New Tort Table

Yvonne G

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I have a little tort table built onto one wall of each of my tortoise sheds. The young leopard tortoise that has to spend the winter in the leopard tort table/shed is too big for the existing tort table (1.5'x 3' or so) so I have to build a new one in there.

This is Kim when I got HIM 2 years ago, and he's spent all of his indoor time in the little table (he's been outside all summer):

When I got him:

leopard (Kim) 5-13-16 c.jpg leopard (Kim) 5-13-16 e.jpg
Forum member Kim (I wish I could remember her username so I could give her an update) from SoCal rescued him from a bad situation and sent him to me.

Here he is now. About twice as big in two years and very heavy:

leopard (Kim) 9-28-18 a.jpg Leopard (Kim) 9-28-18 b.jpg

So I went to Lowe's and bought a couple sheets of plywood - I can't believe how much the price of a sheet of plywood has gone up!!!

This is the old, smaller table:

tort table.jpg

Cutting the plywood:

tort table a.jpg

I put a 2'x4' for support on each side, and two heavy duty shelf supporters in the middle:

tort table b.jpg

Then the bottom and the front:

tort table c.jpg tort table d.jpg

I sent an email to Flex Seal to ask if their product would harm a young tortoise that had to live on it for several months in a closed room, they responded the product is perfectly safe for plants and animals, so I started painting the bottom and a bit of the sides with a quart of Flex Seal. Well, a quart isn't nearly enough, so I have to make a special trip back into town for more. . . but not today. I'm beat!

tort table e.jpg



I'll add onto this thread when there's more to report.
 
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wellington

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I build my tables inside my shed with the same shelf bracket supports. It makes it so much easier, specially when building by oneself. Looking good and so is that leopard.
 

Yvonne G

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I finished up yesterday and today. I put the little deformed babcock in there under the light and he immediately went for the food. Nothing shy about this tortoise.

tort table f.jpg tort table g.jpg tort table h.jpg tort table i.jpg

I have a fluorescent UVB bulb and a regular 100 watt incandescent bulb, then a 100 watt CHE for night time. I may not need the CHE as the shed stays pretty warm at night.

I've got a day timer and a night timer plugged into separate surge protectors, then another surge protector plugged into each timer. That way I have 6 outlets for day time and 6 outlets for night time. The pig blankets plug into the first surge protector and that one is on all the time.
 

Yvonne G

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Eventually I'll run a plank of 2x2 across the back up high on the wall and staple a sheet of plastic film to it, then drape the plastic over the light bar so it hangs down across the front. This will keep the warm, moist air inside the table.
 
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