night troubles in enclosures

[animal lover]

This summer, i plan to get a tortoise. I was planning on leaving it outside during the summer. Although i do have large issue. At night there is a lot of coyotes and fox and other predators. should i just bring my tortoise in during the night or when i'm not home. Or should i just make sure the outdoor enclosure is secure...

Carolyn

 

[Millerlite]

you can bring him in, or you can build an enclosure thats predator proof, some strong fencing as a lid, and such.

 

[Crazy1]

Either would work. If you decide to build a pen you must dig down and lay fencing under the enclosure also so nothing digs in or out as well as over the top. Check some of the enclosures in that forum to get some good outside enclosure ideas.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

But you cannot leave a tortoise outside if you have predators like that. I know of a 50 pound Sulcata that had it's head chewed off by a raccoon. Those animals, coyotes, foxes etc. are opportunistic feeders who will eat anything and tortoises are good food to them. Raccoons have hands that they can use to open secured pens, so you really have to be careful.

 

[Yvonne G]

I live in a fairly rural area, and I've seen coyotes, fox, skunks, opossoms, rats and the occasional raccoon. The only creatures I've actually seen on my property are opossum and skunk. I leave my tortoises and box turtles outside day and night. I also have 5 outside cats. I've never lost an animal to vermin (knock wood!). Last year I had a pretty savvy skunk that was digging up all my turtle eggs. He got every nest around the pond and every nest in the box turtle pen. I even saw little diggings in the leopard pen, but I never leave the eggs in the ground in there. But I hear of people losing turtles all the time to skunks and opossum. If you are worried something might come on your property and eat your tortoise, there's a product called an electronic barking dog. Its a motion detector that barks like a dog when it senses motion. I bought one for my box turtle pen because that's the only pen I can't close in the animals at night. It didn't work out for me because of the wind. It's usually pretty breezy around my box turtle pen and the "dog" was continuously barking.

Yvonne

 

[jorrow]

Do you have outdoor cats or dogs? if so just the smell of a cat or dog tends to keep predators at bay... Also they sell fake owls they also scare off smaller predators. If racoons are something you fear, do not have anything shiny in or around the cage because they are drawn to small things that catch reflecting light.... I dont think it would bother the tort to bad i could be wrong though, You could set up a motion detecting light aiming it higher than where the tort is. If that turns on when a wild animal is around they will not hang around. Good Luck

 

[Yvonne G]

They also make a sprinkler that comes on when it senses motion. Don't know what that's called, though.

Yvonne

Oh...here it is: http://www.pondparts.com/subcat274.html?gclid=CJ7T1Ze505kCFR0SagodYV2eug

 

[Oogie]

i started bringing my tort in at night after finding out that my secure dog house i would lock him at night was not secure enough against raccoons--they are extremely intelligent and dexterous. i have been in this town all my life and had never seen a raccoon until a few months ago...until then, i had no clue they were around here.

i say it's best to be safe...there are too many bad stories on these forums of torts dying from predators =(

 

[Crazy1]

Carolyn, we never discussed the size of your tort. though you have not gotten it yet if it is a hatchling that changes everything. You would definitely keep it inside unless supervised. And if you are truly in fear of a predator better to be safe than sorry, bring it in when you are not at home or at night. Raccoons are able to open a multitude of things but I have yet to see one pick a padlock. So padlock my Adult Greeks in just to keep 2 legged creatures from taking them. Though I am sure they could find a way if they really wanted them. I have dogs so they are very verbal when someone is in the yard day or night. But for your of mind just plan to bring them in.

 

[animal lover]

ya i think i just might bring it in when it's older and let it hang outside when me or all of us are outside so we can make sure nothing gets to the tortoise......

and when my two dogs are up and put away.