# New House for our Torts



## Flying Jenny (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi everyone!

Over Christmas break, we built a new enclosure for our two Hermann's tortoises. It is similar to their old one but is a good bit larger. There is only one light fixture shown in the picture because it is a mercury vapor self ballasted lamp that provides both UVB and heat.

[img=640x480]http://www.for-the-birds.net/images/100_0505.JPG[/img]


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## TestudoGeek (Jan 2, 2008)

looks great. how big are they?


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## JustAnja (Jan 2, 2008)

Im not seeing a pic


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## Coldliz (Jan 2, 2008)

I'm not seeing a pic either


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## Flying Jenny (Jan 2, 2008)

Sorry, I was posting from my cell phone and linking to the image on my own site but I forgot to disable the hotlink protection on my site. Working on it now


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## JustAnja (Jan 2, 2008)

Looks good Jenny! Very very nice setup!


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## Crazy1 (Jan 2, 2008)

Great looking habitat. What size is the habitat?


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## Flying Jenny (Jan 2, 2008)

TestudoGeek said:


> looks great. how big are they?



One is just under four inches long and the other is about two and a half. This house should last them until we move- we are building a house on some acreage and once we move there the torts will have a nice outdoor enclosure.


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## Flying Jenny (Jan 2, 2008)

Crazy1 said:


> Great looking habitat. What size is the habitat?



It is 24" by 36" so that makes it six square feet and with the upstairs area they have over two more square feet up there. The old habitat had an upstairs too, and Virgil really loved it- he went upstairs to poop every day.


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## JustAnja (Jan 2, 2008)

Someone is quite handy, luckily I have a professional carpenter in the house so I will definitely be using some of your ideas there in the future. Eventually I want a group of Egyptian Torts so this would be a handy setup for them that wouldnt take up a lot of space and still give them allot of room to muck around. Thanks for sharing! 

Oh also is that a blue tinted stain you used? It looks really good!


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## Flying Jenny (Jan 2, 2008)

JustAnja said:


> Someone is quite handy, luckily I have a professional carpenter in the house so I will definitely be using some of your ideas there in the future. Eventually I want a group of Egyptian Torts so this would be a handy setup for them that wouldnt take up a lot of space and still give them allot of room to muck around. Thanks for sharing!
> 
> Oh also is that a blue tinted stain you used? It looks really good!



Anja, 

Thank you and I would love to see your adaptations of my ideas. Collaboration can lead to some of the best designs. Yes, it is a blue tinted stain- I think the color was called Island Water (by Minwax- they have stains in all colors), and it was the first time we had ever used a colored stain but we were very happy with it. It has five coats of sealer over it to waterproof the enclosure as well.

This setup is an adaptation of our previous tortoise enclosure- I posted photos of it once before, but here they are again. It just got outgrown, but I am saving it to raise more hatchlings in the future as it worked out very well.


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## barbie69 (Jan 2, 2008)

The new enclosure looks awesome!! Of course the old one looks great too, I love the upstairs. I have got to take some time and build a new enclosure, if my torts were on-line they would be so jealous. lol


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## Coldliz (Jan 2, 2008)

I love your tort's new home!! 

I want to make a nice new home for mine ( I like the second floor idea in yours) I was waiting until I got some money but unfortunately I was in a car accident yesterday and now will have to wait a little longer. 
Yours looks great!


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## JustAnja (Jan 2, 2008)

Oh yup I remember you posting the original enclosure I think. Both are very nice, and I am definitely going to have to look into the colored stains. I love that blue.


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## Flying Jenny (Jan 2, 2008)

JustAnja said:


> Oh yup I remember you posting the original enclosure I think. Both are very nice, and I am definitely going to have to look into the colored stains. I love that blue.



You will have to go to a place that mixes custom paints and get the Minwax tintable base stain. Then they mix up whatever color you want. We got ours at Home Depot, but I am sure they have it other places as well. Here's the color selection:

http://www.minwax.com/products/woodstain/waterbased-color.cfm


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## JustAnja (Jan 2, 2008)

Oh wow they do have some fantastic stain colors there, now its going to be tough to choose colors! Thanks so much!


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## Crazy1 (Jan 2, 2008)

Coldliz said:


> I love your tort's new home!!
> 
> I want to make a nice new home for mine ( I like the second floor idea in yours) I was waiting until I got some money but unfortunately I was in a car accident yesterday and now will have to wait a little longer.
> Yours looks great!



Coldliz, sorry to hear about your accident I hope no one seriously injured and all is ok? Less some car damage I am sure.

Jenny, that is large and an awesome habitat. I do love the upstairs idea also. Wish I had someone handy to make things like that. I guess I will have to take a class or something if I am going to get something like that built.


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## Flying Jenny (Jan 2, 2008)

Crazy1 said:


> Jenny, that is large and an awesome habitat. I do love the upstairs idea also. Wish I had someone handy to make things like that. I guess I will have to take a class or something if I am going to get something like that built.



Thank you, Crazy 1. I keep telling my husband that we should go into business selling custom "furniture quality" tort homes, but he is not sure there would be enough of a market for them. He is busy enough already that he doesn't really have time right now anyway, but maybe someday. 

Sorry about your accident, Cold Liz. That is a rough deal.


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## Coldliz (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks guys. Yeah thankfully no one was injured. Just some car damage. What a great way to start the New Year eh?!

You should go into business Jenny! I was just thinking I wish I could buy one like that.


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## jlyoncc1 (Jan 2, 2008)

Your enclosure looks awesome. What type of branches did you use? 

Sorry about your accident coldliz. Stinks to start off that way!


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## Flying Jenny (Jan 3, 2008)

The branches are Maple and Cypress and a few Live Oak. They should be good and safe.


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## TortGirl (Jan 5, 2008)

WOW! I love your enclosure. I am sure your torts are very happy in their new home. I was wondering where you got the wood pieces for the sides of the 2nd story. They make the enclosure look awesome.


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## Redfootedboxturtles (Jan 6, 2008)

Sooooo cool. They love to bask right. Have you had any luck breeding them?


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## wayne.bob (Jan 6, 2008)

great enclosures how did you make the second story? what materials?


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## Flying Jenny (Jan 12, 2008)

wayne.bob said:


> great enclosures how did you make the second story? what materials?





TortGirl said:


> WOW! I love your enclosure. I am sure your torts are very happy in their new home. I was wondering where you got the wood pieces for the sides of the 2nd story. They make the enclosure look awesome.





Redfootedboxturtles said:


> Sooooo cool. They love to bask right. Have you had any luck breeding them?



The second story is made of wood as are the stairways. All of the wood was sealed with five coats of of sealer to waterproof it and we added the split branches to the stairways to give them traction. 

The "railings" to keep them from falling off the second story and the stairways are split natural branches found on our own property that are nailed and wood glued in place.

No breeding yet, they are still way too young. We still can't even tell if Emma is a girl yet, but if she turns out to be, then hopefully one day.


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## redhen (Nov 1, 2008)

I love your house!..how did you get 2 levels?..and do you cover the to at all...i would have to, because i have cats....awesome house!..


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