My Russian enclosure

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jwhite

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I have been asked to post some pics of Russian enclosure so here they are. It is nothing real special. It could use some more plants and stuff, but the herd seems to like it.

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The enclosure is 6' x 8'. it has 14" sides. The corners are all angled just enough so they can't wedge themselves in the corners and climb up them. It is lined with rubber roofing, I found it cheaper than pond liner and I think it is probably more durable.

There are three basking sites and I have two feeding areas. The piece of plywood along the back wall is the top to a burrowing area that is more than big enough for them all to go under.

The substrate is mostly topsoil except for on the right side of the enclosure where it about a 50/50 mix of topsoil and coir, this is where the females dig their nests and lay their eggs.

Hope you like it. If you have any suggestions for improvements let me know. I am looking for edible plants to put in there.

Jon
 

Yvonne G

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Hi Jon:

Whadda' ya mean, "Its nothing special."? It IS super special. I love the size. Little Russian tortoises are "marchers," and they have so much room for marching in that habitat. And I really like the hiding place at the back. You've done a great job with it.
 

Yvonne G

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That's what I was thinking, Mary Anne:

Section off a third of it so the tortoises can't get onto that third, then plant some clover and dichondra and maybe some dandelions, chia (buy a mix from Carolinapetsupply.com for Russian tortoises. After its growing good, let them in there and section off the opposite third and do the same thing.
 

LindaF

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Lucky Russians to have such a large enclosure to roam in!
 

tortoisenerd

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Thats awesome! It would be so cool if you got graze growing in there (I also think a russian mix with some extra broadleaves like dandelion, turnip greens, etc...what ever maye you can't get easily from the store or your yard or whatever your source is, is great)...your existing substrate is a great start to that idea. Do you keep that room warmer? Curious what the temps are between the basking spots. We keep our house cold (60-65 F), so in winter, even with a smaller 18 sq ft enclosure, I have two 100 Watt lights (one of them a MVB), and two 60 Watt heat emitters (one kept on at night), and there is more of the enclosure in the cooler end of the gradient than I'd like. I assume with an enclosure that large its more economical to just keep the room a bit warmer. Very cool! Don't sell yourself short. So do you get a lot of hatchlings?
 

jwhite

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Yvonne,

I just planted the rest of my grazing mix in there under the UV light, but I like the idea of blocking off a section and planting it. I was just waiting till i get close to being out of my TNT before I place another order with Carolinapetsupply. Their shipping costs are kind of high.
Angi is going to be sending me some dandelion seeds soon so I will have them going pretty soon. I also have just started some nasturtium seeds so when those get established I am hoping to plant some in there.

Kate,

The enclosure is in my basement so it was staying kind of cool between the basking spots. So I now have a space heater running and it is keeping the whole enclosure in the low 70's.

Last year was my first year breeding and I got about 20 eggs, but only 5 hatched. I didn't have my incubation set up correctly at first, but thanks to Danny I think I have it worked out. This year I have already gotten 7 eggs and about half are showing fertility.

Jon
 

Yvonne G

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HI Harry:

did you mean 6 feet instead of 6 inches?
 

DoctorCosmonaut

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Looks really nice! My only concern is their ability to get over that 14" ledge in the not too long future. Torts can stack up and get out, and they had stand on their back legs and do pull ups over ledges too.

I really jealous of the sq footage of yours! ^_^
 

jwhite

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Jordan,

That was also one of my concerned when i built it. In my old enclosure i left the corners as right angles and they were able to climb up them, so I added a ledge around the top that kept them from climbing out. In this enclosure I added a piece of wood in all the corners that put them at 45 degree angles so they aren't able to climb up them. If i feel in the future that they are able to get to the top I will add a ledge around the top on this one also.

Jon
 
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