Help with outdoor enclosure

[__pebbles]

Hi,

I have a 3 year old Hermann tortoise and we recently built her an outdoor enclosure. It’s the first time she is living outside but I have a couple of worries and just looking for advice. we live in the UK.

1) our neighbour has a mexican cypress tree or cupresses lusitanica as you can see there at the back and some of the leaves would fall in Pebbles’ enclosure- there really is no way of avoiding the leaves from our garden as the tree is massive. Is this a major problem?? I’m thinking of adding polythene sheets on top to try and shield her a bit but this is the best I can do atm.
2) she’s been out for about 2 weeks now but doesn’t seem to want to wander her in outdoor enclosure, is this normal? Is she just settling in or am I doing something wrong?

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

1) our neighbour has a mexican cypress tree or cupresses lusitanica as you can see there at the back and some of the leaves would fall in Pebbles’ enclosure- there really is no way of avoiding the leaves from our garden as the tree is massive. Is this a major problem?? I’m thinking of adding polythene sheets on top to try and shield her a bit but this is the best I can do atm.

Maybe @RosemaryDW can weigh in on this?

 

[RosemaryDW]

I’m sorry but I’m not good with trees.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi,

I have a 3 year old Hermann tortoise and we recently built her an outdoor enclosure. It’s the first time she is living outside but I have a couple of worries and just looking for advice. we live in the UK.

1) our neighbour has a mexican cypress tree or cupresses lusitanica as you can see there at the back and some of the leaves would fall in Pebbles’ enclosure- there really is no way of avoiding the leaves from our garden as the tree is massive. Is this a major problem?? I’m thinking of adding polythene sheets on top to try and shield her a bit but this is the best I can do atm.
2) she’s been out for about 2 weeks now but doesn’t seem to want to wander her in outdoor enclosure, is this normal? Is she just settling in or am I doing something wrong?



View attachment 391328

Oh my. . . what a pretty tortoise!

 

[Yvonne G]

According to my friend, Google, the tree is not toxic to people or their pets

 

[tortoising2025]

Hi,

I have a 3 year old Hermann tortoise and we recently built her an outdoor enclosure. It’s the first time she is living outside but I have a couple of worries and just looking for advice. we live in the UK.

1) our neighbour has a mexican cypress tree or cupresses lusitanica as you can see there at the back and some of the leaves would fall in Pebbles’ enclosure- there really is no way of avoiding the leaves from our garden as the tree is massive. Is this a major problem?? I’m thinking of adding polythene sheets on top to try and shield her a bit but this is the best I can do atm.
2) she’s been out for about 2 weeks now but doesn’t seem to want to wander her in outdoor enclosure, is this normal? Is she just settling in or am I doing something wrong?



View attachment 391328I'm in UK too. Mine also don't want to wander around I side an enclosed open space. 8 built an enclosure however theydidnt want to be in anything but long weeds long grass.

I let them wander around while I sit with them, they automatically head for long weeds grass at edges.i think it's probably natural instinct to not want to be out exposed. Maybe add some plants z eooden tunnel . Tortoises hut UK has great affordable tortoise safe plants for outdoor and ones for indoor enclosures. I would add aperspex top to stop things blowing into it. Ebay UK has perspex sheets you can order size you need that way sunlight still shining in

 

[RandyTortoise]

Hi,

I have a 3 year old Hermann tortoise and we recently built her an outdoor enclosure. It’s the first time she is living outside but I have a couple of worries and just looking for advice. we live in the UK.

1) our neighbour has a mexican cypress tree or cupresses lusitanica as you can see there at the back and some of the leaves would fall in Pebbles’ enclosure- there really is no way of avoiding the leaves from our garden as the tree is massive. Is this a major problem?? I’m thinking of adding polythene sheets on top to try and shield her a bit but this is the best I can do atm.
2) she’s been out for about 2 weeks now but doesn’t seem to want to wander her in outdoor enclosure, is this normal? Is she just settling in or am I doing something wrong?



View attachment 391328

As I understand, some species of this tree are toxic. However, for this particular Mexican cypress no one really knows, other than generally some cypress trees can be toxic to tortoise. For me, I would err on the side of caution and move my pen or talk to my neighbor about pruning it back.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

I’d do your best to keep the leaves from falling in/remove any you see, but I don’t think it’s going to be a huge issue. As to the activity, we’re still having some cooler spells in the uk which might explain why she doesn’t want to come to the outside bit to explore, that and she’s settling into a new space

 

[COmtnLady]

The white stones, while pretty, have very sharp edges. Your tortoise's plastron and softer parts can get cut on them. I'd remove them.

Why not plant the enclosure in grass?

The first pic seems to be an "in progress" one. On the end closest to the camera there is what appears to be about four inch high gap between the wall of the enclosure and the wire top. Did that get covered with wire before the tortoise was put into the enclosure? That's big enough for random other animals (cats, rodents, birds) to get into the enclosure.

Do you have terracotta saucers (big enough for your tortoise to be able to turn around in) with water in them, inside the finished enclosure ?

What sort of shade and hides have you provided? Show us a few pics of the finished project, please.

Since there seems to be the possibility that the tree's leaves might be problematic, the idea of shielding the enclosure from them seems logical.

What temps are you finding when its coldest and hottest, average/usual, since putting your tortoise into the new space? Does it drain well when it rains - does she have away to get to safer/dry areas?

Again, please share pics of the finished enclosure.


.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

That’s a good catch with the stones, didn’t see those! I’d remove them too personally