tort OUTDOOR enclosure info

[fantapants]

At this time of year people start to consider putting their tortoises outside in the sunshine. People ask the same questions, Is it safe? Will my tortoise need extra heating? Is it healthier? I thought I would right a quick guide to getting a safe summer enclosure set up for the summer. This IS an important aspect of keeping a sun worshipping species, and the biggest gift you can give them is to provide healthy fresh food for them to forage themselves in natural unfiltered sunshine.

1. Where to start…..

Decide what size enclosure will be best suited to your tortoise, your budget and your garden. A hatchling tortoise needs a predator proof enclosure, safe from birds, cats, dogs and children. This can be as simple a rabbit run sat on top a turfed lawn or as complex as a purpose made enclosure.

The tortoise wont care as long as he can graze on some plants and grass and doesn’t have the nightmare of being picked up by a magpie looking for a tasty meal. DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THIS! It has happened and will happen in a second. Even if you are sat in the garden with your tortoise, keep it covered in a safety net or mesh.
The size issue is important too. Putting a tort out in a table is better than having no access to natural sunlight. If at all possible aim for an enclosure at least six foot by 4ft for hatchlings and make it bigger as they grow in size. A cheap budget way of making tortoise pen is to get some planks of wood and screw wooden stakes on to the sides. Then hammer these into the ground and hook a mesh over the top. This will happily work for all types of tortoises in the summer, just make sure that the wood is twice as high as the longest tortoise so they cant climb over the top. Searching for a tiny tortoise in the dusk is a nightmare and often results in mass panic and being convinced that the tortoise has gone. Even adult tortoise can be well disguised when under a plant!
Adult tortoises can be left to roam the garden providing that all ponds are fenced off, poisonous plants are removed and checked for on a regular basis, and most important, your garden is 100% secure. Its important to always check and double check that no dogs or cats can access the tortoises area , and that ALL torts are accounted for before getting the lawnmower out. Sounds like common sense but many a tortoise has been killed by a lawn mower. And many a limb gnawed off by a curious dog. Put dogs in a separate area as it is not worth the risk.

2. Species specific requirements

All tortoise species enjoy being outside but some require a little more planning than others. If you are going to be leaving your 10cm+ tortoise to roam around the garden while at work then how will he stay warm if it gets cold or rains?? A simple answer is to invest or make a water proof dog kennel. This can easily be adapted to take a basking lamp so that they can always go somewhere warm and safe. That is an ideal solution for the smaller Mediterranean species but for the larger tortoises, or even larger med collections, a little more work is needed. A greenhouse is ideal in the summer and can be lit with basking lamps to create a tropical oasis.

Even Bleak days will increase the ambient temperature and leave the tortoise owner with less of an electricity bill! A greenhouse can be used to shelter the animal, provide nesting sites, cultivate supplemental food, and of course to protect them from the worst of the elements.
To heat a greenhouse in the winter is a hugely expensive undertaking. The key is insulation, insulation and then a bit more insulation! Tubular heaters can be bought at a good price and are cheap to run in comparison to other heaters. Occasionally it is possible to extend the central heating to allow a radiator to be installed outside, but not everybody is that lucky! Renacor aquarium heater cable is a good option to provide heating from below and is low wattage too. This under-floor method of heating is sued by the tortoise trust and is a completely different principle to heat mats. Heat mats heat the object on top of it, not the air or ambient temperature.

All of the above ideas are looked at on the basis that the tortoise will be going inside the owners home at night time. I am not suggesting that a tortoise should be left outside all night without further precautions and heating strategies put in place. In this current climate it is not unusual to hear of thefts of family pets so be careful.

3. Planting the enclosure

a wide variety of plants can be put into the enclosure and can serve a wide range of uses. Torts will nibble on some, hide beneath others and try to climb over them too.

They key to making a long-lasting landscape is to mix and match. So while some plants like the pansies and dandies will be nibbled all the time, others like a hebe will allow the tortoise to hide beneath it and add interest. Plants can also break up the horizon to the tortoise and make his enclosure seem bigger and more interesting. good list of common plants to start with can be

Mallow/ lafatera

Hebe

Pansies, primula, violas ( may need to be replaced regularly!)

Echeveria

Pampas grass

Geraniums

Grape vines (leaves are very edible)

Ornamental grasses (blue fescue, crows foot, couch, carex)

Adding a variety of hides for the tortoise will also keep him feeling secure and happy.

These don’t have to be expensive. A plant pot on its side or two bricks with a piece of wood over the top will do wonderfully. These will also help in groups of sub adult tortoises as often the female can feel persecuted by the males constant attentions. Giving as many hides as is practical will mean he has to look for them and may well give up and eat his dandies instead!

An outdoor enclosure doesn’t have to be expensive , or decorated to horticultural standards. Most of the plants I have bought over the years are the bargain basement variety. I get the reduced plants and the damaged ones and they do o my torts juts as well as full price . My more structural plants like the hebes, mallows and pampas all came from my local Morison’s at various times through the year. And B and Q always has a reduced bedding section. If you are unsure if your plant has been treated with pesticides and fertiliser then always treat it as though it HAS. Rinse the root ball in cool water to remove as much soil as possible and then pot it into organic compost. Leave it to sit for a week or two and then plant it in you enclosure. Most of the residues and pesticides will have broken down.

I hope that this quick guide has answered some of the questions for the new tort owners and old alike. It is not meant top be a comprehensive list of rules, just a rough idea of where to start. Part of the fun of building an outdoor enclosure is learning as you go along and improving enclosures all the time! Please feel free to add other pictures and information as you make progress so we can all learn from each other.

[Tina]

Thanks so much... what great info! Have made this a sticky

Just one note of caution re primulas... these are slightly toxic so care should be taken when planting them.

[Terryo]

Wonderful information. I might try the one you have under your window. That looks so easy.

[DimShady]

answerd all my questions, and ones i never thought of. i owe ya one!

[alexn]

Excellent post answered a lot of questions i have been having. Just one question tho, what do you use as a substrate, is it just normal topsoil.
Thanks

[Shelley66]

This is my Hermann's enclosure...

Before it is finished with the torts in so you can see the size


Finished, but before bits and pieces were put in


Two of the torts in one end of the enclosure

[DimShady]

Hay guys, quick question, ive built the enclosure, looks a bit like a rabbit run, and ive built a box for him to hide in, but i was wondering. . .

Is the basking lamp the same that i already have in his table? or would i need an outdoor one? i was planing on putting it the hide, sorta looks like a bird box! thanks.

[Shelley66]

If it looks like a rabbit run does it have wire down to the floor, or have you put wood along the bottom so the tort can't see out? Only if he can see through the enclosure he will spend all his time trying to get out.

Yes you use the same basking light as you would inside. Obviously you have to be careful with electrics outside. Also for a "house" to have a basking light in it will have to be quite tall, to get the right basking temp below it.

[DimShady]

dont worry it would be tall, but no i will put wood around the side as i didnt relise he would need it! thanks.

EDIT; Also would you mind showing me a pic of your basking lamp in the encloser? do you have ti in a shelter type thing or do you have another method. thanks again!

[Andy b 1]