greek setups

[chosen2030]

Could anyone that has outdoor enclosures set up for their greek/s please post pics or tell me where they have done so already. I am interested in how much ground/soil to vegetation ratio y'all use. What kind of hides have you created? I know they enjoy different textures, does that include rocks/stone (slabs or boulder type)? How do you provide water for soaking and drinking? Sorry, I'm new at this and a little anxious about doing right by my girl. I'm told I have an Antakyensis, and I do not plan on breeding her, if that makes a difference.

 

[Jentortmom]

First thing to consider since you are in AZ. Is where can you put the enclosure so that she only gets the morning sun, also shade places. I have russians and boxies outside right now all the time, I have two different types of enclosures for them. The first I took the wood fence panels they use in fencing around yards and cut them in half and buried them a foot deep, the other type I made frame out of 1x2's anthen place plywood all the way around with chicken wire top and bottom. I also have shade cloth across half of the enclosures, but for the summer months I am going to cover the other half, sun still comes in but it is mostly shade. FOr substrate I use organic composted mulch, you could also use a 70/30 mix of top soil/sand mix. I purchase seed mixes from turtle cafe and carolina pet supply and throw them all over the pen for food, I also plant plants in there grape vines, day lillies, geraniums, hibiscus, etc. etc. For hides I have fake rocks that they use to cover yard equipment and cut a hole in the side big enough for the largest tort to climb in, I also use clay pots cut in half, and big plastic bowls with a hole cut out for shade, and wooden boxes that are either stuff full with hay or soil. I have a bunch of hides in each enclosure so everyone can choose there favorite ones. For water I have 2-3 different ones in each enclosure, in different locations as they dry up fast in the AZ sun. I use the small 10.00 ponds from home depot and have them filled up with rocks so that they have a shallow end and a deeper end, I also use paint pans, and ceramic clay saucers for the waters. attached some pics.. The most important is make sure you have plenty of shade, and water!!

The bottom three are actually old pics, The seeds finally turned to plants, I added the covers and more hides since these were taken.

 

[Cam]

WOW!!!
Fantastic setups...
Any idea for those of us in MN etc. When the torts can move to outdoor enclosures and when they should come in?
WHat is the general temps you all follow?

Thanks again for the pictures

 

[chosen2030]

Funny, I'd seen those fake rocks at Home Depot and thought they'd make a great hide too. Being that they are made of plastic, does it drop the temperature much inside? I noticed you used what looks like exclusively mulch. How come? The area I am planning to use is mostly grass, weeds and plants. Is it better to have mostly soil? You said to mix top soil with sand mix. Why not mix it with the soil in my yard? What are you trying to keep out with the chicken wire. I know its for her safety, but I have 8ft cinder block walls that form the enclosure. Only thing that could get in there are birds, and rarely see anything other than doves and grackles. Maybe the occasional stray cat but she should be safely in her hide (which would close) by nightfall. Finally, do you bring them inside during monsoon season. Thanks for all your advice Jen, I really appreciate you taking the time.

 

[Jentortmom]

You could use soil in your yard. I use the mulch because I use raised pens, that way when it rains they do not flood. I leave them out during monsoons without a problem. hawks, birds, people, coyotes or other wildlife, is what I am keeping out, I also use that to keep her in as mine are climbers. I have never measured the temps inside the rocks, I know they spend a lot of time in them though, I keep them shaded most of the year, then in the winter they are without the shade cloth. The pics I post was before the seeds came up, in my russian pen they have devoured everything but the grape vines and in the boxie pens the food is growing like crazy and they hide in the plants. I also have 7-8 plants that are in each pen, but by winter I end up replacing them all as they have been used for food.

 

[Jentortmom]

WOW!!!
Fantastic setups...
Any idea for those of us in MN etc. When the torts can move to outdoor enclosures and when they should come in?
WHat is the general temps you all follow?

Thanks again for the pictures

Mine are outside all year hibernating, but the ones that are in don't go out if it is below 60 degrees.

 

[chosen2030]

You could use soil in your yard. I use the mulch because I use raised pens, that way when it rains they do not flood. I leave them out during monsoons without a problem. hawks, birds, people, coyotes or other wildlife, is what I am keeping out, I also use that to keep her in as mine are climbers.

I'm sorry Jen, I don't know what a raised pen is, could you explain please? What part of the Valley are you in that you're worried about coyotes scaling your walls?

 

[Jacqui]

A raised pen or bed, would mean that the soil/substrate inside the pen is built up higher then the ground level of the yard around it. The rain will not sit and collect inside the pen, but rather will go out to the rest of the yard.

So if it flooded let's say, her yard might have four inches of standing water, but because it sits higher up then the normal ground level, no water would be standing inside the pen. Thus the torts are kept high and dry.

 

[chosen2030]

A raised pen or bed, would mean that the soil/substrate inside the pen is built up higher then the ground level of the yard around it. The rain will not sit and collect inside the pen, but rather will go out to the rest of the yard.

That part I kind of gathered by the name, what I should have asked is how does one construct a raised pen? Sorry, I'm not very precise sometimes.

 

[Jacqui]

That part I kind of gathered by the name, what I should have asked is how does one construct a raised pen? Sorry, I'm not very precise sometimes.

Hey we all do that at times. Usually what folks do is keep adding more layers of soil, substrate of whatever type into an enclosure that has it's bottom pretty much sealed so the substrate won't wash out. You don't want it completely sealed, because you do want to allow the water to move out of the pen.

Take her pictures, if you look at the third one. Notice at the bottom of the sidewall, see where the substrate top is? Do you see the same board at the bottom running it's length like it does at the top of the wall? No, because it's been filled with substrate up past that point.

Now go up back one picture to the second one. This is the outside of the same pen. Look toward the bottom of the enclosure's outside wall, which is in front facing you. See the square stepping stones? Go up the wall from there a few inches. If you look closely you can see a line of nail heads sticking out. Those nails are holding up that support rail that runs the length along the bottom.

 

[Jentortmom]

I basically put four sides together, dig a trench and stick the sides in the trench, then lay chicken wire on the dirt ground and start filling in the dirt. I started with clean fill dirt, then put in 20 bags of mulch for one 8x8 pen. I used 4-5 bags for the small 4x4 pens, but will add more. Basically my dirt level is 2ft above the ground in one pen, the other I am in the process of adding more dirt, but a different type. As for coyotes I live in the west valley, I have a golf course on one side of my neighborhood and a big wash/desert area on the other side, they run back in forth all night long.

 

[Jacqui]

It always amazes me just how much substrate it takes to create these. BTW if I didn't say it already, I really like your pens.

 

[Jentortmom]

Thank you..