First sulcata screen area?

[modernfx]

Hello everyone,

First let me thank you for the awesome forums you have.
I just purchased my first sulcata from a reputable reptile shop. I know this shop well as I have several reptiles
that I've bought from them through out the years so I trust them.

Anyway, they got some older sulcatas in and I just fell in love with one of them. He is about 30-40 pounds and is just beautiful. My question is this, I live in south florida and most homes have back yards with pools. My home has a screened in pool area along with a back yard however the back yard isn't fenced.

So, will it be safe to keep the sulcata (louie will be his name) in the screened in pool area?
Will it attempt to jump in the pool? I want him to be safe.

Of course I will give him plenty of time to roam in the back yard but while im not home i want to me sure he does not escape or gets injured in any way.

Thank you so much.

 

[wellington]

No, it wild not be safe for him. He could very well drown in the pool. if you can block off an area away from the pool that he would not be able to break out of and get to the pool, then it would be okay. Better yet, fence him an area outside the screened pool area.

 

[Tom]

No. Not safe at all. Many tortoises drown this way every year. Most of them live near the pool for months or years with no problem, and then one day the owner comes home to find them dead in the water.

Your tortoise will need its own safe area that is fenced all the way around with a visual barrier. Here is an example, and there are many more examples in the enclosure section. It can be done with wood or brick, or many other materials too.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/enclosure-expansion.38788/

Here is another one you might like:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/daisys-new-enclosure.28662/

 

[ascott]

Hello everyone,

First let me thank you for the awesome forums you have.
I just purchased my first sulcata from a reputable reptile shop. I know this shop well as I have several reptiles
that I've bought from them through out the years so I trust them.

Anyway, they got some older sulcatas in and I just fell in love with one of them. He is about 30-40 pounds and is just beautiful. My question is this, I live in south florida and most homes have back yards with pools. My home has a screened in pool area along with a back yard however the back yard isn't fenced.

So, will it be safe to keep the sulcata (louie will be his name) in the screened in pool area?
Will it attempt to jump in the pool? I want him to be safe.

Of course I will give him plenty of time to roam in the back yard but while im not home i want to me sure he does not escape or gets injured in any way.

Thank you so much.

Okay so while I do not house a Sulcata....I do know what they are a kin to....a sturdy, stocky, tenacious, willful, hungry mini tank....screens will not secure that tortoise in...and tortoise are a curious bunch...one lean over the edge of a pool and in the tort can go, while they can tread water somewhat, more like float a bit, there is very little chance that the tort will understand to head to the stairs and no guarantee that if he made it there he would actually be able to maneuver the stairs and pool ledge.....what is your long term plan for a safe tortoise yard?

 

[modernfx]

No. Not safe at all. Many tortoises drown this way every year. Most of them live near the pool for months or years with no problem, and then one day the owner comes home to find them dead in the water.

Your tortoise will need its own safe area that is fenced all the way around with a visual barrier. Here is an example, and there are many more examples in the enclosure section. It can be done with wood or brick, or many other materials too.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/enclosure-expansion.38788/

Here is another one you might like:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/daisys-new-enclosure.28662/

Wow! Those are some seriously lucky tortoise! That did give me an idea. I can give a space of about 20' x40'
So if I use cinder blocks like the photos above, can I just place them like that without any cement,etc..?
can it knock them over? Also will it dig under the blocks?

Thank you again

 

[modernfx]

Okay so while I do not house a Sulcata....I do know what they are a kin to....a sturdy, stocky, tenacious, willful, hungry mini tank....screens will not secure that tortoise in...and tortoise are a curious bunch...one lean over the edge of a pool and in the tort can go, while they can tread water somewhat, more like float a bit, there is very little chance that the tort will understand to head to the stairs and no guarantee that if he made it there he would actually be able to maneuver the stairs and pool ledge.....what is your long term plan for a safe tortoise yard?

Well now knowing that he can't be kept in the pool area I'll build an area in the yard like photos Tom provided.
Although I'll be worried someone might take him. Since the yard isn't fenced.

 

[Tom]

Wow! Those are some seriously lucky tortoise! That did give me an idea. I can give a space of about 20' x40'
So if I use cinder blocks like the photos above, can I just place them like that without any cement,etc..?
can it knock them over? Also will it dig under the blocks?

Thank you again

When you get your blocks, also get some half blocks. I start the bottom row with a full block, and then start second row with a half block. This offsets the middle row from the top and bottom rows and gives the whole wall much more strength. Smaller tortoises cannot move them at all. I raise my juveniles inside these same blocks and as adults they never challenge the wall. A determined 80 plus sulcata can push this type of wall over, but they don't try if they've been in it since they were smaller.

When sulcatas burrow, they dig down at about a 40 degree angle, and that is it. They don't dig down and then back up. They don't dig under walls, like a dog would.

You will also need a heated, insulated, sealed night box. I went through lots of trial and error to arrive at these:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/another-night-box-thread.88966/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/double-door-night-box.129054/

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Welcome fellow south Floridian.
I keep Redfoot tortoises.
Where did you purchase your tortoise?
Did you get him from Ryan in Deerfield?
It sounds like you're going to need to set up a secure enclosure in the yard itself. And a big one at that.
Let me know if I can help.

