# Outdoor enclosure for Burmese Brown Mountain Tortoises



## Morob7 (Sep 24, 2016)

I am about 75% finished building my new enclosure for my two M. emys emys. They are approximately two years old and have spent the last year living in a tub that is visible under the tree in one of my pics. I plan to do some cosmetic work on the waterfall and pond, paint the treated wood green to match my fence and install doors in the opening that does not have welded wire. I also have to connect the electrical outlet to a power source.


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## MichaelaW (Sep 24, 2016)

Inspiring! That is basically exactly what I have been wanting to do for my four Emys.


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## Morob7 (Sep 24, 2016)

Thank you. I have been taking my time and trying to plan every detail. The pond is 110 gallons with a curved shelf i made from expanded aluminum and topped with Matala filter media. The pump is underneath and the water flows through a large canister pond filter with UV. They should be able to poop in the water all they want without worry.


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## klawran1 (Sep 24, 2016)

Very nice enclosure!


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## Yvonne G (Sep 24, 2016)

That's very nice and visually pleasing. Your tortoises will be pretty happy in there. Is it shady? They don't do well in the sun.


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## Millerlite (Sep 24, 2016)

How big are they? Looks good. If they are anything like mine a lot of those plants will be gone in a few days. Lol

Kyle


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## Morob7 (Sep 25, 2016)

The enclosure receives about 2 hrs of direct sun each day and I have a shade cloth on top to cut the intensity. There are shady spots all over and when my plants mature, it will be mostly shaded by the plants. They spend a lot of time in the hide under the Boston fern. They are about 7 inches and are 685g (1lb 8oz) and 720g (1lb 9oz). The larger one is about a quarter inch longer and was the smaller of the two when I got them from Vic.


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## Morob7 (Sep 25, 2016)

They have nibbled on some of the colocasia, but for the most part, they don't bother the plans yet. I try to keep greens available in the enclosure so that they don't get tempted by the landscaping. I did put something around one plant to protect it until it can get larger.


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## MichaelaW (Sep 25, 2016)

Morob7 said:


> Thank you. I have been taking my time and trying to plan every detail. The pond is 110 gallons with a curved shelf i made from expanded aluminum and topped with Matala filter media. The pump is underneath and the water flows through a large canister pond filter with UV. They should be able to poop in the water all they want without worry.


What brand/type of filter and pump do you use? Again, I absolutely love it!


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## Morob7 (Sep 25, 2016)

Thank you. I use a pondmaster 950 gallon pump with Matala prefilter and the canister filter is one I found on Amazon that is listed by a few sellers under different brand names. The one I bought was branded Goplus and was $99.99. 13watt UV built in to it.


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## Morob7 (Oct 9, 2016)

Update: I have connected the power, painted the enclosure and installed the doors. All that remains is to work on the waterfall. That is going to wait until my local garden center gets there stone shipment. I am going to try covering the enclosure in plastic and get a heater as the weather cools off to see how long I can keep them in the enclosure this fall and winter.





You may notice the trap. We have captured a couple of possums this past week. A couple of years ago, we caught and released 8 young possums. So I'm sure there are more around. The parents live on a property a few houses down. I also found the remains of a young possum on the side of my house. He probably met a neighborhood cat.


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## MichaelaW (Oct 9, 2016)

Wow! I am seriously impressed! If you don't mind me asking, what was the cost of the project minus the filter and pump?


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## Morob7 (Oct 9, 2016)

I didn't add it up. Probably about $200 on plants (I'm hoping they won't decide to detroy them). The pond liner was about $120. About $150 on contructing a shelf in the pond. About $250 for treated lumber. About $100 on miscellaneous (stainless screws, lag bolts, washers and triple zinc plated fittings for 4x4s). Primer, paint and supplies about $100. You can see why I didn't want to add it up. Many days of personal labor. Somewhere around $1000. I have to make sure it would pass my wife's inspection.


