Looking for a large indoor enclosure for Tortoise

[Davis Summerfeldt]

I am thinking about getting a Russian Tortoise, and am considering a large rabbit cage as an enclosure. It is 47 1/4-Inch long, 24 1/4-inch wide, 21 1/2-inch high. will this be large enough to house the tortoise for its life or should I consider larger? If anyone can recommend anyone who sells cage/mesh top enclosures roughly 3-5 feet long by roughly 2.5 feet wide it would be greatly appreciated.

 

[JoesMum]

A tort is likely to live for 50-100 years so I doub any enclosure will do for life.

Although the floor area of this rabbit cage is about right, it is not suitable as a tortoise home due to its wire front. You would never get the substrate to stay in and it would not hold the humdity or the lighting.

Please read the following thoroughly as they will explain.

Beginner Mistakes
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

Russian Tortoise Care Sheet
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/

A Russian is very active and loves to climb and burrow. 4'x8' is minimum indoors and you should be looking to get something even bigger outdoors as it grows.

 

[Rue]

Minimum indoor enclosure size recommendations is 4' x 8'.

 

[Yvonne G]

It's hard for me to picture your rabbit cage. Does it sit on the ground? If so, you could put up a board all around the bottom to keep him from seeing out and to keep the substrate inside. Some people use dog kennels for outdoor tortoise habitats:

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/dales-new-outside-enclosure.6579/#post-54350

Note the board on the inside at the bottom.