Got the green light for outdoor enclosure! Few questions

[ScottishFish]

So I am posting this in the general section as there will be some questions not relating to enclosures.

I keep my tort at my Grans and she has given me the green light to use a large portion of her back garden for an outdoor enclosure.

So here it is

I paced it out, me assuming my pace is approx 3ft as I am 6 foot 4. It comes in at approx 27x12feet. There is also a spade lying on the grass to give a rough idea for scale. It is a regular rectangular lawn, with a dirt border of approx 1foot around, however the far end has a very large bonsai tree so the dirt is like maybe 4ft back up there.

It is very overgrown the now and I will rip out all the weeds on friday. Then plant around the border with the nursery of plants you see in the pictures.

So I was thinking that I could build 2 hides for my tort, and place on the border somewhere. The corner next to the window is a real suntrap and will provide a nice warmside and the tree at the other will provide cool shade.

So, question time. Does this sound like a good idea overall?

Should I make one of the hides with a perspex roof to make it a warmer hide? What should I put in the hides for insulation for my tort.

Obviously I stay in Scotland and out summers can be, well horrible for want of a better word, temps during the day can be anywhere from 10C-25C and nightime temps from 4C-10C. So will O be able to leave my little guy out overnight? He is an Eastern Hermanns and having read up on them they do appear to be more British friendly than their Western counterparts.

If these temps are not suitable then I can just put him out on warm days and bring him in at night.

So heres the little guy in question

Feel free to add anything I have missed or straight up tell me its a bad idea, with constructive criticism ofcourse

Thanks guys!

 

[wellington]

Congrats, that going to be a fantastic enclosure. I wouldn't pull the weeds though, torts love weeds. I will leave the rest of your questions to ones that knows more about you species. Can't wait to see pics of it finished.

 

[Levi the Leopard]

Pull the weeds?!? Nooooo! That stuff is green gold!
Your tort will love the weeds.

Heather
Sent from my Android TFO app

 

[Andrea M]

Hi Douglas, you have one very lucky tortoise, here's hoping for the good weather for you both!

 

[gtc]

So I am posting this in the general section as there will be some questions not relating to enclosures.

I keep my tort at my Grans and she has given me the green light to use a large portion of her back garden for an outdoor enclosure.

So here it is

I paced it out, me assuming my pace is approx 3ft as I am 6 foot 4. It comes in at approx 27x12feet. There is also a spade lying on the grass to give a rough idea for scale. It is a regular rectangular lawn, with a dirt border of approx 1foot around, however the far end has a very large bonsai tree so the dirt is like maybe 4ft back up there.

It is very overgrown the now and I will rip out all the weeds on friday. Then plant around the border with the nursery of plants you see in the pictures.

So I was thinking that I could build 2 hides for my tort, and place on the border somewhere. The corner next to the window is a real suntrap and will provide a nice warmside and the tree at the other will provide cool shade.

So, question time. Does this sound like a good idea overall?

Should I make one of the hides with a perspex roof to make it a warmer hide? What should I put in the hides for insulation for my tort.

Obviously I stay in Scotland and out summers can be, well horrible for want of a better word, temps during the day can be anywhere from 10C-25C and nightime temps from 4C-10C. So will O be able to leave my little guy out overnight? He is an Eastern Hermanns and having read up on them they do appear to be more British friendly than their Western counterparts.

If these temps are not suitable then I can just put him out on warm days and bring him in at night.

So heres the little guy in question

Feel free to add anything I have missed or straight up tell me its a bad idea, with constructive criticism ofcourse

Thanks guys!

Hi! Great questions about the temps. I live in Norway and our temps are kind of similar. I hope someone with experience can answer your questions. I have been keeping my Ibera greek indoors when the temps go under 20C (68F), which they actually have been most days...

My concern with suntraps is: where does the tort go to keep warm when its cloudy\raining?

 

[ScottishFish]

Thats why I asked about bedding for the hides, so that he can keep warm.

Reason I wanted to take all the weeds out are that they are all pretty not for tortoise consumption.

 

[gtc]

Thats why I asked about bedding for the hides, so that he can keep warm.

Reason I wanted to take all the weeds out are that they are all pretty not for tortoise consumption.

You should check out Joesmum threads. Her greek lives outside and she is in the UK.

 

[ScottishFish]

Thanks I will do!

Still hoping to hear from folks on any personal experience with torts in cooler temps aswell as hide advice.