# Planning to remodel outdoor enclosures



## TigsMom (Aug 30, 2013)

After reading and seeing so many great outdoor habitats, I've been inspired. There is going to be some serious remodeling and building going on here this winter. I'm getting excited for cooler temps and tortoises hibernating so I can get outside and work. Meanwhile, I'll be collecting and buying building materials. 

After last night's storm. I'm thinking an above ground house, and hopefully multipurpose that gives some roof coverage over their burrow entrance. I want it to look like a tiki hut with a small scale patio cover that covers the entrance of the burrow. It will be a fun challenge. If it works it will fit in nicely with my desert tropical themed back yard. 

Landscaping will include Desert Tortoise grasses and wildflowers (already have the seeds) and Hibiscus which are already growing in the enclosures.

My break is over, time to get outside and do some storm cleanup.


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## Arnold_rules (Sep 3, 2013)

TigsMom said:


> After reading and seeing so many great outdoor habitats, I've been inspired. There is going to be some serious remodeling and building going on here this winter. I'm getting excited for cooler temps and tortoises hibernating so I can get outside and work. Meanwhile, I'll be collecting and buying building materials.
> 
> After last night's storm. I'm thinking an above ground house, and hopefully multipurpose that gives some roof coverage over their burrow entrance. I want it to look like a tiki hut with a small scale patio cover that covers the entrance of the burrow. It will be a fun challenge. If it works it will fit in nicely with my desert tropical themed back yard.
> 
> ...



I built an above ground enclosure for my DT, although he decided he wanted to renovate and dig himself a below ground "Tortoise Cave" in the back, with a small overhang and a slight incline to get into the entrance to minimize flooding.


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## Tom (Sep 3, 2013)

In AZ or any place hot, underground is the way to go. There is just no good way to keep it cool above ground. You can try misters, shade cloth, etc., but 110 is still 110.

Maybe you could build the tiki hut OVER the burrow entrance to keep the rain out?


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## ascott (Sep 3, 2013)

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-32398.html

maybe some modified version of this????? I know you all don't get months of rain there...kinda like here in our desert....but when you do it can be a downpour of monumental proportions...so I would imagine if you did this in the high point of your enclosure (or create a high point) then would work out well...


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## Neal (Sep 3, 2013)

This thread has a link to an article written by the veterinarian I use that has some helpful tips on keeping tortoises cool during the hot summer months: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-73924.html

Here's my interpretation of the water bottle idea he talks about:







The board sits on top of the hide, and the pipe extends to the back wall.
















I had read this article the day before our first big heat wave, so I didn't have a lot of time to make it more nice looking. But it's a versatile concept and you can make adjustments to suit your needs. Even in my crude interpretation above, it was extremely effective. On those 110+ days, that little hide stayed in the upper 80's and low 90's. I'm currently working on a winter/summer hide box for my Indian Stars and it will have a much nicer and effective "cold drip system". 

Just a thought, but something like this might work well if you choose to make an above ground enclosure. I would imagine this would work well in an underground area too.

And...what an awesome weekend for the monsoon!


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## TigsMom (Sep 3, 2013)

Exactly right! Tom, my theory is that the Tortoise Tiki Hut will go over the underground burrow. To shade it more and keep it a bit dryer during heavy rain. It won't be too elaborate (unless my Hubby gets involved, he's a Mr. Overbuild-it kinda' guy). It does need to be storm proof and especially stable during our frequent high winds. My DT's agree with you, they spend most of their time in their underground burrows. 120 Degs is not all that uncommon here and there is nothing (except air conditioning and the refriegeration section at the grocery store, lol) that is cool, not even the tap water. When we have those sorts of temps I water the pens and the cement slabs around them just to help bring ground temps down. I had misters but our hard water is too hard and the nozzles were clogging daily. We also had freezes here that lasted a week last winter, I closed off their burrows with a trashcan lid and blanketed the pen to help keep the temps stable in their burrows. They did just great.

