do you need to bury chicken wire mesh fencing to prevent them from digging out?
How high should the sides be to prevent climbling out? Is it 2&1/2 times the length of the fulll grown tort?

http://www.chelonia.org/articles/redfootcare.htm

http://www.turtleforum.com/forum/upload/...wforum=101
this turtle forum looks like it has tort infor too

Here is a site that talk a little about outdoor housing.
http://lllreptile.com/info/library/anima...-tortoise/

A green house might work. Or you might want to PM Redfoot NERD regarding this, or talk to the breeder.

This post was last modified: 02-02-2008 08:44 PM by Crazy1.

Wow, thanks everybody, thats all great info.

Cam- I dont need any chicken wire fencing as the entire outdoor area is very predator/digging proof. In regards to humidity, safety and space, it really is an ideal spot for a redfoot, the only problem has been there is no outlet so I have been stumped as to how to supplant heat at night, and I think these ideas are really going to help.

thanks again.

Just to reiterate, the are is 5 feet wide and about 35 feet long, the two longest sides are concrete walls roughly 20 feet high, one end is a 8 foot gate and the other end I have closed off as well...so not fencing, climbing out problems here. The area also has a sprinkler system that goes off 4 times a week to water all the lovely greens I have set up for the tort.

I found some really good info and plans for a great outdoor enclosure.

http://www.turtlecafe.com/habitat.pl?pag...maid_house


I dont know if anybody else can use it, but I think it might help me. the plan requires an outlet again, so i dont know if I can do everything listed in there, but I like the insulation idea.

So can you have an electrician run a line or use an outside extension cord rated for say a dryer or such?

How can I say this??????? I've been hesitating.

Get desert tortoises!

Or construct a dwelling that you can maintain at low to mid-80's during seasons that get below 70F. And it absolutely MUST BE hard-wired.. no extension cords.. EVER!!!

You live in a climate that is.. just about as wrong for redfoots as you can..... much too dry year 'round! And then it get's too cool for them too! You might just have to accept that.

For example I had to give up on Leopard's because it was just too humid here! And I had beautiful 12-13" blond ones.

It will be quite an expense to do it right.. however it can be done! You know me.. count the cost.. FIRST!!!

Terry

This post was last modified: 02-03-2008 01:12 AM by Redfoot NERD.

Thanks terry for correcting me on the extention cords. Bad Robyn, .
But I'm learning

Terry-the problem with desert tortoises is that the area that I will be keeping them is actually high humidity. The overall climate of southern california is dry alot of months, however, like I mentioned in my original post, the specific area that I will be keeping them is actually extremely humid. It is a very shady area with a sprinkler system that goes off 4 times per week. So the overall area is very damp and humid. I really dont think a desert tort will do well in this particular scenario. Not to mention the area only gets about 2-3 hours of direct sunlight.

Thanks for the input, but I think Im going to continue to search for ways to supplement night time heating for a forest tort for this area as opposed to a desert tort. I think with a little creativity and money I can make a good environment.

I kept african spurs for 5 years and would love to get a pair, however, I just dont think this enclosure is hot and dry enough for them, so if I cant figure out a way to supplement night time heat for the redfoot, I might be forced not to buy a tort at all.