HELP (home's hingeback tortoise) care

[hingeback]

Do s search on here on. 'Candling eggs). At it will explain what to look for. I've never had a fertile egg, so its newcto me. You won't be able to tell until about 2 wks into incubation I think.
How is your outdoor enclosure coming on?

I am still working on the outdoor enclosure, but every day I bring her out for an hour or so. She is at the top left corner with the dead leaves.

 

[Anyfoot]

I am still working on the outdoor enclosure, but every day I bring her out for an hour or so. She is at the top left corner with the dead leaves.
View attachment 156557

Looking good.

So you have screened your fence.
You need a lot more plant life, don't plant anything with a foot/300mm of the wall, and you are going to need a lip on the wall so she can't climb out.

 

[hingeback]

Looking good.

So you have screened your fence.
You need a lot more plant life, don't plant anything with a foot/300mm of the wall, and you are going to need a lip on the wall so she can't climb out.

She can't climb the fence, but she can climb the screen mesh.

 

[Anyfoot]

She can't climb the fence, but she can climb the screen mesh.

When you say climb. Do you mean climb over the screen or just stand on her hind legs upto it. It's hard to tell the scale of your enclosure. But that screen looks twice as high as the wall.

 

[Anyfoot]

She can't climb the fence, but she can climb the screen mesh.

This is something like what Jacqui said about a lip on your wall so she can't climb out.

 

[Anyfoot]

She can't climb the fence, but she can climb the screen mesh.

What is that screen made of. I can't tell on the photo. It really should have been something she couldn't see through. But what is done is done
You need to provide cover so she will feel secure and can hide.

 

[hingeback]

When you say climb. Do you mean climb over the screen or just stand on her hind legs upto it. It's hard to tell the scale of your enclosure. But that screen looks twice as high as the wall.

She could climb up the screen mesh but could not climb out yet

 

[hingeback]

What is that screen made of. I can't tell on the photo. It really should have been something she couldn't see through. But what is done is done
You need to provide cover so she will feel secure and can hide.

The screen is the normal mesh

 

[Anyfoot]

The screen is the normal mesh

So its mesh that she can get her nails into and pull herself up.
I've asked this before, but can you measure it please. How high from the substrate is your wall.

 

[hingeback]

So its mesh that she can get her nails into and pull herself up.
I've asked this before, but can you measure it please. How high from the substrate is your wall.

33cm for the fence, 62 cm for the screen

 

[Anyfoot]

33cm for the fence, 62 cm for the screen

Right so your fence/wall is 33cm/13". This needs a lip on it. Ideally it could do with being higher too.
The mesh won't work because your tort can climb it, over time it will also rip it. I would use some bamboo screen for that at least 50cm/18" high so she can't see out of it.
If your tort can see out it will want out.
If you plant anything too close to the enclosure wall/fence it will use that plant to climb out, and don't forget your plants will grow. So that plant in bottom left will eventually be big enough for your tort to use as an escape route.
You have quite a large area and your climate looks to be good for this species. If you do it right you could have a really good thing here.

 

[Jacqui]

Wow nothing like getting a new hingeback and getting eggs right away. My best hatch rate was with the eggs left buried in the adult's enclosure, so I am no good with advise.

 

[hingeback]

Wow nothing like getting a new hingeback and getting eggs right away. My best hatch rate was with the eggs left buried in the adult's enclosure, so I am no good with advise.

For the first egg I may have accidentally disturb it when it is digging. After that she just laid it outside. For the second one she just laid without digging.

 

[Jacqui]

It's ok, your learning. Should not have hurt the egg any.

 

[hingeback]

Right so your fence/wall is 33cm/13". This needs a lip on it. Ideally it could do with being higher too.
The mesh won't work because your tort can climb it, over time it will also rip it. I would use some bamboo screen for that at least 50cm/18" high so she can't see out of it.
If your tort can see out it will want out.
If you plant anything too close to the enclosure wall/fence it will use that plant to climb out, and don't forget your plants will grow. So that plant in bottom left will eventually be big enough for your tort to use as an escape route.
You have quite a large area and your climate looks to be good for this species. If you do it right you could have a really good thing here.

Is it okay if I put something in the middle of the fence and the screen so she can't see through?

 

[Anyfoot]

Is it okay if I put something in the middle of the fence and the screen so she can't see through?View attachment 156635

It will help with the urge of it wanting to escape for now. Your going to have to keep an eye on her though. I would plan for putting something more solid there in the future.

 

[hingeback]

It will help with the urge of it wanting to escape for now. Your going to have to keep an eye on her though. I would plan for putting something more solid there in the future.

The sheet was an example only. I would be putting something more solid

 

[hingeback]

It will help with the urge of it wanting to escape for now. Your going to have to keep an eye on her though. I would plan for putting something more solid there in the future.

So I could put a more solid thing at the middle of the mesh and the fence?

 

[Anyfoot]

So I could put a more solid thing at the middle of the mesh and the fence?

I you put a solid screen up so she can't get out of the fence then you won't need the mesh. The mesh is helping her to get a foot hold.

 

[hingeback]

The lips are in.