I'd love for the Tiki Hut to have a trap door access to check on the burrow, but I haven't figured out the best way to do that. Any ideas?? Super insulate the tiki hut floor? Their current burrows have no access, so once they are in and sleeping there is no way for me to get them out without digging them out (which I haven't done).

I've always had functional enclosures, now I want eye appealing and functional. I'll be building a completely new enclosure next to my patio, so it's screaming for eye appealing and function. Plus expanding the area in the old enclosure and remodeling it as well. Look what you're making me do! LOL 

Any tips are greatly appreciated.


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## TigsMom (Sep 3, 2013)

Whoohoo! Thank you all you've sparked a few more awesome ideas! I still have a month or two to plan, revise, gather the supplies and start actually building. Keep those tips and ideas coming!

Ascott; The umbrella and thatch roof wouldn't survive a year of intense sun and winds here, I did think about it for over a year. If I build it I want to to last several years (probably my Mr. Overbuild-it hubby) has taught me that. 

Arnoldsrule; LOL, I have built underground burrows a few times for my DT's and every time, they spend a few days "remodeling" to their taste. Cracks me up! Dirt and dust clouds come billowing out of the burrow. I purposely leave a good thick layer of loose dirt, so they can feel as if they built it.

I absolutely dread having to dig a new burrow in the new enclosure, it's not only very hard ground with alot of rocks, but also alot of roots from a tree that used to grow there. I will be building a hill and building the burrow into that hill, but still need to dig down to ensure stable temps and keep the tortoises happy.





Neal; I have seen the article your vet wrote. I think the frozen water drip is do-able and easily hid inside the Tiki Hut. All though just watering the ground around the burrow will lower the temps. This summer we saw 123 Degs F, my Boxies and DT's did just fine. I like the drip idea for days we may not be home to tend to them though, although my neighbor and I take care of each other's tortoises when away.


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## Neal (Sep 3, 2013)

What's nice about the ice drip is that the water that falls into the tortoises hide (or wherever you might put it) is cold. Whereas the water from an irrigation system is going to be warm. So it works a lot better at cooling down the hide.


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## Arnold_rules (Sep 3, 2013)

TigsMom said:


> Whoohoo! Thank you all you've sparked a few more awesome ideas! I still have a month or two to plan, revise, gather the supplies and start actually building. Keep those tips and ideas coming!
> 
> Ascott; The umbrella and thatch roof wouldn't survive a year of intense sun and winds here, I did think about it for over a year. If I build it I want to to last several years (probably my Mr. Overbuild-it hubby) has taught me that.
> 
> ...



Something to remember, just because it is above ground, does not mean that you cannot have insulation capabilities. I used cinder block with large openings, the kind used for fencing here in AZ, and filled the cells with very fine loose dirt. I put a weather proof roof on it and buried the whole thing with almost a foot or more of dirt. So, my guy has his own cave, adobe house to live in. I was also sure to have the entrance oriented so that he does not get any direct sunlight down into his burrow and it is somewhat shaded most of the day. His cave is also just the other side of his grazing area that has sprinklers on it, so he gets indirect humidity in his burrow.

With a little creative planning, I think you can do just about everything to keep your tortoise comfortable throughout the year.


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## TigsMom (Sep 3, 2013)

The area of the enclosure is surrounded by Stuccoed Cinder Block Walls on two sides of the enclosure ("L" shaped), the footing for those walls is about 3 foot deep. It separates our yard from our neighbors yard and is a retaining and privacy wall, our neighbors yard is about 2 feet lower than our property. The third and 4th side will be bricks of some sort (probably slump stone bricks), up against the slab of our patio. The new burrows I build will have cinder block walls as well and need to be at least 3 foot long as my tortoises weren't happy with smaller ones. Once I get the area cleaned up (grandkids toys, flower pots, etc). I'll post a few pictures of the area before construction. To give everyone a better idea of the space.


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## TigsMom (Sep 6, 2013)

location of new enclosure. Before construction.




TigsMom said:


> location of new enclosure. Before construction.


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