Total Newbie has enclosure questions. Please advise!

[Mamadee]

I am a total newbie. I am adopting my first tortoise, a 14 year old male Sulcata on the 26th. He will live in my backyard year round as I live in Florida. I have found a formula for how much grazing area he will need based on his size and I am more than good there, even if he more than doubles in size. He is two feet long now and weighs 40 pounds. I have a pool so I am building a retaining wall around that so he can't get in it and then there is fence around the rest of his area. How tall should I plan for that retaining wall? I am laying flagstone around the inside of the fence to discourage him making a break for it by digging his way out.

However, I live in north Florida so he will need a place to keep cool and keep warm depending on the season. I am having a friend build him a concrete block shelter in the enclosure corner along the fence line with a lid that opens for cleaning. I can't find a formula for how big that house needs to be based on his size. I want to put flagstone around the outside of the house too to discourage undermining the block foundation. The plan I am concocting will give him an interior house space that is 5ft by 5 ft. Is that adequate for current and future size? I have more room to build larger if I need to. I would rather do that then have to redo everything later. Also how tall should the house be? I want to make sure he has plenty of head space and space to grow vertically but I have to also keep in mind all that interior space needs to be heated in the winter.

I have attached a picture of my guy and the corner of the yard that his house will be in. We start construction on the 19th so I really need someone's advice. HELP!

 

[leigti]

Welcome to the forum. Check out the sulcata and enclosures section for ideas. You may need heat during certain parts of the year, @Tom has very specific directions on how to build a heated night box. This may be very helpful. Experienced sulcata owners will be along soon to give you more specific ideas.

 

[Yvonne G]

It doesn't need to be much bigger than he is. I would say maybe 4' square might be ok, and about 4' high too. If you have a hanging heat source/light, you want to be able to get it up high enough to not burn his back.

 

[Yvonne G]

That's a nice, shady corner. Good job.

 

[Falcon70]

That's a nice looking tortoise you got there He sure is going to be happy living outside!

 

[Mamadee]

Ok. spent a couple of hours designing, pricing and redesigning and repricing (*grins) a house. Here is what I have so far. Using 8x8x16 concrete blocks for three sides of the structure and going six tall will give him a 48x48x48 space I think (close enough to it). The height is twice his length at this point and I think it should be high enough for heat lamp clearance. We would put the heat lamps through the roof. Please let me know if you disagree. On the front we will use 8x8x8 blocks in the two front corners. That would give him over two foot clearance in the door. I have a message out to his current owner to confirm that is wide enough. If not we can pull the corner blocks out a bit past the other wall's blocks. I would run a 2x4 down the length of the center of the house. Then I can hinge attach two sheets of plywood to either side of the center beam that will lift up like chest freezer doors do from the outer edges of the house. Hang that heavy plastic strips like are shown here in the door and voila! Pricing everything out for the house including concrete paint it comes out to about $250 at Lowe's. I have wood paint already for the roof.

Feedback?

 

[Mamadee]

For the pool barrier I am looking at this fence. I showed it to his current owner and she thinks it will do the trick. She says he doesn't climb and a 18 inch block wall would work. I am not comfortable with counting on the "he doesn't climb" part so want something nice and high. This way I can see him from the house and anywhere in the yard. It's at Lowe's as well and has gates that match. Again, any feedback is greatfully received.
Ironcraft Black/Powder-Coated Steel Fence Panel (Common: 47-in x 70-in; Actual: 47.8-in x 70.3-in)

 

[Mamadee]

Yvonne G. Thank you! The corner is shady all day long. There is a huge Lugustrum tree to the left that you can see in the picture. To the right, just across in my neighbor's yard, is a several hundred year old oak tree. Between the two of them that corner is in constant shade. Falcon70, he lives outdoors 24/7/365 now but in Orlando. I am in Jacksonville. It's gets cooler here in the winter than in Orlando. His owner says he will go in his house during the cold and not come out until we get a warm day. That's the thing about winter in Florida. You can have cold, even freezing weather, for a couple of days and then it's right back up in the high 60s and low 70s again for a couple of days and then the cycle repeats until Spring which is in late February here.

 

[Mamadee]

Leigti, I did look through the forums for enclosure ideas. I found them very helpful. Thank you all that posted them!