First Summer Enclosure for Sulcata Plans

So Atlas (formerly Celeste before HE showed me his true self haha) is starting to get huge, and it is almost time to move out.
He is 6lbs now, around 10 inches long, and an absolute beast. He digs, he moves his furniture around, and he takes poops bigger than my 5 lb dogs... because he is bigger than my 5 lb dog.
His shell is nice and mostly smooth since I adopted him, he's got a good balanced diet of grasses and hays, mazuri, weeds from my yard, leaves from various trees in my yard, and some greens. He is very happy seeming.
Here in MD we just had our first 90 degree days of the summer, and while I plan to wait a few weeks at least to ensure the cold days don't return, I think it is time to get him outside.

My current plan is to lay down sheets of vinyl coated hardware cloth under a 12-18 inch pit ideally so he can dig, and tack them down, and run wood up the sides of the pit and 18 inches above the ground and a ledge around the top edge to prevent climbing. There will be no cover over the top, and i don't think he will need one. He is so big, and no predators in my area could really do anything.
I will provide a small night box to lock him up. The only thing I think could possibly get at him is a large fox. I haven't seen one in years but I am sure they are around.
I believe that will keep him secure, but i purchased a small tracker just in case, and am looking into ways to attach it safely to his shell in the event he does get out.
As far as providing everything else, I'll probably plant banana trees to provide the deep shade he'll need, they grow in dense clumps and he'll be able to snack on any low hanging leaves, but he won't be able to damage the trees at this age. I'll use the same xl water dish from Reptile Kages he uses now, as it works great and is very easy to clean. He'll have lots of sun if he wants, and areas to escape it, rocks to climb over or around, slate to walk or bask on, basically everything he has now but larger and outdoors.

Is this a solid plan?
Construction starts on his shed later this year. I don't know if it will be ready for winter so he may need to move inside again temporarily, but we will see.
Going to work on it this weekend and start planning more/gathering supplies.

Attaching a picture from a while ago when he was only 4 lbs.

You don't need to dig down and bury wire at all. If the tortoise digs at all, it will be one tunnel. They won't dig down and then back up at a different angle. You can discourage digging when it starts by removing them from the area, and covering that area for a while with an old tire, or half a sheet of plywood, or something like this.

He's too big now to be inside, and he'll be bigger by the end of summer. I'd get crackin' on that shed and get it well insulated. Very well insulated.

Don't make a small night house. Make a 4x4x2. If you make a small one, it won't work well, it won't work for very long, and you will be making another one in a few months. Ask me how I know this... Also, lumber comes in 8 foot lengths, or 4x8 foot sheets for the plywood and insulation. It just makes sense to make your box based on those sizes and not cut off and waste the extra.

Tom said:

You don't need to dig down and bury wire at all. If the tortoise digs at all, it will be one tunnel. They won't dig down and then back up at a different angle. You can discourage digging when it starts by removing them from the area, and covering that area for a while with an old tire, or half a sheet of plywood, or something like this.

He's too big now to be inside, and he'll be bigger by the end of summer. I'd get crackin' on that shed and get it well insulated. Very well insulated.

Don't make a small night house. Make a 4x4x2. If you make a small one, it won't work well, it won't work for very long, and you will be making another one in a few months. Ask me how I know this... Also, lumber comes in 8 foot lengths, or 4x8 foot sheets for the plywood and insulation. It just makes sense to make your box based on those sizes and not cut off and waste the extra.

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Awesome, thanks so much.
I'll be moving him into an old raised garden bed. The shed should be completed by the end of summer, because he will definitely be too big by then, I'm already pushing it now.

Nellie Rose said:

Awesome, thanks so much.
I'll be moving him into an old raised garden bed. The shed should be completed by the end of summer, because he will definitely be too big by then, I'm already pushing it now.

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Feel free to check out the outdoor section here for lots of landscaping ideas

Littleredfootbigredheart said:

Feel free to check out the outdoor section here for lots of landscaping ideas

Enclosure inspiration

Howdy folks! Hope everyone is well! As you all know, I’m a big fan of making threads that cater more towards visual learners like myself, I’ve really been wanting to create a thread full of adult enclosure inspiration for a while now, I’ve managed to find some great references over time! I do...

tortoiseforum.org

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Oh I have! I'm really happy he is finally big enough to go outside! Just waiting until the weather is consistently over 80F.

Nellie Rose said:

Oh I have! I'm really happy he is finally big enough to go outside! Just waiting until the weather is consistently over 80F.

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Can’t wait to see his space! Would love to see pics once it’s done!

Littleredfootbigredheart said:

Can’t wait to see his space! Would love to see pics once it’s done!

