Net net turds
New Member
Looking for someone to recommend or can build me an enclosure for my 2 adult Russians? They been indoors for 4 years, and I’d like them to be outdoors now.
enclosure
- Thread starter Net net turds
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It's fairly easy to put together an outdoor enclosure. I'm an octogenarian, and a woman, and I made all my outdoor enclosures by myself. If I can do it, with absolutely no carpentry training, anyone can do it.
Years ago when I first started out, I started with cinderblocks. I don't have pictures of those old cinderblock enclosures, but here's a picture I pulled off the internet:
And here's what I later learned to make:
The above goes together pretty easy. You dig holes and set posts in the ground, then you nail boards to the posts. Piece of cake, and much cheaper than hiring it done.
Years ago when I first started out, I started with cinderblocks. I don't have pictures of those old cinderblock enclosures, but here's a picture I pulled off the internet:
And here's what I later learned to make:
The above goes together pretty easy. You dig holes and set posts in the ground, then you nail boards to the posts. Piece of cake, and much cheaper than hiring it done.
If you live in a college town, maybe you can hire a college kid to build you something.
Net net turds
New Member
Thank you. We live in NorCal, and I want to keep them outside. I am worried about winters because it can rain a lot up here, and get very cold. Any recommendations on how to prepare their enclosure so they don’t get too wet or cold? Also, we have a lot of critters up here as well, raccoons, skunks, coyotes, and in the warmer months rattlesnakes.
I think the best way to do it is to have both an indoor and an outdoor enclosure. Use the outdoor one when the weather is suitable, and bring the tortoise inside when it isn't. This gives you and the tortoise the best of both worlds. Leaving the tortoise outside in winter, subject to the cruel whims of Mother Nature, often results in death. Indoor, controlled temperature hibernation is the way to go.
I would also build TWO enclosures indoors and out. They should never live together as a pair. Injury or death is very likely. Here is one way to do it simply:
There is a dividing wall inside the middle of the box. Doing it this way means I only have to heat one enclosure. Most of the year the box is unplugged. They hibernate in winter, and I use the box heater to keep ambient around 60-65 in early spring and late fall. This allows me to keep them outside earlier in spring and later in fall when days are still warm-ish, but nights are dropping into the 30s and 40s. The heat lamps help on days like today. I woke him in February, and we've had cold rainy weather for a week. Daytime highs in the low 50's and dark skies with rain all day. The basking lamps are only used in this sort of ugly weather after I've already woke them from hibernation, or before they go into hibernation.
I would also build TWO enclosures indoors and out. They should never live together as a pair. Injury or death is very likely. Here is one way to do it simply:
There is a dividing wall inside the middle of the box. Doing it this way means I only have to heat one enclosure. Most of the year the box is unplugged. They hibernate in winter, and I use the box heater to keep ambient around 60-65 in early spring and late fall. This allows me to keep them outside earlier in spring and later in fall when days are still warm-ish, but nights are dropping into the 30s and 40s. The heat lamps help on days like today. I woke him in February, and we've had cold rainy weather for a week. Daytime highs in the low 50's and dark skies with rain all day. The basking lamps are only used in this sort of ugly weather after I've already woke them from hibernation, or before they go into hibernation.
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