Outdoor enclosure for Russian Tortoise

FreddieTheTort

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Jan 14, 2019
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Minnesota
Hi! It is becoming warmer outside and I want to know the best way to build an outdoor enclosure for little Freddie. Anything I can add like plants or weeds? Thanks in advance!
 

Jodie

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I like butterfly bushes, hostas, grapes, nasturtium, pumpkin, or squash... I plant dandelions, mallow, thistles, chicory, and plantain too.
You want to make sure the sides are high enough, and cannot be climbed. It is a good idea to cap the corners. Keep plants, and stuff away from the edges. I have found that lining the inside edges of my barrier with paving stones, prevents digging underneath the wall, if that makes sense. They like to go up against something, and dig.
 

FreddieTheTort

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Jan 14, 2019
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Location (City and/or State)
Minnesota
I like butterfly bushes, hostas, grapes, nasturtium, pumpkin, or squash... I plant dandelions, mallow, thistles, chicory, and plantain too.
You want to make sure the sides are high enough, and cannot be climbed. It is a good idea to cap the corners. Keep plants, and stuff away from the edges. I have found that lining the inside edges of my barrier with paving stones, prevents digging underneath the wall, if that makes sense. They like to go up against something, and dig.
Should I just leave the ground how it is or should I put some sort of substrate?
 

Jodie

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Should I just leave the ground how it is or should I put some sort of substrate?
What is the ground? They will eat gravel sometimes, causing impactation problems, so if it is small rocks, I would remove that, and put in dirt. If it is just clay, or something else that you cannot plant, I would add topsoil for planting purposes. If it is a nice grassy area, you should be fine. You will want to add areas of pavers, or something that will be bare, for basking purposes. You will also want to monitor the temps in the enclosure to ensure he can get warmed up, but can also get out of the heat. Including an underground hide is beneficial, if it will get too hot at times. Big shade plants are also a good idea.
 

FreddieTheTort

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Jan 14, 2019
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Location (City and/or State)
Minnesota
What is the ground? They will eat gravel sometimes, causing impactation problems, so if it is small rocks, I would remove that, and put in dirt. If it is just clay, or something else that you cannot plant, I would add topsoil for planting purposes. If it is a nice grassy area, you should be fine. You will want to add areas of pavers, or something that will be bare, for basking purposes. You will also want to monitor the temps in the enclosure to ensure he can get warmed up, but can also get out of the heat. Including an underground hide is beneficial, if it will get too hot at times. Big shade plants are also a good idea.
It is just a regular grassy backyard so there shouldn't be too many small rocks. I'll do some more research on outdoor enclosures to find out what works best for me. You have been very helpful!
 

Jodie

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Spokane Valley WA
Glad it helped! As you get going, you can post pics here, and I or someone else can provide tips and tricks to tweak it.
 
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