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Definitely will!

Littleredfootbigredheart said:

Can’t wait to see his space! Would love to see pics once it’s done!

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Although I will say, it's not going to be anything fancy. It's temporary until the shed is finished, which should be end of summer.
The shed would have been completed last year if not for some unexpected financial and family happenings, but I'm glad it's finally getting done now!!!

Nellie Rose said:

Although I will say, it's not going to be anything fancy. It's temporary until the shed is finished, which should be end of summer.
The shed would have been completed last year if not for some unexpected financial and family happenings, but I'm glad it's finally getting done now!!!

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Exciting endeavour either way

Hello again! It finally got consistently warm enough outside to move Atlas today.
I ended up using an old wooden garden bed I built, it is around 8×8ft give or take a foot. I decided to just save the materials and money i would invest here, and put it towards his final build with his large shed and yard.
This should work fine for now.

He is on soil, I planted some clover I'm sure he will destroy promptly and a few small pepper plants I had leftover from last year's garden.
I've got a large piece of slate serving as the roof to his hide, it is resting on large concrete bricks to prevent him from digging it out and having it fall in him. He's got his same water dish from Reptile Kages, I am hoping to get a larger one soon although he is still able to fully soak in this one. I threw in a piece of driftwood to give him an obstacle.
Initially I planned to only cap the corners, but after putting him in the box I realized I don't trust him, so I added ledges around the entire box. I added some extra slats I can remove at will for shade, and can reposition if needed.
His night box is a large, heavy duty plastic tote with lots of holes drilled in for ventilation. My main concerns were raccoons or Foxes trying to nibble his legs and pry open his shell. It's more than enough to keep them out.

Here are pictures, please keep in mind it is very temporary and new. If there is anything else I should add please advise. I am thinking about planting a medium banana tree to one side since they grow well during the summer and it would be too big for him to plow over, and create some nice shade.
I took these before I finished putting additional boards on the right side of the enclosure, there is now a ledge nailed down so he can't climb out and another board for shade.
Is this enough shade for him? I am going to build him a wooden hide to partially burry on the other side of the enclosure so he has options, I just haven't gotten around to it yet. The wooden slats on each side of the enclosure provide shade, and I can move and reposition them if needed. I tried to position them so they provide deep shade no matter what time of day.
Here are also some pictures of him sunning himself in my yard this evening, he seemed to really like the outdoors, although initially he was shy. I realized today this was his first time in his life going outside, since last summer he was still so small.

Nellie Rose said:

Hello again! It finally got consistently warm enough outside to move Atlas today.
I ended up using an old wooden garden bed I built, it is around 8×8ft give or take a foot. I decided to just save the materials and money i would invest here, and put it towards his final build with his large shed and yard.
This should work fine for now.

He is on soil, I planted some clover I'm sure he will destroy promptly and a few small pepper plants I had leftover from last year's garden.
I've got a large piece of slate serving as the roof to his hide, it is resting on large concrete bricks to prevent him from digging it out and having it fall in him. He's got his same water dish from Reptile Kages, I am hoping to get a larger one soon although he is still able to fully soak in this one. I threw in a piece of driftwood to give him an obstacle.
Initially I planned to only cap the corners, but after putting him in the box I realized I don't trust him, so I added ledges around the entire box. I added some extra slats I can remove at will for shade, and can reposition if needed.
His night box is a large, heavy duty plastic tote with lots of holes drilled in for ventilation. My main concerns were raccoons or Foxes trying to nibble his legs and pry open his shell. It's more than enough to keep them out.

Here are pictures, please keep in mind it is very temporary and new. If there is anything else I should add please advise. I am thinking about planting a medium banana tree to one side since they grow well during the summer and it would be too big for him to plow over, and create some nice shade.
I took these before I finished putting additional boards on the right side of the enclosure, there is now a ledge nailed down so he can't climb out and another board for shade.
Is this enough shade for him? I am going to build him a wooden hide to partially burry on the other side of the enclosure so he has options, I just haven't gotten around to it yet. The wooden slats on each side of the enclosure provide shade, and I can move and reposition them if needed. I tried to position them so they provide deep shade no matter what time of day.
Here are also some pictures of him sunning himself in my yard this evening, he seemed to really like the outdoors, although initially he was shy. I realized today this was his first time in his life going outside, since last summer he was still so small.

View attachment 400359View attachment 400360View attachment 400361View attachment 400362View attachment 400363

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Aw thanks for the updates!

