# Outdoor tortoise HOUSE suggestions?



## beachylivin (Apr 20, 2013)

Hi all!

I have a 5 yr old (guesstimate) male Leopard tortoise who lives fully outdoors. He has a 12'x12' pen with a little house that I made for him to go in to at night. It is plywood on the bottom and the top half is a plastic bin. The two pieces are connected by hinges so I can lift up the top and clean out the house. 

I am looking for something more durable, so my question is, does anyone know of any good websites where I can purchase an already made tortoise house? I only see websites from the UK, and I am in southern california.

I would have no problem assembling as long as I have all the parts! I am not interested in building a house, I would love to purchase one that is already made and looks decent.

Any suggestions would be great!

Thanks


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## wellington (Apr 20, 2013)

Google search dog houses or insulated dog houses. Also, look in Toms sulcata threads. He shows how he makes his well insulated and heated tort houses. He is also I Cali. If your housing all year, you probably need some heat too.


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## Maggie Cummings (Apr 20, 2013)

Search Craigs List for dog houses


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## Momof4 (Apr 20, 2013)

CL is full of dog houses. I know there was a guy on the OC CL who made custom dog houses that would work.


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## shellfreak (Apr 20, 2013)

Hayneedle.com. Has a great house. Small out back dog house. I use for my tortoises. Also has a little door that you can buy extra that keeps out the elements. Has option for a heater (hound furnace). House is very easy to install. Only a few screws to put together. And I don't screw down the roof, that way I can clean it out and Check on Torts. Roof is also slanted for rain run off. 

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## N2TORTS (Apr 20, 2013)

Dog loos are fine ..... but you will find getting on your hands and knees daily to check on your animals gets old very quick. A stand up version is the way to go especially if you intend to adding to your collection. Pre made rubber maid sheds work very well and can be bought new or used between 150-500 bucks. Depending on size features ( such as windows ...ect. ) They are easy to construct , do not rust , and pretty much will last a good 10-15 years no problem . The one thing to keep in mind is to insulate the shed ( although the nicer ones are " doubled walled" already) Any of the big box stores has pre made sheets of 1/4-1/2" foil backed insulation. Works very well , easy to work with and can be applied with " spray adhesives and a few screws. Another nice feature about these are the have a pre made floor ... which is nice to keep the torts up off the ground ...were ground thermo temps vary though out the season. Also you can lock it up tight if need be., Here are two examples of " RubberMaid shed types ... thru out the years and one I actually use currently. The second one I modified the front - I left out the factory "plastic barn doors" re framed the front and then hung actual 1 lite French door. I'm in So. Cal myself ....
Some other ideas and efforts from the past ...and at current ...

Here was a small set up in a little patio for an apartmentâ€¦.















Dog looâ€™s â€¦..one exposed and one buried 3â€™ underground







Different Wood â€œtypeâ€ hides ..built from some old doors â€¦. The whole top is hinged for easy access..






But can be â€œ closed up tightâ€ â€¦â€¦




Of courseâ€™ there was Harleyâ€™s Hutâ€¦..











The Redâ€™s Hut â€¦..













The Cherriesâ€™ Next to the Redâ€™s 





A few simple heated hides â€¦â€¦

















" Happy Tort~N" 
JD~


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## beachylivin (Apr 20, 2013)

Thank you all for the suggestions! He has a heat pad with a sheep skin cover on it. Igloos would do the trick but I'm looking for a nice wooden set up. I'll definitely have to look at some of the suggested websites and such!


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