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## richosullivan (Oct 10, 2016)

Morob7 said:


> Thank you. I use a pondmaster 950 gallon pump with Matala prefilter and the canister filter is one I found on Amazon that is listed by a few sellers under different brand names. The one I bought was branded Goplus and was $99.99. 13watt UV built in to it.
> View attachment 187837



Just ordered one, starting my black mountain and elongated enclosure build out this weekend. Thanks for the info.


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## MichaelaW (Oct 10, 2016)

Did you sink the walls into the ground at all or is the enclosure built directly on the stone tile?

Now, what we've all been waiting for... photos of the emys! Please.


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## Morob7 (Oct 10, 2016)

richosullivan said:


> Just ordered one, starting my black mountain and elongated enclosure build out this weekend. Thanks for the info.


Glad I could help.


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## Morob7 (Oct 10, 2016)

MichaelaW said:


> Did you sink the walls into the ground at all or is the enclosure built directly on the stone tile?
> 
> Now, what we've all been waiting for... photos of the emys! Please.


I sank the posts a foot into the ground at the edge of the stamped concrete. The long wall as you can see is pulled in about 6 inches from the walkway to give more room for lawn mowers etc. to pass. The 2x12 side walls extend over the concrete on either side. I placed a small piece of 1x2 between the conctrete and 2x12 to prevent settling and closure of the gap. I do not want to cause a drainage issue in my back yard. I have not had a chance to take pics of them in their new home yet. They are still adjusting to the open environment after being in their tub for a year. One of them actually tested one of my toes to see if it was a mushroom while I was painting, but the other is shy and waits for me to leave before strolling around. I will try to get some pics this week/weekend.


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## Morob7 (Oct 12, 2016)

MichaelaW said:


> Now, what we've all been waiting for... photos of the emys! Please.


I snapped some pics while they were enjoying their "tortoise crack".



Leo



Delilah


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## richosullivan (Oct 13, 2016)

Morob7 said:


> Thank you. I use a pondmaster 950 gallon pump with Matala prefilter and the canister filter is one I found on Amazon that is listed by a few sellers under different brand names. The one I bought was branded Goplus and was $99.99. 13watt UV built in to it.
> View attachment 187837


Did you use a skimmer, or just run the pump to the filter?


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## Morob7 (Oct 13, 2016)

richosullivan said:


> Did you use a skimmer, or just run the pump to the filter?


I do not use a skimmer. I have rigid filter media that the tortoises walk on. Underneath I have the pump with a prefilter to keep debris out of the pump. The pump is connected to the canister filter which feeds the waterfall and tortoise spitter. All filter media acts as biologic filter as well. I pick pine needles and leaves out of the pond by hand.


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## harris (Oct 14, 2016)

Absolutely outstanding!!! One of the best I've seen.


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## Morob7 (Oct 14, 2016)

harris said:


> Absolutely outstanding!!! One of the best I've seen.


Thank you. I put a lot of thought and work into it.


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## Team Gomberg (Oct 14, 2016)

It's wonderful! I like that it looks appealing while being functional at the sane time 

I can't quite tell what's on the solid wall behind the enclosure. Cords? Vines? 
If it is indeed dormant vines, I bet it'll sure be pretty when it's full! If it's cords, well then, nevermind. But some vines would look nice..  Hehe


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## MichaelaW (Oct 14, 2016)

Morob7 said:


> Thank you. I put a lot of thought and work into it.


The BEST I've seen!


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## Morob7 (Oct 14, 2016)

Team Gomberg said:


> It's wonderful! I like that it looks appealing while being functional at the sane time
> 
> I can't quite tell what's on the solid wall behind the enclosure. Cords? Vines?
> If it is indeed dormant vines, I bet it'll sure be pretty when it's full! If it's cords, well then, nevermind. But some vines would look nice..  Hehe


Thank you. On the wall is a trellis I made from copper pipe about 10 yrs ago. I used flexible copper pipe to look like vine branches that cross enough to make it sturdy. It is supported at the bottom by a ridgid copper pipe. Now it just serves as a backdrop.


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## Morob7 (Oct 20, 2016)

Getting ready for our first cool front. Won't be very cold but should give me an idea of what to expect when it does get cold. I will not be using a heater this time. 


