- Joined
- Jun 2, 2013
- Messages
- 21
Hi!
I am brand new to this forum and I was hoping to get your feedback on an outdoor enclosure for our Sulcata.
We live in the cold, rainy Pacific Northwest, in Portland Oregon. Not an ideal spot for this species, we are aware, but we committed to our little guy before our move. Our winters hover at around 40-50 degrees and our summers tend to be around 80s, with some spiked hot days in the 90s and a couple days a year at 100. At this point, our Sulcata Einstein is still very young and lives indoors in a very large turtle table but soon we would like to create an outdoor enclosure.
We have a very large yard, and we were planning on building a greenhouse structure about 15 feet long by 7-8 feet wide. We were planning on building shelves to grow our grasses, and include a dehumidifier (and all necessary heating and lighting equipment) to keep it dry and warm. We also wanted to have a ramp to an underground enclosure (which would be built out of cinder blocks so he couldn't escape) so that he could have additionally room and an underground hiding hole.
We also wanted to create a large door and put heavy plastic over it so that he would have access to our yard. We want to build a wood overhang that goes along the side of the fence, so that he would have about another 10 feet of sheltered outdoor space, which we would equip with heat lamps as well. We would (hopefully?) close the door off at night to protect him, and during the coldest winter months we would close off the entire section (including the additional 10 feet of space).
Our main concern is humidity and respitory issues. With a dehumidifier in his main enclosure, and access to many heated spots, do you think that this would be safe to allow him access to our yard in the colder months? We want him to have as much room to roam as possible but do not want to risk his health.
I would love to hear input on how people who have cold winters or live in cooler environments care for their tortoises. Einstein probably has another year of living indoors (with frequent visits to the outside on warm days) but we are trying to plan ahead.
Thank you
I am brand new to this forum and I was hoping to get your feedback on an outdoor enclosure for our Sulcata.
We live in the cold, rainy Pacific Northwest, in Portland Oregon. Not an ideal spot for this species, we are aware, but we committed to our little guy before our move. Our winters hover at around 40-50 degrees and our summers tend to be around 80s, with some spiked hot days in the 90s and a couple days a year at 100. At this point, our Sulcata Einstein is still very young and lives indoors in a very large turtle table but soon we would like to create an outdoor enclosure.
We have a very large yard, and we were planning on building a greenhouse structure about 15 feet long by 7-8 feet wide. We were planning on building shelves to grow our grasses, and include a dehumidifier (and all necessary heating and lighting equipment) to keep it dry and warm. We also wanted to have a ramp to an underground enclosure (which would be built out of cinder blocks so he couldn't escape) so that he could have additionally room and an underground hiding hole.
We also wanted to create a large door and put heavy plastic over it so that he would have access to our yard. We want to build a wood overhang that goes along the side of the fence, so that he would have about another 10 feet of sheltered outdoor space, which we would equip with heat lamps as well. We would (hopefully?) close the door off at night to protect him, and during the coldest winter months we would close off the entire section (including the additional 10 feet of space).
Our main concern is humidity and respitory issues. With a dehumidifier in his main enclosure, and access to many heated spots, do you think that this would be safe to allow him access to our yard in the colder months? We want him to have as much room to roam as possible but do not want to risk his health.
I would love to hear input on how people who have cold winters or live in cooler environments care for their tortoises. Einstein probably has another year of living indoors (with frequent visits to the outside on warm days) but we are trying to plan ahead.
Thank you