Mamadee
New Member
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2015
- Messages
- 21
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!
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!
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