Can you guess what this is?

[ColleenT]

This is going to be the turtle pen this weekend! Backhoe is coming friday, so we can dig a hibernaculum in the turtle pen.

i am so excited. I have a couple logs, one is a half log, i can use as a top to a den, and another log os hollow and both can fit inside.

I have been growing some dutch clover and some ornamental fescue grasses in seed starter kits. We grow strawberries so i will transplant a few into the turtle pen.

 

[KaylaSmith]

Exciting!!

 

[ColleenT]

the backhoe is here.

 

[wellington]

Woohoo new digs for the Boxies

 

[ColleenT]

today we got the posts up even tho it was raining. I have 5 dogs and i don't trust them with the turtles so we will be making the sides 3 feet tall. once the sides are up and level, we will cut the extra height off the posts. i had no idea this project was going to be so involved. my poor husband! Tomorrow or later today we can start putting the wood onto the posts and maybe even fill the dirt back in.

 

[ColleenT]

Hibernaculum not even close to being full.

Spike wants to get in. Walls will be at least 3 ft tall to keep dogs out.

hubby adding another board.

 

[bouaboua]

I think is the excitement........Sure is exciting to see another outdoor enclosure coming up.

More picture please.

 

[mark1]

it looks great ..... if you find the solid sides block too much sun , you could try fencing from about the 2nd board up ..... if you nail an inner board around the perimeter , box turtles are not real good climbers and would never be able to navigate an overhang .....

 

[ColleenT]

We are still trying to decide if we will keep the posts and add a frame to put hardward cloth over the enclosure, or if we will cut off the posts and make a few sections of a lid. We have to do whatever works best in our situation, so still thinking. The sun will be fine, it hits the back half of the enclosure. With my Terriers, i have to make sure they don't even think something is alive in there or they will hunt it forever. that is why we did not use screen.

 

[bouaboua]

Looks like Things are coming along very well.

I will go with a lid. Does PA get cold during the winter? Closed lid will keep them warm. Unless you will keep them indoor in winter.

 

[ColleenT]

we are not doing a closed lid. It will be screen ( hardware cloth) amd a wood frame OR it will be screen (hardware cloth) above the enclosure in a frame. These turtles don't need a heated enclosure, they will live outside all year. we created a hibernaculum so they can safely hibernate. above the hibernaculum we will make a den so they can go in and out whenever they want and the den will keep the wind off them.

 

[KaylaSmith]

Wow!! Looks great!!

 

[mark1]

I can relate to that ,I have 5 dogs too ...... I do have to lock them out that part of yard when i'm not home ...... I will be redoing all three pens this year , and I will go with livestock fence ,or chainlink ......... I like the dogs in there at night , I lost 2 wood turtle hatchlings on 2 consecutive nights , I left the gates open to that part of the yard for the dogs on the 3rd night and the dogs got a raccoon ,and I lost no more turtles ......

 

[ColleenT]

my dogs are hunters so I cannot trust them with the turtles. We are probably going to frame the top area and cover with hardware cloth screen. that way, squirrels and raccoons will be unable to get in. I have added 8 bags of organic top soil, 1 bag and 1 bale of spaghnum peat moss, a wheelbarrow of leaf litter, and some of the original clay/dirt to the hibernaculum, and i have gone in there and stomped it down. I still need more soil/peatmoss. Amazing how much a 3 foot cubic hole needs to fill up. i also want to get more stepping stones so i can walk in there.

 

[ColleenT]

i have finished spreading the dirt. I am SOO glad it did not need anymore soil, as i was getting tired of picking up all those bags. I would plant it, but we are still getting temps below freezing until next week or so. I also have a lot of stuff to put in there, but first we have decided to screen the outside and over our heads. Have to get a bunch of Hardware cloth to do this, and make sure to hook it together so squirrels canot get in. We don't usually have raccoons in our fenced yard, but you never know. better to be safe than sorry. Once we screen it, then i can start planting and setting it up in there.

 

[ColleenT]

here are some pics of the completed project. I am waiting for plants to grow and spread, and i do need to buy more plants. but otherwise it is safe for them. they spent some time outside today. window swings open so i can dump water tub.

 

[Rue]

Love what you've done with the pool!

 

[ColleenT]

thanks. Rubber pavers at Lowes for around the Large cat litter box. LOL

 

[Eric Phillips]

Looks good!

 

[Cheryl Hills]

Enclosure sure looks great. Your turtles will love this. I still have to build mine, but will be starting real soon. I am still recovering from two surgerys.