Cinder Blocks and shell damage anyone?

[thea lester]

I'm building a new box turtle enclosure with cinder block sides (2 blocks high). But today I noticed that my turtles shells are getting slightly abraded by the cinder block hides/steppingstones I have in their current enclosure. I'm afraid when I move them in to the new digs their sides will get all scraped up as they check out the new perimeter of the space. I don't know... maybe I'm just being overprotective. I guess I'm really concerned because we had some African Sidenecks at a Zoo I was volunteering at and their shells were getting all abraded, in some cases, down through the scute and acrylic patches had to be applied.
I'm going to remove the blocks they use as hides and find some more logs, pots etc.
Thanks folks,
Thea

 

[ScottishFish]

I havent experienced this myself however I have read about it. Im sure a quick solution was to put a wood strip on the interior perimeter of the cinder blocks. This stopped the torts shell even coming into contact with the rough cinder.


'Or like the snow falls in the river,
A moment white, then melts forever'
~Robert Burns - Tam O' Shanter

0.0.1 Testudo hermanni boettgeri

 

[mike taylor]

Try some plywood inside the blocks. You can also use land scape timbers as the walls

 

[BeeBee*BeeLeaves]

Like others said, for now something that will prevent. Maybe plastic garden edging? But I have a good idea for later, if they are cinder blocks you can add dirt and plant in. I put plugs of St Augustine grass and it will grow up and over the block, pretty quickly in So Cal and you are in NO so probably faster for you. It will be a food source if box turtles like that sort of thing, but best part is it will eventually cover the block and help prevent the abrasion. I did this on one end of my area. I planted other things in the other blocks, like nasturtiums, geraniums ... anything that my 2 greeks may eat that grows up and over - and then some upright stuff to, like dandelions and chicory and a type of weed per pocket. I have not tried other grasses but the St A has runners that do runneth over. I guess you could also do Bermuda since it is a runner type. Putting those cinder block pockets to work is a good way to green them up, soften the lines so the area looks more natural and hopefully hide the blocks enough to prevent some of the scratches.