HawaiiHermann
Member
I visited the natural range of the Hermann's tortoise recently and was inspired to create a new, more naturalistic enclosure for my tortoise. Here are some pictures of wild tortoise habitat:
After clearing a section of land, I installed a 5' x 10' dog kennel from Lowe's. I put plastic chicken wire along the bottom to help stabilize the soil and prevent the tortoise from digging out.
My soil layering recipe is inspired by the book Naturalistic Keeping and Breeding of Hermann's Tortoises. First layer is mulch, bark, and rocks. On top of that is a layer of coco coir and orchid bark mixed with coral sand.
Our tropical climate makes it difficult to grow or source many Mediterranean plants aside from rosemary, lavendar, etc.
Plants planted. Added rocks, sticks, and unused ceramic floor tiles to break up the line of sight. The pots on the sides have plants that are delicate or that have leaves that are not tortoise safe.
Final touch is a layer of coral gravel to replicate the stony Mediterranean soil.
Later, I added plastic chicken wire to the top and sides of the kennel to keep birds and rats out. Pretty happy with how it turned out, and so is the tortoise!
After clearing a section of land, I installed a 5' x 10' dog kennel from Lowe's. I put plastic chicken wire along the bottom to help stabilize the soil and prevent the tortoise from digging out.
My soil layering recipe is inspired by the book Naturalistic Keeping and Breeding of Hermann's Tortoises. First layer is mulch, bark, and rocks. On top of that is a layer of coco coir and orchid bark mixed with coral sand.
Our tropical climate makes it difficult to grow or source many Mediterranean plants aside from rosemary, lavendar, etc.
Plants planted. Added rocks, sticks, and unused ceramic floor tiles to break up the line of sight. The pots on the sides have plants that are delicate or that have leaves that are not tortoise safe.
Final touch is a layer of coral gravel to replicate the stony Mediterranean soil.
Later, I added plastic chicken wire to the top and sides of the kennel to keep birds and rats out. Pretty happy with how it turned out, and so is the tortoise!
