Desert Tort & Sulcatta Tort?

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macdeezy

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OK! So after a full day of working and sawing wood (I actually got a lil bit better at it), cutting grass (I had the worst lawn mower ever, since my brother left his and took ours!). :( I built a 24ftX32ft enclosure for the CDT! My measuring was awesome, but I didnt exactly make the perimiter straight.... so one side is more like 36-38ft long! LOL! I just played it off to my fiance and said "I figured you would want a little gate to walk in through!" LOL! She totally bought it, and I was able to keep my masculinity! HAHA!
I wasn't able to get good pics cuz we went out for fast food once we were done, but tomorrow I will take some pics from our back deck!

My fiance was able to snap one pic on her phone, and as you can tell I still have tons of grass to cut when I get my mower back! She caught me totally off guard, I thought she was gone and I was huffing and puffing after putting in the last screws! But I thought I would share it with you anyways! :D

photo7.jpg
 

ascott

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That is a great size :D...uh, what are you planning to use for shade for some of that area?? :p What type of predators do you have in that area? Is it close to your house? How high is the enclosure fencing? Oh yeah one more thing..is there irrigation set up or are you going to use the old fashion method of hose and sprinkler like I do...(lol :p) oh oh, also, don't cut that grass down too much---a CDT can plow through quite a bit of grass if free grazing....:D

Also, what beautiful trees and surrounding area :D
 

macdeezy

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Thanks Ascott! I built the enclosure next to that big willow (i think its called that) for shade and....I was looking through this site, and am going to make 2 burrows with a metal trash can cut in half, and 8+inches of dirt piled over for insulation! Here is the site I got off of another thread..... http://www.azgfd.gov/w_c/tortoise/documents/PhxTucBurrows.pdf

The only Predators is 1 German Sheaperd that have killed 2 of our dogs! We are surprised that he hasn't been taken away, but they said a few more complaints and he will be remanded and put to sleep! So at the first sign of him, we call the SPCA!
My fiance wants me to build a chicken wire wall around the enclosure so no turkeys or chickens (I live in the country) get in their and bug the tort! So I might do that also!

For now the height is only 15 inches, but that should last long enough until I get married this June, and have extra income! These dang weddings are EXPENSIVE!! LOL! :) What would be a good height that I should make it?
And yea, Im gonna go old school, and use a hose & sprinkler! I also hope he starts free grazing alot... cuz he was given to me, and told he likes kale, rainbow chard, dandelion, and collards. So it might be a while till he starts free grazing, but I hope its soon! I have seen him straight line it for dandelions growing in the yard, so I hope he just goes with it, and starts branching out to the other wild plants/weeds!
My Sulcatta on the other hand readily grazes on EVERYTHING!

BTW: all that surrounding area is my backyard! LOL! Ill take better pics tomorrow so you can see exactly what I am working with! :)
 

ascott

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the height is only 15 inches,

How long is he ...you will want to make sure ideally that the enclosure walls are double his height...you will also get a look at how he does in there and he will let you know what he is going to do in a relatively short time....

The only Predators is 1 German Sheaperd that have killed 2 of our dogs! We are surprised that he hasn't been taken away, but they said a few more complaints and he will be remanded and put to sleep! So at the first sign of him, we call the SPCA!

This is a bad predator to have lurking around....I would be sure to have night houses for your torts and be sure to secure them each night....at least until you are confident the dog is no longer an issue....
 

macdeezy

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He has just been wandering around the enclosure so far. Once he established that the tree is a good shade spot, he hung out under it during the hottest part of the day!
And our dogs are AWESOME at alerting that the dog is around and we are all on our toes about ANY barking , so I feel pretty secure! But I will have some great burrows for him in a few days, and one wood one that I can close him inside when it starts getting late, just so I can feel absolutely 100% secure!
 
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