New Outdoor Enclosure..need your help please.

[KNC7]

Hello everyone,

I am currently building my outdoor enclosure for my 2 sulcatas and need some tips. I have read that its best to put flat stones underneath the tort shelter. I live in the Philippines and want to make sure I give my torts the best environment. I'm placing grass, some places where they can hide from the sun and shallow water containers. Besides hibiscus, what other plants can they eat and are easy to maintain? Any suggestions and ideas will help.

Thank you,
Kara

 

[Anyfoot]

Hello everyone,

I am currently building my outdoor enclosure for my 2 sulcatas and need some tips. I have read that its best to put flat stones underneath the tort shelter. I live in the Philippines and want to make sure I give my torts the best environment. I'm placing grass, some places where they can hide from the sun and shallow water containers. Besides hibiscus, what other plants can they eat and are easy to maintain? Any suggestions and ideas will help.

Thank you,
Kara

Hi Kara and welcome.

So you can receive the best help in your quest can you give some indication of your enclosure size, maybe a photo of the area thats to be an enclosure. What size are your sulcata?

 

[KNC7]

Hi Anyfoot,

I've been busy all week. The size of my enclosure is about 10 square meters. My sulcatas are about 5-6 inches big. I'm currently planting grass and placing some hibiscus plants in the enclosure. It gets lots of shade and sunshine. I will be placing a couple of shallow water containers that they can soak in if they wish or drink from. My main concern is burrowing, do I have to put harder stones underneath the tort shelter?

Thanks,
Kara

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Let them burrow.
They apparently dig down and come back up the same way. So they won't tunnel out. If that's your concern.

 

[Anyfoot]

@Tom.

 

[KNC7]

Let them burrow.
They apparently dig down and come back up the same way. So they won't tunnel out. If that's your concern.

Hi Zeropilot,

Im just concerned about what I've read with collapsing burrows. I live in the Philippines where we can get lots of rain and the ground can erode. I would love to leave it as natural as possible for them and as comfortable.

Kara

 

[FloppyJellyRoll]

Prickly pear cactus

 

[KNC7]

Okay thank you @FloppyJellyRoll

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Some tortoises are happy to use tubing or large flowerpots. It makes them feel like they have gone underground.
It rains a lot here, too. I don't have digging tortoises, though.

 

[FloppyJellyRoll]

Some tortoises are happy to use tubing or large flowerpots. It makes them feel like they have gone underground.
It rains a lot here, too. I don't have digging tortoises, though.

You could actually use a tube to slide in their tunnel so that it supports the upperground

 

[mike taylor]

This is what I do . See pictures below

 

[FloppyJellyRoll]

This is what I do . See pictures below

Yeah that too

 

[KNC7]

Thanks @FloppyJellyRoll and @mike taylor and @ZEROPILOT. Im so excited that they will have more space outside. I will take pictures of the area im closing off for my torts. When torts are mored outdoors, l've read that they dont grow as fast. Is this true? And can you only tell their gender once they've reached a certain size?

 

[JoesMum]

[QUOTE="KNC7, post: 1314785, member: 87390"When torts are mored outdoors, l've read that they dont grow as fast. Is this true? [/quote]
Torts all grow at different rates depending on diet and living conditions. It is possible that it might slow growth. It's also possible that it won't make any difference whatsoever as diet is probably the biggest factor and you will be feeding the same things.

And can you only tell their gender once they've reached a certain size?

Absolutely. You probably won't be able to tell gender until it is getting on for 12 inches (30cm) long. If it's male, it's possible that it may "flash" at you (show his penis) when he's smaller... in which case all will be obvious. It's rather large, so there's no mistaking it.

 

[KNC7]

Okay cool! Thanks @JoesMum

 

[KNC7]

Here are a few photos of my enclosure. And my torts Yoshi and Mr. Weatherbee.

 

[KNC7]

I'm trying to grow more grass for them to eat and I planted a few hibiscus plants..

 

[KNC7]