Rat attack chances?

[ZEROPILOT]

Being a tropical climate, we have lots of food trees, like Mango that attract rats. When I'm up walking my dog at night I can see rats using the power lines as a highway and going back and forth. There was a rat nest in one of my sheds and some rat activity out by my fish ponds. While nothing has ever messed with my adult R/F tortoises, I have concerns that my 2 month old could and would be eaten if left outside over night. Are my concerns legitimate? If so, at what size should he be O.K.? He's left outside now about 5-6 hours a day during daylight hours. It would be nearly impossible to make a rat proof enclosure, though I could place rat traps nearby as I've done previously.

 

[CharlieM]

You can make very inexpensive enclosures using hardware cloth for the top. @Turtlepete makes these. He's near you and also has redfoots that he's bred and raised in them. I wouldn't trust rats, raccoons or opossums with any babies that young and small.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Thanks. I contacted Turtlepete and he is very helpful. He's very nearby and has no rat problems.

 

[russian/sulcata/tortoise]

A rat once got into my rabbit cage and the rabbits where chasing it down lol.

 

[Moozillion]

A rat once got into my rabbit cage and the rabbits where chasing it down lol.

Holy cow! That is freaky! I wonder what the heck those rabbits were thinking??!?! I mean, rabbits are vegetarian, so they wouldn't want to eat him...weird...

 

[russian/sulcata/tortoise]

Holy cow! That is freaky! I wonder what the heck those rabbits were thinking??!?! I mean, rabbits are vegetarian, so they wouldn't want to eat him...weird...

when i found the rabbits chancing the rat it scared me to! One of my rabbits my neighbor found it in the middle of the road and gave it to me. We think someone just didn't want it anymore, we have also had chickens abandon in my neighborhood.

 

[Moozillion]

Wow- at this rate you could end up
with a whole farm of abandoned animals!!!

 

[ascott]

Rats can/will/do chew on limbs of tortoise, even an adult russian....I would seriously consider locked enclosures for nighttime or for brumating time...completely rat proof...

 

[ZEROPILOT]

For the time being and because I'm not totally satisfied with my humidity and dampness readings inside, I've purchased a large, flattish tote from Walmart that now has soil and a night box in it. It has a pretty sturdy "locking" lid that I've drilled MANY small holes in. That will be his night time home. At sunrise, he'll be released into his pen. I'll make sure to keep the tote away from the rain so that it doesn't flood.

 

[CharlieM]

Our outdoor night time humidity is always around 90%. I do have a few rats that come after bird seed. I'm confident they cannot get in with my tortoises.