Help with escape prevention

[lbailey4487]

Hello again everyone! I am so thankful to have found this forum! I am trying my best to become as knowledgeable as possible before obtaining my new friend and this resource has been invaluable. I’m going to admit upfront that I am clinically OCD and a chronic overthinker, though. I had settled on a Russian tortoise as best suited for a beginner like me and what I feel I can provide at this point, but now I’m second guessing myself. The biggest hold up? Digging. I understand the digging and am prepared to provide areas to encourage it. My concern is with the possibility of digging under an enclosure. Until at least next spring, any time outside will be closely supervised. But come warmer weather, I’d like to have a habitat where my friend could spend the majority of its time outside until winter comes again. How do I effectively dig-proof my enclosures? I’ve already tried burying hardware cloth while working to prevent rodents in my basement during a drought a couple years ago. It’s hard to get it consistently below 6-8 inches due to the rockiness of our soil. We actually found when strengthening our foundation (I bought a house built in 1906 that had a stacked rock foundation and chose to fortify it) that beyond about 8 inches, we had so much rock that a jackhammer was necessary. For the whole perimeter (yeah, that was fun…). I thought about some of the dig barriers I use for my dogs in places around the fence line, but again, I haven’t been able to get any consistently in the ground to their full depth. Could this work in my favor? How do I keep my little guy in? Help!

 

[EppsDynasty]

The 'Dig Proof' material needs to be 4" under the soil but be Horizontal into the pen. You are thinking of putting it vertical? correct? Think of it as an "Un Welcome" mat around the perimeter of the inside of your enclosure.

 

[wellington]

I laid an unused puppy play pen on the ground and set the perimeter of the fence on the edge of it. The grass/weeds grow thru for grazing and after a couple years or less you can't even see it.
Put a cover over the top.or make a over hang lip on the walls so he can't climb out.

 

[Fluffy]

Make a raised bed and you don't need dig into the ground.

 

[TammyJ]

You could get a tough tarpaulin, set cinder blocks to form an enclosure with walls all round, then add substrate and hides, pool, etc. Make a frame and chicken wire cover to keep predators out and cover a section of it for shade.