MAKESHIFT OUTDOOR RT ENCLOSURE

[Russianuncletwo]

While the weather is still decent, I am sharing photos of a removable makeshift combo hide I put in on a whim along with other items in an also removable makeshift outdoor enclosure. My female Russian tortoise, the “grazer” as opposed to my male Russian tortoise, the “forager”, absolutely reacts to being taken here as a treat! (BTW, that’s a $2.89 Home Depot floor mat over a Petsmart reptile “half log”-they explore the 3 “tunnels”, burrow, climb, etc. with this combo of items, the popularity of which was totally unexpected; the overhang allows extra shade as well as a lookout while not being confined to a full hide.) I don’t leave them alone nor together in this enclosure without me hanging around as there is no cover. I am using this pen as my Luna was lost recently for 10 days and now I can leave them outside, alone or together, without having to watch them every second (only 3 seconds out of 5!!) I am considering making it significantly larger.

 

[Jodie]

That's clever.

 

[awesomecs]

I would make one like list but sadly we have a lot of predators stray cats groundhogs {witch might mess with my tortoise since it doesn't know what a tortoise is} and the one I'm most worried about is hawks

 

[Russianuncletwo]

Not to mention blue jays. A longtime Russian tort keeper once recommended some Home Depot item like plastic chicken wire to cover that doesn't interfere w/UVB rays nor would cut them 'cause it's not metal when used elsewhere-yet keeps the predators out from the top.

 

[awesomecs]

blue jays? there rare were we live and really they eat nuts and seeds I guess they could kill babies

 

[Russianuncletwo]

A blue jay attacked an adult Russian tortoise (owner of which I'm in contact with) once in the last 10 years and as a child, a sparrow that "adopted" my family was skull pecked by a blue jay and the bird died shortly thereafter. Jays can be randomly vicious (as referenced in the movie, "To Kill a Mockingbird".)