I'm monitoring temperature and humidity and will compare to the outdoor temp and humidity.


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## bouaboua (Oct 20, 2016)

Morob7 said:


> Getting ready for our first cool front. Won't be very cold but should give me an idea of what to expect when it does get cold. I will not be using a heater this time.
> View attachment 189990
> 
> I'm monitoring temperature and humidity and will compare to the outdoor temp and humidity.


I LOVE IT! ! ! ! ! 

Very nice enclosure! ! !


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## Morob7 (Oct 21, 2016)

bouaboua said:


> I LOVE IT! ! ! ! !
> 
> Very nice enclosure! ! !


Thank you. This morning the temp is only about three degrees warmer inside. It's windy and one side came loose at the bottom. I'm planning to seal it up a little better today and see how we do with the sun during the day and the temperature drop tonight.


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## Millerlite (Oct 22, 2016)

Morob7 said:


> Thank you. This morning the temp is only about three degrees warmer inside. It's windy and one side came loose at the bottom. I'm planning to seal it up a little better today and see how we do with the sun during the day and the temperature drop tonight.


When does the sun get to it ? Also how long ? Any wind ornopening will cool it rather quick. It should work Well though I mean just to help warm it up.quicker also any cool winter or fall air will be deflected . I'm interested to see the results tho temp wise. Enclosure is very nice. My mts are jealous lol

Kyle


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## Morob7 (Oct 22, 2016)

Millerlite said:


> When does the sun get to it ? Also how long ? Any wind ornopening will cool it rather quick. It should work Well though I mean just to help warm it up.quicker also any cool winter or fall air will be deflected . I'm interested to see the results tho temp wise. Enclosure is very nice. My mts are jealous lol
> 
> Kyle


The sun hits it between 9:30 and 11:30 and seems to warm it up nicely. Right now at 10:45 it is 74 degrees (F). I did not have a chance yesterday to improve the wind resistance in some areas. It should help to allow them to stay outside on some days, but I need to do some work to see how effective it can be. Our low last night was not very low (62F). Now that they have a nice enclosure, I hate to take them out and keep them in my garage. This is why I am trying this experiment. Next fall I will probably build an insulated, warmed night box (unless I have miraculous success with this).


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## Millerlite (Oct 22, 2016)

Morob7 said:


> The sun hits it between 9:30 and 11:30 and seems to warm it up nicely. Right now at 10:45 it is 74 degrees (F). I did not have a chance yesterday to improve the wind resistance in some areas. It should help to allow them to stay outside on some days, but I need to do some work to see how effective it can be. Our low last night was not very low (62F). Now that they have a nice enclosure, I hate to take them out and keep them in my garage. This is why I am trying this experiment. Next fall I will probably build an insulated, warmed night box (unless I have miraculous success with this).



My guys stay out year around. I have a heat box for them. But some of them dont even use it. I've had them out all the way down to the 40s and they do fine. Mine are black mts they are more cool tolerant Then the browns. They do have the option to go into the heat hide but as long as there is sun in the am the cool nights never really effected them. 

Kyle


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## Morob7 (Oct 22, 2016)

How large are yours? Mine are 2 yrs old and about 7 inches+. I expect they would be more cold tolerant as they get larger. I sealed up some vulnerable areas today and put Velcro on the door area to prevent the plastic from separating. I just got in the enclosure and it feels much warmer and more humid inside. At the very least, this will reduce the amount of time that they need to be moved into the garage in their old 75 gallon tub.



It is really nice inside. I think I may put a chair in there for some peace and quiet time. At 3:00 pm 71.4F and 65% humidity. Filtered afternoon light. Tortoises in their hide....go figure.


