Where can I find a good tortoise hut?

sulcata_love · Jul 23, 2015

Hey! I was wondering if anybody knew where to get a tortoise hideout like the ones pictured for a hatchling. I like that they have a door that they can be closed at night to get them used to going inside at night.

Credit: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/herman-esmes-new-outdoor-enclosure.14622/

Credit: http://petdiys.com/dog-crate-tortoise-enclosure/

DrewsLife727 · Jul 23, 2015

Will this be for an outdoor enclosure or indoor?

sulcata_love · Jul 23, 2015

DrewsLife727 said:
Will this be for an outdoor enclosure or indoor?

First it will be inside, but as the sulcata I plan to get grows, as long as it'll fit him, it'll move outside with him.

Tom · Jul 23, 2015

Dog houses are not designed for tortoises and generally don't work well. I build my own:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/another-night-box-thread.88966/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/my-best-night-box-design-yet.66867/

sulcata_love · Jul 23, 2015

Tom said:
Dog houses are not designed for tortoises and generally don't work well.

What about when they're just a small hatchling? Is there a hideaway that can be bought before they get too big and need one to be made?

Tom · Jul 23, 2015

I use black dishwashing tubs from Walmart. $1.82.

Flip it upside down, cut out a door hole with some heavy duty scissors and you are good to go. You can pile some plywood and stuff on top to keep it cooler outside, but watch the temps carefully. Inside I put a brick on top to keep the larger tortoises from moving them around.

kameya · Jul 24, 2015

Or you can try cinder block...easy and simple...and you can modify it anytime as your tortoise grows....

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread...ter-designs-for-little-young-tortoises.70362/

Koya the found red-footed · Apr 11, 2023

Tom said:
Dog houses are not designed for tortoises and generally don't work well. I build my own:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/another-night-box-thread.88966/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/my-best-night-box-design-yet.66867/

Hi! I came to this forum because I am looking for a good outdoor hideout for my red-footed tortoise, I have not been able to find anything that would fit her and I was thinking about a doghouse. Would you, please, explain what it would not work? I have not bought anything yet, I am researching a bit. My girl is about 10 inches long and 6 or 7 inches wide, I have not found any comercial tortoise hideouts for her size.
Thank you!

Tom · Apr 11, 2023

Koya the found red-footed said:
Hi! I came to this forum because I am looking for a good outdoor hideout for my red-footed tortoise, I have not been able to find anything that would fit her and I was thinking about a doghouse. Would you, please, explain what it would not work? I have not bought anything yet, I am researching a bit. My girl is about 10 inches long and 6 or 7 inches wide, I have not found any comercial tortoise hideouts for her size.
Thank you!

There are no commercial ones. You have to make your own or have one made.

Dog houses don't work because they are designed for dogs, not tortoises. The doors are much too large and too tall, which lets heat in on a hot summer day, and lets heat out on a cold winter night. They are too tall inside, and they are not insulated which means they are difficult to heat. Some people buy one and then spend lots of time and money retro-fitting them. It never works well, and after all that trouble and expense, you'd be better off building from scratch.

In your climate, there are so few cold nights in a year, you might be able to get away with a plastic dog house, but you'd have to reduce the door size and hand a radiant heat panel up top with a Kane mat on bottom, both run on the same thermostat. It won't be ideal, but it will help your tortoise survive during those rare winter cold spells when temps dip below the 70s.

Koya the found red-footed · Apr 11, 2023

Tom said:
There are no commercial ones. You have to make your own or have one made.

Dog houses don't work because they are designed for dogs, not tortoises. The doors are much too large and too tall, which lets heat in on a hot summer day, and lets heat out on a cold winter night. They are too tall inside, and they are not insulated which means they are difficult to heat. Some people buy one and then spend lots of time and money retro-fitting them. It never works well, and after all that trouble and expense, you'd be better off building from scratch.

In your climate, there are so few cold nights in a year, you might be able to get away with a plastic dog house, but you'd have to reduce the door size and hand a radiant heat panel up top with a Kane mat on bottom, both run on the same thermostat. It won't be ideal, but it will help your tortoise survive during those rare winter cold spells when temps dip below the 70s.

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply. I have my reservations with plastic because of the weather here. The cold is not a concern, I have an indoor terrarium for her inside the house with a heat mat that I use when the weather gets cold like twice a year, I do not leave her outside when it actually gets cold, she lives mostly outside but I put her inside whenever there is cold or heavy rain. My concern with plastic is precisely the heat, I think a plastic tub would get too hot (wouldn't it??), that is why I was looking for something wooden. She has several plants in her enclosure to make it cooler but the heat here is no joke, I'm not sure about plastic. I found a cat house that is actually "multipurpose" advertised for rabbits, guinea pigs, cats, hens, etc. it is supposed to be insulated, but I'm not sure about the door size because of what you mention.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B1J69RQY/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

Tom · Apr 11, 2023

Koya the found red-footed said:
Thank you so much for taking the time to reply. I have my reservations with plastic because of the weather here. The cold is not a concern, I have an indoor terrarium for her inside the house with a heat mat that I use when the weather gets cold like twice a year, I do not leave her outside when it actually gets cold, she lives mostly outside but I put her inside whenever there is cold or heavy rain. My concern with plastic is precisely the heat, I think a plastic tub would get too hot (wouldn't it??), that is why I was looking for something wooden. She has several plants in her enclosure to make it cooler but the heat here is no joke, I'm not sure about plastic. I found a cat house that is actually "multipurpose" advertised for rabbits, guinea pigs, cats, hens, etc. it is supposed to be insulated, but I'm not sure about the door size because of what you mention.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B1J69RQY/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

I was thinking the opposite. Wood will rot and decompose very quickly in your hot humid environment, while plastic will last forever. Either structure should be in the shade, so I don't see how plastic would be any hotter than wood. The plastic dog houses are made in such away that their insulation properties are pretty good. Good enough for a warm climate like yours, anyway.

Where can I find a good tortoise hut?

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