People in cold/moderate climates with large tortoises: Can we see your enclosure?

[Tortus]

I also think the outdoor shed thing is a good idea. This thread was mainly aimed at those who can't really do that during winter months, or it would be very difficult during some times of the year. We got so much snow a couple years ago that I couldn't even open the front door. It lasted for a couple weeks before finally melting to a decent level.

I imagine if I had a tortoise shed I would have had to dig a pathway to it, then dig all the snow from around the door. And they'd have no way to walk around in almost 2 feet of snow, the dog had trouble, so it would be better if they had something indoors for situations like that. Or if we get a cold spell where it's in the teens for a while. That happens also. People in Canada and more northern states have it even worse.

 

[BowandWalter]

RE: People in cold/moderate climates with large tortoises: Can we see your enclosure

When I have my own home I'd love to get a leopard, my future plan is to build him a room off of the house, like a sun room with a concrete dish base that I can grow stuff in, and a little door to an outside run. Most people don't have an architect for a father, and quite frankly that makes putting these ideas to form difficult. I'd go with basement, then if something terrible happens the tortoise is right there, we have lots of windstorms that bash through windows and knock down trees, going out in that is dangerous, it's safer in some instances to have them accessible from inside your home.

 

[Laura]

the 'second poster' also said it was thier Personal Opinion. And I agree with them.. ;-)

If you lived in an apt, you wouldn't keep a horse there.

 

[Tortus]

I think the poster who said move to California was being sarcastic since he lives in "Amish Country" (PA?) and built an enclosure in his basement.

Keeping a leopard tortoise in the house for a few months isn't exactly like keeping a horse there. I would point out all the differences but I think they're obvious enough.

 

[yagyujubei]

Maybe the second poster should simply shut up when she doesn't know what she is talking about, rather than accusing half of the country of cruelty. Just my personal opinion

the 'second poster' also said it was thier Personal Opinion. And I agree with them.. ;-)

If you lived in an apt, you wouldn't keep a horse there.

 

[Tortus]

Maybe the second poster should simply shut up when she doesn't know what she is talking about, rather than accusing half of the country of cruelty. Just my personal opinion

the 'second poster' also said it was thier Personal Opinion. And I agree with them.. ;-)

If you lived in an apt, you wouldn't keep a horse there.

Well that's her opinion, but she seems to be saying only people in warmer climates should own tortoises.

I'm sure ALL reptiles would like to be outside year round. Lots of species like to roam. Does that happen?

I think if someone can build a large enough enclosure for winter, or whenever, where they can feel somewhat comfortable, it should be fine.

And by the way, my local zoo keeps all their herps in a reptile house during the winter. Then when the weather warms up they go back in their outdoor enclosures.

 

[TortoiseBoy1999]

RE: People in cold/moderate climates with large tortoises: Can we see your enclosure

All my tortoises have the same access to their yards in winter and in summer. The only difference is that in the winter their houses/sheds are heated.

The leopard tortoise shed:

and this is the shed my Aldabran tortoises live in:

This is where Dudley lives:

Every night I make sure they're all inside their house then I shut their door. Every morning, rain or shine, cold and foggy or warm, I open their door. Sometimes they come out, sometimes they don't.

Wow, you truly have a tortoise haven! I like Dudley

 

[thecrawlingchaos]

Maybe the second poster should simply shut up when she doesn't know what she is talking about, rather than accusing half of the country of cruelty. Just my personal opinion

the 'second poster' also said it was thier Personal Opinion. And I agree with them.. ;-)

If you lived in an apt, you wouldn't keep a horse there.

Well that's her opinion, but she seems to be saying only people in warmer climates should own tortoises.

I'm sure ALL reptiles would like to be outside year round. Lots of species like to roam. Does that happen?

I think if someone can build a large enough enclosure for winter, or whenever, where they can feel somewhat comfortable, it should be fine.

And by the way, my local zoo keeps all their herps in a reptile house during the winter. Then when the weather warms up they go back in their outdoor enclosures.

The zoo comment is interesting. My home zoo is Cincinnati, and they keep Galapagos, radiated, and redfoots of considerable size year round. The Galapagos group is young, but still the torts are a good size. Louisville Zoo up the road also keeps huge Aldabras and sulcatas. I'm pretty sure Louisville utilizes a shed year-round. Cincinnati, however keeps many of their torts in large indoor stalls with MVBs and additional heat in the winter.

I understand that it would be ideal to have my guy outside year round if possible, but that's quite a risk IMO. We had a transformer blow and electricity for the entire block for 12 hours last February. I would lose my mind if I had a tortoise outside in that situation.

My tortoise room is a bedroom on the second floor of my house, so no basements or garages. I'm starting with an 8x4 for my (almost) 2 year old leopard. It's a big room, so I can easily expand the enclosure as needed. I've even given thought to tiling the entire room and allowing him to free roam, but that's a bit down the road at the moment.

 

[Tortus]

I thought about using a bedroom also and putting something on the floor to block moisture. Not sure what though. Right now I'm using the spare mostly for storage.

I did this with an iguana years ago but it mainly stayed in the branches and stuff I had for it to climb on, and it only pottied in one spot. Didn't really worry much about the floor.

But yeah this is down the road so who knows what I'll do by then. It will definitely be spending nice days outdoors.

---

Although I have a nice section of the back yard picked out to set it up outdoors, one thing that concerns me is dogs. I looked out the back window one day and saw a whole pack of them on my porch.

I'll have to make sure whatever I put around the tortoise area is high enough that dogs can't jump over it. It also has to look nice or the neighbors will report it to the town. This old man down the street is a busy body with no life. So I can't just stick an ugly chain link fence in part of the yard.

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

RE: People in cold/moderate climates with large tortoises: Can we see your enclosure

I'll have to make sure whatever I put around the tortoise area is high enough that dogs can't jump over it. It also has to look nice or the neighbors will report it to the town. This old man down the street is a busy body with no life. So I can't just stick an ugly chain link fence in part of the yard.[/QUOTE]

I would use a hot line for the dogs. Also helps with raccoons, skunks, and possums. And them meddling neighbor kids.

 

[JayMillz]

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-56982.html#axzz2DXhrsn7q

Here's what I did for mine in MN. It broke my budget and it still obviously too small so be prepared to drop some bucks if you're going to build something in your basement. Next winter mine will be 8 X 8 instead of the 8 X 4 it is now.

 

[Tortus]

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-56982.html#axzz2DXhrsn7q

Here's what I did for mine in MN. It broke my budget and it still obviously too small so be prepared to drop some bucks if you're going to build something in your basement. Next winter mine will be 8 X 8 instead of the 8 X 4 it is now.

I was thinking about doing something similar in my garage. It would be useless in the summer though since it gets too hot in there (so hot the fridge gets warm), but that would be outdoor time.

Do most people buy those pig mats for their larger tortoises? I looked into them and was puzzled why the temperature control is sold separately. I guess it would be hard to use a thermostat since the tort would knock the probe around.

 

[lynnedit]

Yes, most people buy pig mats for the larger torts, Sulcatas, etc.

I thought there were new ones with built in thermostats, but I can't find them.
Brands used on TFO are Kane, Stanfield.

And the Tom also likes the Radiant heat panels to provide heat from above. Not as likely to be intense and risk burns.
http://www.reptilebasics.com/rbi-radiant-heat-panels