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## Millerlite (Oct 22, 2016)

Morob7 said:


> How large are yours? Mine are 2 yrs old and about 7 inches+. I expect they would be more cold tolerant as they get larger. I sealed up some vulnerable areas today and put Velcro on the door area to prevent the plastic from separating. I just got in the enclosure and it feels much warmer and more humid inside. At the very least, this will reduce the amount of time that they need to be moved into the garage in their old 75 gallon tub.
> View attachment 190182
> View attachment 190183
> 
> It is really nice inside. I think I may put a chair in there for some peace and quiet time. At 3:00 pm 71.4F and 65% humidity. Filtered afternoon light. Tortoises in their hide....go figure.


My guys all range from 7.5inches to almost 12 inches. I live in southern California so our weather's not bad really. Just cool.nights in the winter. They are active even as low as 60-65 degrees. They are most active when its cooler days . when it's too hot they hide. 

Kyle


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## Anyfoot (Oct 22, 2016)

Excellent job, I love it.


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## Morob7 (Oct 22, 2016)

Anyfoot said:


> Excellent job, I love it.


Thank you. They have a nicer yard than I do. It's been one of those projects that seems like it goes on forever but gives a great sense of accomplishment once it's done.


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## Morob7 (Dec 29, 2016)

Enclosure update: I am 100% satisfied with how this enclosure has worked out. I had a couple of concerns at first including water pooling on top, inability to keep temperature warm enough and inability to keep humidity high enough. None of these concerns have materialized. 


I hung a milk house heater from the top and plugged it in to a temperature triggered outlet designed for soil warmers (probe can be placed anywhere desired). This has reliably kept the enclosure warm (temp set to 70F). In addition, since the the cooler air will be near the ground, I installed a wire, soil warming cable in their main hide that keeps the soil at 75-80F. The tortoise have remained active with a decrease in activity only on the coldest days. 
Rain has not been a problem at all and the pond has helped to keep the humidity up, along with condensation that collects on the plastic. It is very low maintenance. I feed the tortoises, water plants every few days, occasionally clean out the hide and that is it. It was a lot of work but will definitely pay off.


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## MichaelaW (Dec 29, 2016)

Millerlite said:


> My guys all range from 7.5inches to almost 12 inches. I live in southern California so our weather's not bad really. Just cool.nights in the winter. They are active even as low as 60-65 degrees. They are most active when its cooler days . when it's too hot they hide.
> 
> Kyle


My group of browns stay out in the low fifties with no issues. I have three yearlings and a two year old, but they are very large for their age.


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## Morob7 (Dec 29, 2016)

Our temperatures dip into the thirties with a freeze once or more per year. I thought I would have to bring them into my garage, but this set-up has allowed them to stay in the outdoor enclosure. It appears that they will be able to use the outdoor enclosure year round without being locked in a box (which I thought would be my next project). I like that the mountain tortoises can tolerate temps that might be too cold for other species. These guys still have a healthy appetite when temps in the enclosure near the ground are in the 60s.


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## Consultant (Jan 1, 2017)

I really love the set up you have and am thinking about doing a more temporary setup of this kind for the summer months for my RF tortoise. I have a question though, as brown mountain tortoises get quite large, what are you going to do when they become adults?


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## Morob7 (Jan 1, 2017)

I have a garden around the corner of the house that I will likely use to expand the available area as they grow. When they are fully grown, I may have to re-evaluate my setup. I may let them roam the yard during the day. I have designed the enclosure so that I can create a doorway on either side in order to have options.


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## Morob7 (Jun 15, 2017)

Enclosure update. Plants and tortoises made it through the winter fine. Plants have taken off this spring. My miniature Banana that was supposed to max out at 2-3 feet is trying to bust through the roof. A lot more shade now. The tortoises are going to be three in August/September sometime and their appetites have increased dramatically this year. They have been nibbling on calocasia and alocasia leaves when they get too close to the ground if I don't have food available.


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## Pearly (Jun 15, 2017)

Morob7 said:


> Enclosure update. Plants and tortoises made it through the winter fine. Plants have taken off this spring. My miniature Banana that was supposed to max out at 2-3 feet is trying to bust through the roof. A lot more shade now. The tortoises are going to be three in August/September sometime and their appetites have increased dramatically this year. They have been nibbling on calocasia and alocasia leaves when they get too close to the ground if I don't have food available.
> View attachment 210358
> 
> 
> ...


