Winter enclosure Taco

julietteq

Active Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Oct 22, 2013
Messages
267
Location (City and/or State)
Amsterdam. Netherlands
Good afternoon,

It has been some time since I posted, but with this isolation thing going on I figured I would give you guys some pictures of Taco's winter enclosure. She is doing great and still growing (she is now 45 cm plastron) and destroys everything that is in her way :) There is a small pond in the enclosure as well. She drinks from it, but does not bathe there. There are 4 pelusios nanus (3 female, 1 male)living there and I had fertile eggs last december !

IMG_9038.jpgIMG_9041.jpgIMG_9047.jpgIMG_9035.jpgIMG_9039.jpgIMG_9043.jpgIMG_9040.jpgIMG_9046.jpgIMG_9048.jpgIMG_9045.jpgIMG_9037.jpgIMG_9042.jpgIMG_9044.jpgIMG_9036.jpg
 
Last edited:

Yvonne G

Old Timer
TFO Admin
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,390
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
Wow, that's a great winter enclosure! Did you build it yourself?
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,269
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
Looks like a great way to do it if it can be kept warm enough.

How do you heat it? What is the temperature down there on the ground when there is snow outside?
 

julietteq

Active Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Oct 22, 2013
Messages
267
Location (City and/or State)
Amsterdam. Netherlands
Looks like a great way to do it if it can be kept warm enough.

How do you heat it? What is the temperature down there on the ground when there is snow outside?
I use 2 commercial terras heaters to keep the place warm in winter. Under the terras heaters which have a diameter of 60 cm Taco gets "basking" temperatures between 100 - 120 degrees Fahrenheit. I circulate the air with a fan and it is between 80 - 85 degrees at the coldest spots. I have hooked up the heaters to a temperature control unit that turns them on or off when needed. To be honest the problem is not heating it in winter. That is just expensive:) The problem is to make certain that it does not get too warm in summer because it kills my plants! The tortoise can go outside because he has a little door.
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,269
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
I use 2 commercial terras heaters to keep the place warm in winter. Under the terras heaters which have a diameter of 60 cm Taco gets "basking" temperatures between 100 - 120 degrees Fahrenheit. I circulate the air with a fan and it is between 80 - 85 degrees at the coldest spots. I have hooked up the heaters to a temperature control unit that turns them on or off when needed. To be honest the problem is not heating it in winter. That is just expensive:) The problem is to make certain that it does not get too warm in summer because it kills my plants! The tortoise can go outside because he has a little door.
NIce. I've always thought than an indoor area connected to an outdoor area was the best way to go. If I ever moved to a snowy area, that is what I envisioned I would make. A large insulated barn with heated floors, and little guillotine doors that open up from each enclosure into large outdoor pens for fair weather. Your heated green house seems to do the same sort of thing.
 

julietteq

Active Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Oct 22, 2013
Messages
267
Location (City and/or State)
Amsterdam. Netherlands
NIce. I've always thought than an indoor area connected to an outdoor area was the best way to go. If I ever moved to a snowy area, that is what I envisioned I would make. A large insulated barn with heated floors, and little guillotine doors that open up from each enclosure into large outdoor pens for fair weather. Your heated green house seems to do the same sort of thing.
yes, that is exactly the idea. However in winter I close the door to the outside area. Don't get me wrong, I love Taco, but he is not the smartest. He will wander outside and then get cold really fast preventing him to get back into the greenhouse !
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
TFO Admin
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,390
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
For summer, cut two doors/holes at either end of the GH, then position a fan outside the GH at one end at the hole, blowing outside air into and through the GH, and out the other end through the other hole you cut. You can close them up during the winter. I would position the two holes about midway up the side so it blows air through the center of the GH.
 

julietteq

Active Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Oct 22, 2013
Messages
267
Location (City and/or State)
Amsterdam. Netherlands
For summer, cut two doors/holes at either end of the GH, then position a fan outside the GH at one end at the hole, blowing outside air into and through the GH, and out the other end through the other hole you cut. You can close them up during the winter. I would position the two holes about midway up the side so it blows air through the center of the GH.
That is an excellent idea !
 

DesertGirl

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Dec 5, 2017
Messages
366
Location (City and/or State)
Fabulous Las Vegas, NV
Good afternoon,

It has been some time since I posted, but with this isolation thing going on I figured I would give you guys some pictures of Taco's winter enclosure. She is doing great and still growing (she is now 45 cm plastron) and destroys everything that is in her way :) There is a small pond in the enclosure as well. She drinks from it, but does not bathe there. There are 4 pelusios nanus (3 female, 1 male)living there and I had fertile eggs last december !

View attachment 288532View attachment 288533View attachment 288534View attachment 288535View attachment 288536View attachment 288537View attachment 288538View attachment 288539View attachment 288540View attachment 288541View attachment 288542View attachment 288543View attachment 288544View attachment 288545
Looks like paradise. Good job!
 
Top