Do you have any more of those bricks that you made the wall with?
HELP (home's hingeback tortoise) care
- Thread starter hingeback
- Start date
You said the wall was 12" high and your Tortoise is 10" carapace. When your Tortoise is stood on her back legs she will be able to get a foot hold with front legs and get over the wall.
So I need to buy more bricks and build it up 1 more?
Yes.
Taking on board all the advice on here.
I would add some peat and any other organic matter you can get, dig that into the clay, mixing it up well, then add some more peat on top.
Drill some drainage holes in the bottom of the wall.
Add another layer of bricks and put a screen up where your fence is.
For your plants, buy the 2 banana trees you mentioned, and go dig some fern and other plant life from the jungle.
If you can't get enough foliage to cover the entire enclosure, don't space everything out, just work on half the enclosure to make it dense and do the rest gradually.
This way you have only got to buy, peat. Banana trees, bricks and screen.
You will be relying on plant life and drainage holes to cope with the torrential rain fall.
That is what you want it to look like in most of the enclosure, obviously you need to add different plants too, so it looks nice.
That jungle floor is something like what you want too.
In fact just move your fence back 3 meters. Lol. Only joking.
Thanks.
If you add another brick level and use something to make an inner lip around the entire enclosure, then she won't be able to climb out. Do you understand what I mean by an inner lip?
I bumped an old thread of mine called "The wateringhole" because I can't get this phone to do a copy and paste. So go check out that thread please.
The first set of pictures was shortly after planting so the plants have not filled out. Keep in mind, it is also under a couple of trees. Those are Erosa, but basically the same as Homes.
Further down is another pretty new one at the time of the pictures. This now houses a Homes, but at this time it was a Bells enclosure. Notice how think the plants already are and this was fairly early in the season. This is what we are meaning about lots of plants. As they get bigger and taller, they will give more shade, give protection and security to your tortoise, natural foods, and humidity.
In that first enclosure especially, it is a lot coolder then most of the rest of my yard. You want a dappled sunlight for your Homes, not full sun and heat.
The first set of pictures was shortly after planting so the plants have not filled out. Keep in mind, it is also under a couple of trees. Those are Erosa, but basically the same as Homes.
Further down is another pretty new one at the time of the pictures. This now houses a Homes, but at this time it was a Bells enclosure. Notice how think the plants already are and this was fairly early in the season. This is what we are meaning about lots of plants. As they get bigger and taller, they will give more shade, give protection and security to your tortoise, natural foods, and humidity.
In that first enclosure especially, it is a lot coolder then most of the rest of my yard. You want a dappled sunlight for your Homes, not full sun and heat.
Here it is, Jacqui:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/the-watering-hole.76560/page-2#post-1231672
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/the-watering-hole.76560/page-2#post-1231672
I also bumped up one about odds and ends. This is one of my really old enclosures I started redoing, so it is a bit rough.
Go down to the 8th picture (I think). Can you see where the wire bends into the enclosure? That is a lip or an overhang. You need that to stop escapes.
With you needing shade and having a slow go with clay soil, you might consider making hanging planters do some of the providing of shade. In the 9th picture, I used a handy branch, but you could use all sorts of things to hang them from. You can also put them closer to the tortoises level, just above their reach.
Just another idea on how you might approach your problem.
You might also notice all the mulch used in this enclosure. I don't have clay, but years under trees have made this enclosure's soil very hard and lifeless, so I am using mulch and in the fall leaves to start improving the soil, much like you are having to do.
Go down to the 8th picture (I think). Can you see where the wire bends into the enclosure? That is a lip or an overhang. You need that to stop escapes.
With you needing shade and having a slow go with clay soil, you might consider making hanging planters do some of the providing of shade. In the 9th picture, I used a handy branch, but you could use all sorts of things to hang them from. You can also put them closer to the tortoises level, just above their reach.
Just another idea on how you might approach your problem.
You might also notice all the mulch used in this enclosure. I don't have clay, but years under trees have made this enclosure's soil very hard and lifeless, so I am using mulch and in the fall leaves to start improving the soil, much like you are having to do.
I am not sure what type of fern is that.
Hi, about the plants. I wish to get the safe ones, so I have a list below, also I would like to know where to check the fern species.
Are all palms safe?
-Livistona(selling in the nursery, a type of palm)
-thaumatococcus |
v
Also some ferns in the forest, so I need to know the species.
Are all palms safe?
-Livistona(selling in the nursery, a type of palm)
-thaumatococcus |
v
Also some ferns in the forest, so I need to know the species.
Hi there. How you getting on with your enclosure?
Hi, we added the peat and some plants. Still planning on her night enclosure.
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