Ready-Made Tortoise Houses?

[Mortimus]

My large Greek spur-thighed, Mortimus (Mort for short), has had to make do with a temporary greenhouse home for the past year after we moved into a new home. Although she has all the required heat and light, as well as being able to roam the garden at will, it's not the perfect set-up that I want for Mort. However, having lost my wife to cancer just a few weeks ago, I don't really have the energy, expertise, or skill required to build her a proper house. Ideally, I want to pay someone to build the right setup for her including inbuilt light and heat. Does anyone have any suggestions of people out there who can do this? I found the Cosy Tortoises website, which looked like the right kind of thing, but they don't exactly seem eager to take my money, so I'm looking elsewhere.

All suggestions welcome!

Thanks.

 

[wellington]

So very sorry for your loss.
I would suggest looking in your local neighborhood nextdoor app and see if you can find a handy man.
Otherwise, portable pop up green houses make great enclosures.

 

[SinLA]

Where are you located? Are you in the US?

There's an app called TaskRabbit which is very good for finding handypeople.

This thread, if you go about half way down, has links on plans for building a nightbox you would give to someone handy: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/info-for-new-people-please-read-this-first.202363/

 

[AmandaF]

My large Greek spur-thighed, Mortimus (Mort for short), has had to make do with a temporary greenhouse home for the past year after we moved into a new home. Although she has all the required heat and light, as well as being able to roam the garden at will, it's not the perfect set-up that I want for Mort. However, having lost my wife to cancer just a few weeks ago, I don't really have the energy, expertise, or skill required to build her a proper house. Ideally, I want to pay someone to build the right setup for her including inbuilt light and heat. Does anyone have any suggestions of people out there who can do this? I found the Cosy Tortoises website, which looked like the right kind of thing, but they don't exactly seem eager to take my money, so I'm looking elsewhere.

All suggestions welcome!

Thanks.

 

[AmandaF]

I’m sorry for your loss xx

 

[AnnieApple]

My large Greek spur-thighed, Mortimus (Mort for short), has had to make do with a temporary greenhouse home for the past year after we moved into a new home. Although she has all the required heat and light, as well as being able to roam the garden at will, it's not the perfect set-up that I want for Mort. However, having lost my wife to cancer just a few weeks ago, I don't really have the energy, expertise, or skill required to build her a proper house. Ideally, I want to pay someone to build the right setup for her including inbuilt light and heat. Does anyone have any suggestions of people out there who can do this? I found the Cosy Tortoises website, which looked like the right kind of thing, but they don't exactly seem eager to take my money, so I'm looking elsewhere.

All suggestions welcome!

Thanks.

Hi, so sorry for your loss.
I had the same problem with Cosy Tortoise house, I really wanted one, but they didn't seem interested
Anyway I eventually got one from Northumberland Joinery, they also sell on Amazon. Very heavy well made houses. Hope this is helpful.

 

[Mortimus]

Where are you located? Are you in the US?

There's an app called TaskRabbit which is very good for finding handypeople.

This thread, if you go about half way down, has links on plans for building a nightbox you would give to someone handy: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/info-for-new-people-please-read-this-first.202363/

Sorry, I should have made it clear; I'm in the UK.

 

[Mortimus]

Hi, so sorry for your loss.
I had the same problem with Cosy Tortoise house, I really wanted one, but they didn't seem interested
Anyway I eventually got one from Northumberland Joinery, they also sell on Amazon. Very heavy well made houses. Hope this is helpful.

Bizarre, isn't it? I literally want to hand them over £1000 and they're not bothered.
How did you go about fitting the heat lamp (and anything else) in there? I'm really not that practical so I'm hoping to have as little work to do as possible once the house is made (which is why the Cosy Tortoises site seemed so perfect). And did you go for insulated or not? There's just so much to think about!

 

[AnnieApple]

Bizarre, isn't it? I literally want to hand them over £1000 and they're not bothered.
How did you go about fitting the heat lamp (and anything else) in there? I'm really not that practical so I'm hoping to have as little work to do as possible once the house is made (which is why the Cosy Tortoises site seemed so perfect). And did you go for insulated or not? There's just so much to think about!

Yes its insulated and double glazed, although double glazing isn't good for letting uv rays in, but she gets out every day so its not a problem. I have an outside plug socket so the timer and thermostat switch the heater and the basking light on and off during the day and night depending on time and temp.

 

[SinLA]

Maybe @Lyn W or @Sarah2020 or some of the other UK members can advise... I don't know if taskrabbit exists there...

 

[Mortimus]

Yes its insulated and double glazed, although double glazing isn't good for letting uv rays in, but she gets out every day so its not a problem. I have an outside plug socket so the timer and thermostat switch the heater and the basking light on and off during the day and night depending on time and temp.

Thanks for this; it's helpful. I wondered if you'd mind sharing a photo or two of how you've got the heater and basking light set up inside? That's the bit I'm struggling to envisage. I believe as long as they spend some time outside most days then supplementary UV light isn't necessary, so it's just a basking lamp and a heater needed?

 

[Sarah2020]

My suggestion is to visit a local reptile shop and gain their advise. I have 2 enclosures inside and outside. The inside one I added an extension on the back as my tortoise needed more space.
You can look on here for ideas and then discuss with a carpenter to make one for the size and shape your after

Vivariums - UK's largest range, lowest prices guaranteed

Shop the UK's biggest range of reptile vivariums. Order by 7pm for next-day Express Delivery!

www.reptiles.swelluk.com

Heat , light and substrate discuss with reptile shop.
I lined the base of mine with sticky back plastic which gives a longer life to wood floor and easy to wipe clean etc....

Hope that helps?

 

[Yossarian]

If your not bothered with how it looks, one of the best things I have seen for torts are the grow tents - you can get a 4x8 and fill it with orchid bark, they come with ventilation holes and places to mount lights and fans etc. . . Not too expensive either comparatively.

Not sure where you live in the UK but I live in one of the cooler parts and my tort is outside from june to october pretty much. I do bring him in if its rainy for days but he gets all the UV he needs through the summer this way.

 

[AnnieApple]

Thanks for this; it's helpful. I wondered if you'd mind sharing a photo or two of how you've got the heater and basking light set up inside? That's the bit I'm struggling to envisage. I believe as long as they spend some time outside most days then supplementary UV light isn't necessary, so it's just a basking lamp and a heater needed?

 

[AnnieApple]

The heater is ceramic and in her sleeping compartment and come on if the temp drops, which is regulated by the thermostat, that has different temps for day and night. The basking lamp comes on and off by a timer.

 

[Lyn W]

Hi, I have a leopard who lives indoors in an unused bathroom and I use an insulated dog kennel for him like this (Pets Imperial from Amazon but shop around - photo from PI website.

I lined it with another layer of insulation ( the foil covered bubble wrap type). To heat it I use a Reptile Radiator bought online and because the roof is sloping I fitted an extendable oven shelf stretched from back to front and rest the heater on that to level it. I also use a uvb tube in there diagonally across the door side for the winter mainly as my tort has access to the garden during the summer months. He has an Arcadia basking floodlight in his room.

I use a ramp so he can access and exit easily and at night a thick dark towel over the door. There are plastic strips over the door but if he is going to be outside all year you could fit a lockable hinged door to keep any rats etc out; that could also act as a ramp when open. Lola loves it.