies do better indoors. Outside all day is not good for them. I've done many side by side comparisons with clutchmates over many years to reach this conclusion. Predators aren't a factor in this because I assume the tortoise will be properly protected one way or another. I like Tyler and his wife Sarah, but I don't agree with housing babies outdoors all day. Adults yes. Babies no.

You don't want the tortoise to have access to soil. It might not be safe. I would grow things in pots or out of the tortoises reach on the outside of the pen. I use raised beds in some of my enclosures. Read the first few posts in this thread. Get to at least post number four: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/some-questions-about-food.187091/#post-1884734
Awesome! Thank you so much for your help, I really appreciate it.
 

Doublenn

New Member
Joined
Oct 29, 2020
Messages
10
Location (City and/or State)
Phoenix
I say keep them indoors because babies do better indoors. Outside all day is not good for them. I've done many side by side comparisons with clutchmates over many years to reach this conclusion. Predators aren't a factor in this because I assume the tortoise will be properly protected one way or another. I like Tyler and his wife Sarah, but I don't agree with housing babies outdoors all day. Adults yes. Babies no.

You don't want the tortoise to have access to soil. It might not be safe. I would grow things in pots or out of the tortoises reach on the outside of the pen. I use raised beds in some of my enclosures. Read the first few posts in this thread. Get to at least post number four: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/some-questions-about-food.187091/#post-1884734
One last question, and this might a stupid one, but when are tortoises not considered babies anymore? Is it just by size or is it by age?
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,269
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
One last question, and this might a stupid one, but when are tortoises not considered babies anymore? Is it just by size or is it by age?
They are grow at different rates and for a wide variety or reasons, so not by age. I go by size, and its an informal unscientific distinction/designation.
Hatchling = still has egg tooth.
Baby = first year.
Yearling or juvenile = second year to sub adulthood.
Subadult = large juvenile but not quite an adult. (For example: a 15 inch female sulcata)
Adult = large enough to reproduce for that species.
 
Top