Outdoor Safe Place to Hide

Buckeye Girl

New Member
Joined
Mar 12, 2021
Messages
18
Location (City and/or State)
Rossford, Ohio
I adopted my tortoise in February. I'm in Ohio and I am planning his outdoor play area. His last mom moved his pen around the yard. He's been out playing on the warm days this spring and he loves to roam. I am planning to put up fencing and move the pen around the yard to give him room to explore and eat as much grass and weeds as he desires. He'll be outside during the day and i will bring him in at night. I'm looking for ideas for a hideout. I'm thinking a box with a hinged lid. How do I size it? twice his length deep? What about putting it on stilts with a ramp so that he can get under it if he wants? How much space should I allow? an inch or two taller than his height? I've noticed that when he goes out now, he doesn't spend anytime in his "cave" unless it is raining or he is tired and ready for bed.
 

Maro2Bear

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
May 29, 2014
Messages
14,722
Location (City and/or State)
Glenn Dale, Maryland, USA
I adopted my tortoise in February. I'm in Ohio and I am planning his outdoor play area. His last mom moved his pen around the yard. He's been out playing on the warm days this spring and he loves to roam. I am planning to put up fencing and move the pen around the yard to give him room to explore and eat as much grass and weeds as he desires. He'll be outside during the day and i will bring him in at night. I'm looking for ideas for a hideout. I'm thinking a box with a hinged lid. How do I size it? twice his length deep? What about putting it on stilts with a ramp so that he can get under it if he wants? How much space should I allow? an inch or two taller than his height? I've noticed that when he goes out now, he doesn't spend anytime in his "cave" unless it is raining or he is tired and ready for bed.

Greetings.

What kind if tortoise do you have and how old & how large?
 

KarenSoCal

Well-Known Member
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jul 8, 2017
Messages
5,751
Location (City and/or State)
Low desert 50 mi SE of Palm Springs CA
A soccer ball sounds rather small for a 10 yr old sully. Could you post some pictures of him with something for size comparison? And also his enclosure and equipment.

As he grows larger, are you planning for him to live outside all the time? Keeping him warm in winter will be a challenge in snowy Ohio.

But what I'm getting at is that he will need a heated night box to sleep in before long.

Here are the plans for building one. You can build it single or double door. It seems early for a night box, but it isn't. This would solve your hide problem, and it gives him a warm place to go on a rainy day outside.


 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,218
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
I adopted my tortoise in February. I'm in Ohio and I am planning his outdoor play area. His last mom moved his pen around the yard. He's been out playing on the warm days this spring and he loves to roam. I am planning to put up fencing and move the pen around the yard to give him room to explore and eat as much grass and weeds as he desires. He'll be outside during the day and i will bring him in at night. I'm looking for ideas for a hideout. I'm thinking a box with a hinged lid. How do I size it? twice his length deep? What about putting it on stilts with a ramp so that he can get under it if he wants? How much space should I allow? an inch or two taller than his height? I've noticed that when he goes out now, he doesn't spend anytime in his "cave" unless it is raining or he is tired and ready for bed.
He needs an enclosure. It should be as large as you can make it. Fencing isn't a good way to go. They need a visual barrier. within the enclosure should be a heated night box. This will keep him warm and safe at night, and also give him a place to go in cooler weather or rain.

Karen linked the two types of boxes with safe effective heating strategies depicted.

Questions are welcome.
 
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