WaterBear
New Member
Hi! After searching and reading, I'm hoping to get some specific advice. Any input would be greatly appreciated.
My son has a 4 year old Sulcata that has gotten way too big for his indoor home. Now that it's warming up again, we want to get him settled outside. We are in north Florida, just south of Tallahassee. We've marked off a 50 by 50 foot area to fence in, but we need to work out some details before proceeding.
How much direct sunlight does a Sulcata need? I've attached a photo of the area. There's dappled sunlight but few large clear patches. Should we take out some trees before building the fence? Or leave them as predator protection?
What fencing material would hold up best long term? My husband mentioned railroad ties, but I was worried about the chemicals they're treated with. If we did concrete blocks, would rebar pounded into the ground as support be enough to discourage digging under it? Would chain link fencing damage his shell? We are considering paying a fencing company to do all the work, but I want to make sure I ask for the right things as I doubt they would know about what a tortoise needs.
How deep should we go to prevent escape? How high? We are considering putting electric wires around the top to keep out dogs and wildlife. Our property is right against the national forest, so we have a lot of wildlife.
We would like to use forage plants as his primary food source. There's already grape vines growing there. What else could we plant that would be good for a Sulcata and suitable for our area? Are there any toxic plants we should look out for and remove?
I know he'll need a house, but I'm debating about building something that would fit him forever vs something that will fit for now. What has your experience been with that?
I'm sorry for being so long-winded, and I hope this isn't too much. I just want to make sure he is safe and comfortable outside.
My son has a 4 year old Sulcata that has gotten way too big for his indoor home. Now that it's warming up again, we want to get him settled outside. We are in north Florida, just south of Tallahassee. We've marked off a 50 by 50 foot area to fence in, but we need to work out some details before proceeding.
How much direct sunlight does a Sulcata need? I've attached a photo of the area. There's dappled sunlight but few large clear patches. Should we take out some trees before building the fence? Or leave them as predator protection?
What fencing material would hold up best long term? My husband mentioned railroad ties, but I was worried about the chemicals they're treated with. If we did concrete blocks, would rebar pounded into the ground as support be enough to discourage digging under it? Would chain link fencing damage his shell? We are considering paying a fencing company to do all the work, but I want to make sure I ask for the right things as I doubt they would know about what a tortoise needs.
How deep should we go to prevent escape? How high? We are considering putting electric wires around the top to keep out dogs and wildlife. Our property is right against the national forest, so we have a lot of wildlife.
We would like to use forage plants as his primary food source. There's already grape vines growing there. What else could we plant that would be good for a Sulcata and suitable for our area? Are there any toxic plants we should look out for and remove?
I know he'll need a house, but I'm debating about building something that would fit him forever vs something that will fit for now. What has your experience been with that?
I'm sorry for being so long-winded, and I hope this isn't too much. I just want to make sure he is safe and comfortable outside.