 

[modernfx]

@ZEROPILOT
As a matter of fact yes I did get it from Ryan! The sulcata is about 30-40lbs. If I can figure everything out I'll pick it up Sunday.

@Tom
I was thinking maybe I can get one or two of these and put them together, insulate,, lighted, etc...
http://www.petsmart.com/dog/houses/...6-catid-100104?var_id=36-7043&_t=pfm=category

Thoughts?

Thank you everyone for replies thus far.

 

[Tom]

a is about 30-40lbs. If I can figure everything out I'll pick it up Sunday.

@Tom
I was thinking maybe I can get one or two of these and put them together, insulate,, lighted, etc...

Thoughts?

Thank you everyone for replies thus far.

My thoughts:

I've tried dog house in the past, and I know of many others who have tried them too. They just don't work because they are designed for dogs and there are a few things that just make them unworkable. The doors are way too big and too tall (which lets all your heat out), they are not insulated, they are not sealed, they are too tall inside (which means you are heating the air above your tortoise), etc… It takes a tremendous amount of electricity to try to keep them warm enough on a cold winter night, and you end up slow burning the carapace or just not keeping the inside warm enough.

By the time I finished amending all those design flaws, I could have just built one from scratch that will function better and more efficiently. You could, in theory: Seal all the loose seams, insulate it, build new interior walls and a floor to cover and protect your insulation material, lower the ceiling by making a false internal ceiling, make the roof and false ceiling open up for cleaning and maintenance access, shorten and widen the doorway opening, make a hinged and insulated door that you could close up for night time, and then, after all that, it would work fine for a while, until your giant tortoise outgrows it.

As I said, it took much trial and error to reach the conclusions that I have reached about my night boxes. I can't even count how many hours of thought have gone into every little design element. Another reason for the 4x4' design is that a full size sulcata can be on and under the heat when they want to warm up, or they can get off the heat and still be in their warm box.

Please continue to ask questions. My goal here is to help you reach the destination that I have reached, without having to take the long hard road I took to get here, at your tortoises expense. I'm happy to explain each and every detail until you completely understand why I make the assertions I make.

 

[modernfx]

My thoughts:

I've tried dog house in the past, and I know of many others who have tried them too. They just don't work because they are designed for dogs and there are a few things that just make them unworkable. The doors are way too big and too tall (which lets all your heat out), they are not insulated, they are not sealed, they are too tall inside (which means you are heating the air above your tortoise), etc… It takes a tremendous amount of electricity to try to keep them warm enough on a cold winter night, and you end up slow burning the carapace or just not keeping the inside warm enough.

By the time I finished amending all those design flaws, I could have just built one from scratch that will function better and more efficiently. You could, in theory: Seal all the loose seams, insulate it, build new interior walls and a floor to cover and protect your insulation material, lower the ceiling by making a false internal ceiling, make the roof and false ceiling open up for cleaning and maintenance access, shorten and widen the doorway opening, make a hinged and insulated door that you could close up for night time, and then, after all that, it would work fine for a while, until your giant tortoise outgrows it.

As I said, it took much trial and error to reach the conclusions that I have reached about my night boxes. I can't even count how many hours of thought have gone into every little design element. Another reason for the 4x4' design is that a full size sulcata can be on and under the heat when they want to warm up, or they can get off the heat and still be in their warm box.

Please continue to ask questions. My goal here is to help you reach the destination that I have reached, without having to take the long hard road I took to get here, at your tortoises expense. I'm happy to explain each and every detail until you completely understand why I make the assertions I make.

Hmmmm. Thank you for all your knowledge and help. It looks like I won't be bringing Louie home this week, I'll need to do a lot of prep work
for his new home.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

It might be easiest to do a cement block enclosure using an existing outside wall of your house as one on the sides. Less blocks needed. Some shade maybe and one very sturdy wall.
The tortoise "house" that I primarily use is actually attached to the rear of my house and uses about 30 feet of the cement wall. It is very well attached, but not so permanent that I couldn't take it 100% down in a weekend. Including busting up the cement pools that I made for my tortoises to drink from and swim in.
It is fully enclosed with a mesh roof. It has 2 externally mounted sleeping quarters each with heaters, 2 pools and an overhead misting system to make it "rain".
All very cheap and easy.
This wooden setup would not be ideal for a big Sulcata. It's just for example.

 

[modernfx]

It might be easiest to do a cement block enclosure using an existing outside wall of your house as one on the sides. Less blocks needed. Some shade maybe and one very sturdy wall.
The tortoise "house" that I primarily use is actually attached to the rear of my house and uses about 30 feet of the cement wall. It is very well attached, but not so permanent that I couldn't take it 100% down in a weekend. Including busting up the cement pools that I made for my tortoises to drink from and swim in.
It is fully enclosed with a mesh roof. It has 2 externally mounted sleeping quarters each with heaters, 2 pools and an overhead misting system to make it "rain".
All very cheap and easy.
This wooden setup would not be ideal for a big Sulcata. It's just for example.

Awesome. Thank you for the reference photos. I'll keep you posted on how it goes.