Your enclosure is... WOW!!!!!!!! Just WOW! Love the plants and pond!


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## Morob7 (Jun 15, 2017)

Pearly said:


> Your enclosure is... WOW!!!!!!!! Just WOW! Love the plants and pond!


Thank you! I really am pleased with the way it came out. Very low maintenance.


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## MichaelaW (Jun 15, 2017)

I'm in shock. The perfect example of thoughtful tortoise keeping.


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## Morob7 (Jun 16, 2017)

MichaelaW said:


> I'm in shock. The perfect example of thoughtful tortoise keeping.


Thank you! I spent a lot of time planning with the goal to get as close as possible to their natural habitat using the resources available.


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## MichaelaW (Jun 16, 2017)

Where did you buy all the plants? Did they start out as those tiny things from Lowe's? I think I am going to start building something just like that for my four emys. The 3 year old is almost 12 inches and they are only browns.


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## Morob7 (Jun 16, 2017)

MichaelaW said:


> Where did you buy all the plants? Did they start out as those tiny things from Lowe's? I think I am going to start building something just like that for my four emys. The 3 year old is almost 12 inches and they are only browns.


I bought some from Home Depot, lowes and a local garden center. I also ordered the banana and fancy colocasia subspecies from online nurseries. This spring I grabbed a bag of generic colocasia bulbs and planted them. I clip leaves from them use these as a food source.

What are you feeding them? That sounds very big. Of course mine have voracious appetites right now. They will probably be growing a lot this summer. I need to weigh them and see how fast they're growing.


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## MichaelaW (Jun 16, 2017)

Morob7 said:


> I bought some from Home Depot, lowes and a local garden center. I also ordered the banana and fancy colocasia subspecies from online nurseries. This spring I grabbed a bag of generic colocasia bulbs and planted them. I clip leaves from them use these as a food source.
> 
> What are you feeding them? That sounds very big. Of course mine have voracious appetites right now. They will probably be growing a lot this summer. I need to weigh them and see how fast they're growing.


Did you let them grow out to get rid of the fertilizer before planting adding the tortoises to the enclosure? I wonder how colocasia would do in this heat. It was 102 today.

I feed them my own homegrown collards, squash, squash leaves, mustard greens, cactus, and also celery greens. They get fruit every so often. Twice a month they get high-quality, low fat, all natural, limited ingredient, chicken-based dry dog food. As youngsters they would housed in a greenhouse with a fogger and now they live outdoors here in deep south Texas where the tropical climate is perfect for these Asian species. Between the diet and climate, they have shown amazing growth.


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## Morob7 (Jun 16, 2017)

I kept the plants protected from them and they really didn't show any interest in the plants until recently (after 6 months in the ground). They were used to eating what I gave them to eat, but this spring their appetites have taken over and if I don't feed them enough, they will look for low hanging leaves to munch on. They are still picky and prefer to eat the leaf and leave the stem behind. I have a shade cloth over the enclosure to cut the sun intensity and the plants really do well with it. Sounds like it is a little hotter there than here in New Orleans, but the hot humid climate is why I went with mountain tortoises. I feed mine mushrooms (their favorite), collard greens, kale, romaine, baby spring mix, squash, calocasia leaves and sweet potatoes with a weekly serving of Mazuri with added calcium and vitamins.


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## theguy67 (Jun 21, 2017)

Awesome. I always enjoy seeing people incorporate lush plants and water features with their tortoises.


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## Angie C. (Nov 16, 2017)

Love your enclosure. Would like to know what plants you out to grow in there.


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## Morob7 (Nov 22, 2017)

Most of the plants belong to the group Colocasia or alocasia which are commonly known as elephant ears and philodendron. These are not recommended plants for most tortoises as they contain high levels of calcium oxalate. However, these are part of the normal diet in the wild for Burmese mountain tortoises. In addition, there is a dwarf banana, zingiber ginger species, zebra plant, croton and Boston fern.


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