He’s so beautiful! Honestly you’ve done a great job raising him, gorgeous growth

I’m tempted to say start making plans for his final adult space as soon as you can, I think he’ll love the roaming room at his current sizeis there anyway to possibly expand this temporary space with a few more pieces of wood? there looks to be enough shade in this current spot
The heated shed is a good shout! Will be much better insulated, secure and you’ll be able to mount heating safely, I’d maybe make that first port of call so you can switch him out of the plastic tote at night. All in all great job tort mama!

Littleredfootbigredheart said:

Aw thanks for the updates!

He’s so beautiful! Honestly you’ve done a great job raising him, gorgeous growth

I’m tempted to say start making plans for his final adult space as soon as you can, I think he’ll love the roaming room at his current sizeis there anyway to possibly expand this temporary space with a few more pieces of wood? there looks to be enough shade in this current spot
The heated shed is a good shout! Will be much better insulated, secure and you’ll be able to mount heating safely, I’d maybe make that first port of call so you can switch him out of the plastic tote at night. All in all great job tort mama!

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That is the plan, it will be done by end of summer at the latest.
I'm in the middle of building my actual house on the property and that ended up taking more time than I intended due to county inspections.
It will be done by end of summer, I'm making sure of that, because I think he'll be close to 10 lbs by then.

I didn't expand this box because I am focusing my efforts on the final enclosure, which will be an entire yard. I plan to plant banana trees and shrubs for shade, and give him some pre-made tunnels to discourage excessive digging. He'll have a concrete pool with a filter so the water stays fresh, and access to his shed that will be temperature controlled year round.

I plan to build a locking cage top for this enclosure with hardware cloth to close at night, so he doesn't need to move back and forth from the bin, I just haven't had time so I figured getting him out and using the bin was better than waiting another 2 weeks for everything to be finished.
I am trying to prioritize giving him 1-2 hours a day to graze in the yard, which is untreated, so he has some extra time to stretch his legs. I know it's not ideal, I'll admit his explosive growth snuck up on me after the first couple years of slow growth. He's been gaining 1/2 lb or more a month for the last 6 months.

I did mean to include that I positioned his current burrow under the shade from the wood, so that he has that deep or "double" shade, I've been reading different posts here that have been very informative.

Here he is today. I am not home but my family has been keeping an eye on him and they say he seems happy, he has been sunning and digging and I need to pick up some orchard hay for him on the way home for more to graze on, he destroyed his mazuri this morning.

Nellie Rose said:

That is the plan, it will be done by end of summer at the latest.
I'm in the middle of building my actual house on the property and that ended up taking more time than I intended due to county inspections.
It will be done by end of summer, I'm making sure of that, because I think he'll be close to 10 lbs by then.

I didn't expand this box because I am focusing my efforts on the final enclosure, which will be an entire yard. I plan to plant banana trees and shrubs for shade, and give him some pre-made tunnels to discourage excessive digging. He'll have a concrete pool with a filter so the water stays fresh, and access to his shed that will be temperature controlled year round.

I plan to build a locking cage top for this enclosure with hardware cloth to close at night, so he doesn't need to move back and forth from the bin, I just haven't had time so I figured getting him out and using the bin was better than waiting another 2 weeks for everything to be finished.
I am trying to prioritize giving him 1-2 hours a day to graze in the yard, which is untreated, so he has some extra time to stretch his legs. I know it's not ideal, I'll admit his explosive growth snuck up on me after the first couple years of slow growth. He's been gaining 1/2 lb or more a month for the last 6 months.

I did mean to include that I positioned his current burrow under the shade from the wood, so that he has that deep or "double" shade, I've been reading different posts here that have been very informative.

Here he is today. I am not home but my family has been keeping an eye on him and they say he seems happy, he has been sunning and digging and I need to pick up some orchard hay for him on the way home for more to graze on, he destroyed his mazuri this morning.

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Some help, if I may:
1. The enclosure size in the picture is good for a 3-4 inch baby, but your tortoise needs something around 30x30 feet. Your whole yard idea sounds great. No need to waste time and resources on a lid for this one. He has already outgrown it.
2. Pre-made tunnels will encourage digging, not discourage it. Your tortoise will take what you start and then expand on it. Let the heated and insulated night box be the only surrogate "burrow". In the case of your shed, many people have reported success with having a warmer "night box" inside the shed. In your climate, digging is unlikely to be a problem. It doesn't get hot enough for long enough.
3. They always need a heated night box. They shouldn't be sleeping outside unprotected, and the temperature at night needs to stay above 80. An overnight "bin" is just not a good way to do it.
4. You don't need a lid once they are over about 5 inches in length. Birds and other predators won't mess with them during the day, and they should be locked in their night box over night to protect them from raccoons, rats, ants, etc...
5. Concrete pool sounds great, but filters don't work for this application. Either build a drain, or just broom it out and refill, as needed.

