Outdoor enclosure question

Izzy's keeper

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We will be starting the outdoor enclosure for Izzy this week end. My question is how far down should we bury the sides so she / he can't dig out of it ? Do we have to bury any thing at all, or if we make the sides 8 inches thick would she / he be able to dig out of it ? Thinking of using cinder block to do the outside perimeter. Izzy will be brought inside at night and will only use the out door enclosure during the day. Enclosure will be approximately 9 feet by 14 feet. She / he is a greek tortoise, ibera sub species we think. Right now her / his size is just over four inches. I have already ordered the seed mix from Carolina pet, and have a few Hostas and spider plants to plant in the enclosure. We want to do this right the first time. So what else to do but ask other tortoise owner who have the experience behind them. Thanks for all replies.
 

Jacqui

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Me personally, I have never had a tortoise who dug out. They dig under things like rocks and plants, but not the walls. Now one may accidently dig too near the wall and thus end up outside (or so I would guess, has never happened here). I like to have my walls on the smaller tortoises go down like 6", but that is more to be sure nothing tries to dig in and to not have a dip in the ground create an opening for escape.
 

leigti

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When I built my outdoor enclosure I put hardware cloth underneath. I have a Russian tortoise and they are known for digging, and I do know somebody who's a Russian tortoise did dig out of their pan and escape. I am not sure that Greek tortoises dig is much so the hardware cloth may be a kind of overkill for you. But I guarantee he won't get out! It's just a suggestion.
 

Izzy's keeper

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Thank you Leigti for the suggestion. I had actualy thought of something like that. I have heard of people using chicken wire but I was afraid he would get his legs caught in it if he dug down far enough to reach it.
 

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