outdoor enclosure questions........

[jmhoesch]

Ok, we've had Mr. Pickles almost 2 months now. He's currently in a huge long tank. We want to build an outdoor enclosure for the spring/summer months. First. We're in Southern AZ, it's HOT! We're in the 80's already and will get hotter by the day.

We have a nice backyard. It's ALL gravel w/ some big mounds of garden and cacti thru out. There's a concrete wall that we share w/ our neighbors behind us. I think it's like 5 1/2 ft tall. Anyway, I wanted to use that wall for part of his enclosure then build up in front of it w/ some desert rock (tall enough so he can't get out) and desert plants. (that he can't eat because they are too tall)

Is that ok? Do they "need" substrate to bury themselves? The ground is very hard here. It will be sunny from sun up til sun down (it's sunny here 345 days of the year) Of course I'll put some broken pots for him to sleep in and some other fun stuff for him to get into and exercise with and a big water (shallow) dish too. O and yes, we'll have some sort of top (chicken wire or some sort of mesh) for the entire enclosure to keep him safe from predators.

Also, is it going to be TOO hot come July and August? It gets like 105 - 110 here. The nights are like 80 degrees.

Originally we were going to keep him in his tank, but Mr. Pickles is a roamer! He loves to stomp around his tank, explore and get into trouble and I know he'd love a bigger more adventurous enclosure during the hot months.

Give me some tips? Some fun furniture for him to explore with?

thank you!

 

[wellington]

Make sure he has shade to go into. Not just pots that are sitting out in the sun all day. Put in a sprinkler system or do it by hand and when it gets really hot, spray it down. Low plants that he can hide in would probably be cooler then pots. I would also add some dirt. He could burrow into it to help cool off. Or dig him a burrow to go into.

 

[biochemnerd808]

How wonderful that Mr Pickles will get to be outside!

The flower pots are a good idea - I would add dirt up and over the pot (making a mound) to help insulate the cave created by the pot, so it will be cool inside. I'd put in several such flower pot caves, pointing in different directions, so that as the sun moves, there are different hiding opportunities.

Do you plan to let him stay out there day and night? We have raccoon and possums here, so I bring my tortoises indoors at night... and during the day I cover the enclosure with a frame that has chicken wire or hardware cloth on it. That way hawks, cats etc. are not a danger to my tortoises...

 

[jmhoesch]

Not sure about the night time. My daughter wants to bring him in at night. We would have a top as well, but I'm still worried about snakes. We're in AZ remember and rattlers as well as scorpions are abudant.

I'm more incline to make a BIG box type enclosure and make sure it's secure enough from snakes or scorpions. I'm gonna have to ask some AZ members what they do. I'm scaring myself now. lol