Hope this insight will save you a bunch of time and money! Questions are welcome.

Tom said:

Some help, if I may:
1. The enclosure size in the picture is good for a 3-4 inch baby, but your tortoise needs something around 30x30 feet. Your whole yard idea sounds great. No need to waste time and resources on a lid for this one. He has already outgrown it.
2. Pre-made tunnels will encourage digging, not discourage it. Your tortoise will take what you start and then expand on it. Let the heated and insulated night box be the only surrogate "burrow". In the case of your shed, many people have reported success with having a warmer "night box" inside the shed. In your climate, digging is unlikely to be a problem. It doesn't get hot enough for long enough.
3. They always need a heated night box. They shouldn't be sleeping outside unprotected, and the temperature at night needs to stay above 80. An overnight "bin" is just not a good way to do it.
4. You don't need a lid once they are over about 5 inches in length. Birds and other predators won't mess with them during the day, and they should be locked in their night box over night to protect them from raccoons, rats, ants, etc...
5. Concrete pool sounds great, but filters don't work for this application. Either build a drain, or just broom it out and refill, as needed.

Hope this insight will save you a bunch of time and money! Questions are welcome.

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Yeah, that's definitely the goal! It will hopefully be only a month or so before the yard is open, i already started clearing it of construction debris, but it needs some more work to make it tortoise proof. It is 108×50 ft and will serve as his roaming space during the day. I am just nervous because I feel like he is still too small, and if he gets out can get lost easily. I absolutely understand his current enclosure is too small, it is a very temporary solution.

It will be the end of summer when the full shed is ready, but plans are made and contractors have been scheduled, it just depends on when final inspection of the house is, hopefully the end of this month. I definitely underestimated how long inspections and permits would take and I am unable to move forward until that is done.

The bin is heated with a heating pad on the side hooked up to a thermostat to maintain at a minimum of 80 overnight and also prevent overheating, but it has been over 80 at night consistently without heat since he moved outside, i have wifi thermometers in there with him that track trends for monitoring. Thank you so much for the reminder though! Very important.

Will tunnels lined with corrugated tubing encourage burrowing? I thought i read that providing them so he has a place to go would help prevent it. What would you recommend as far as hides for him once he starts to get truly giant? Other than his shed of course.

As far as the pool, I thought a mini pond filter might work as long as i clean it very regularly, but I can see how that would clog quickly.
As far as a drain, what would you recommend as far as construction? Because I intended to just have it in the ground, so would the water just drain into the soil below? Are there any plans for pools i should look at somewhere?

Nellie Rose said:

Will tunnels lined with corrugated tubing encourage burrowing? I thought i read that providing them so he has a place to go would help prevent it. What would you recommend as far as hides for him once he starts to get truly giant? Other than his shed of course.

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In well over 1/2 of the northern parts of the US, burrows just do not work for sulcatas. The problem overlooked is ground temperatures. Where you live the ground temperature at just 8" deep right now is 69°. That is what you tortoise will be sitting on in a burrow with the flat plastron designed to absorb body heat from the ground. Too cold for a sulcata. It's insticts will tell it to use the burrow and the ground to moderate it's body heat - so it will always seek out a burrow for protection and heat moderation. It does not realize that it is now in a place where the temperature of the burrow and ground is way too low. It will sit there letting its organ cool, gut cool, metabolism slow and digestion slow and even stop. Only in July does the ground temperature in your area approach 75° at 8" deep. Even that is colder than I would suggest keeping a sulcata.

You need to provide a heated house as its burrow. Get it used to using the heat house every night where you can provide the heat its needs to truly thrive. Sulcatas will learn to use the house as their burrow. Do not allow it to stay in a burrow in the ground in your area.

Nellie Rose said:

As far as the pool, I thought a mini pond filter might work as long as i clean it very regularly, but I can see how that would clog quickly.
As far as a drain, what would you recommend as far as construction? Because I intended to just have it in the ground, so would the water just drain into the soil below? Are there any plans for pools i should look at somewhere?

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Here's a post I did about 6 years ago when I built a pool for my sulcatas. Since then i have build a few more much larger for my Galapagos and have found it the best way to provide a pool for a giant tortoise that is as easy to clean as possible. No filter will work! You need an easy way to drain it and change the water, I always build the pond up high enough to allow a bottom drain. I also run a fill line into the pond for easy refilling. It will get slippery with the natural growth that will occur on the sides and bottom, so the side need to be shallow and easy for the tortoise to walk in and out of.