Noob......indoor enclosure DIY plans

obxdevilfin

New Member
Joined
Sep 28, 2019
Messages
21
Location (City and/or State)
Youngstown, Ohio
Hello......... Just getting started in getting some tortoises....... currently looking for a good site to get enclosure plans for Russian tortoise. I live in Ohio. Navy vet and 70 yrs. old. Any help would be greatly appreciated !!
 

JLMDVM

Member
Joined
Jun 17, 2019
Messages
71
Location (City and/or State)
Ohio
I probably won’t be any help, but welcome from a fellow Ohioan who just got my babies a little over a week ago. I have closed chambers for my hatchlings, made out of plastic Christmas Tree totes to keep humidity levels up. There are lots of people with good information here!
 

obxdevilfin

New Member
Joined
Sep 28, 2019
Messages
21
Location (City and/or State)
Youngstown, Ohio
I probably won’t be any help, but welcome from a fellow Ohioan who just got my babies a little over a week ago. I have closed chambers for my hatchlings, made out of plastic Christmas Tree totes to keep humidity levels up. There are lots of people with good information here!
Thanks for your reply. Where in Ohio are you located ? What type of tortoise do you raise and do you sell your hatchlings?
 

JLMDVM

Member
Joined
Jun 17, 2019
Messages
71
Location (City and/or State)
Ohio
Oh, no, I don’t raise them. I just received my first hatchlings from a great breeder I found on the forum. Maybe I’ll breed them someday. They are Western Hermann’s, and absolutely adorable.
I’m between Columbus and Lancaster. I’ve never cared for tortoises before this, and it’s been quite a learning curve.
I recently hired a similarly aged Navy Vet to work at my vet practice! I believe the care is similar for my guys and Russians.
There are a number of people who breed Russians on the forum. Carol seems to be a very popular one. I got my Western Hermann’s from Chris Leone at Garden State. He has great educational info on his websites on the Mediterranean tortoises, if they interest you at all.
 

obxdevilfin

New Member
Joined
Sep 28, 2019
Messages
21
Location (City and/or State)
Youngstown, Ohio
Oh, no, I don’t raise them. I just received my first hatchlings from a great breeder I found on the forum. Maybe I’ll breed them someday. They are Western Hermann’s, and absolutely adorable.
I’m between Columbus and Lancaster. I’ve never cared for tortoises before this, and it’s been quite a learning curve.
I recently hired a similarly aged Navy Vet to work at my vet practice! I believe the care is similar for my guys and Russians.
There are a number of people who breed Russians on the forum. Carol seems to be a very popular one. I got my Western Hermann’s from Chris Leone at Garden State. He has great educational info on his websites on the Mediterranean tortoises, if they interest you at all.
I'm looking at the Russians, as they are the only only ones that I can afford, buying out of Cleveland, this area I am in has only the big box stores, all the good Mom & Pop stores are gone. I will have to find the breeder area and see who is selling the Russians. I look forward to chatting more with you in the future.
 

lionheartHC

Member
Joined
Sep 13, 2019
Messages
88
Location (City and/or State)
OH
Hey there! I’m located in Alliance, OH and actually breed Russian Tortoises. Happy to send you a photo of my indoor enclosure if you’re interested.
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
TFO Admin
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,389
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
Hi, and welcome!

Russian tortoises require quite a bit of space. People think that because it's a small tortoise they don't need much room, but they do. They're hard wired to wander great distance searching for food, and when you coop them up in a small space indoors, they drive you crazy trying to escape, digging in the corners, climbing the walls. We recommend a minimum of 4'x8' for a Russian tortoise. Of course, if you start with a baby, you can start with a smaller enclosure. My Russians live outside in a fairly large, overgrown space. When the weather starts to cool down and the days get shorter, I bring them in to get ready for brumation (hibernation). In fact, I just brought them in yesterday, but there's still one more out there that I can't find. But I'll get her eventually!
 

obxdevilfin

New Member
Joined
Sep 28, 2019
Messages
21
Location (City and/or State)
Youngstown, Ohio
Hey there! I’m located in Alliance, OH and actually breed Russian Tortoises. Happy to send you a photo of my indoor enclosure if you’re interested.
It would be great for you to send photos of your enclosure................. do you sell your Russians by any chance? I worked for Morgan Engineering in 79-80
 

obxdevilfin

New Member
Joined
Sep 28, 2019
Messages
21
Location (City and/or State)
Youngstown, Ohio
Hi, and welcome!

Russian tortoises require quite a bit of space. People think that because it's a small tortoise they don't need much room, but they do. They're hard wired to wander great distance searching for food, and when you coop them up in a small space indoors, they drive you crazy trying to escape, digging in the corners, climbing the walls. We recommend a minimum of 4'x8' for a Russian tortoise. Of course, if you start with a baby, you can start with a smaller enclosure. My Russians live outside in a fairly large, overgrown space. When the weather starts to cool down and the days get shorter, I bring them in to get ready for brumation (hibernation). In fact, I just brought them in yesterday, but there's still one more out there that I can't find. But I'll get her eventually!
Thanks for the information........ at present I am looking for a good DIY enclosure (prints/drawings) would be great, but pics will do the job also!! Thinking of making a two story enclosure..........how soon can they climb and incline and is there a specific degree of incline best for them ?? Russians that is
 

ryvanzandt

New Member
Joined
Sep 3, 2019
Messages
16
Location (City and/or State)
Canal Winchester, Ohio
Oh, no, I don’t raise them. I just received my first hatchlings from a great breeder I found on the forum. Maybe I’ll breed them someday. They are Western Hermann’s, and absolutely adorable.
I’m between Columbus and Lancaster. I’ve never cared for tortoises before this, and it’s been quite a learning curve.
I recently hired a similarly aged Navy Vet to work at my vet practice! I believe the care is similar for my guys and Russians.
There are a number of people who breed Russians on the forum. Carol seems to be a very popular one. I got my Western Hermann’s from Chris Leone at Garden State. He has great educational info on his websites on the Mediterranean tortoises, if they interest you at all.

JLMDVM

Do you know anyone at Winchester Veterinary Clinic? That's the vet practice when go to. I have not checked in with them yet to see if the do exotics/tortoise care. Since we are right down 33 from each other I could bring crash :tort: down to you for a check up if they don't. :)

obxdevilfin

I was in the same boat about 2 months ago.Had plans ready for a table build, but in the end after reading and researching, I got a 48x24x24 from DIYCAGES. Cost me $200, it was a factory B grade (scratch and dent). Main reason I went this route was to make sure I could have a more controlled environment for the first few years. I plan to build the table then. I also wanted to be able to keep the kids from getting hands on with the tortoise without any adult supervision. It has locking glass sliders.
 

Blackdog1714

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jul 30, 2018
Messages
4,666
Location (City and/or State)
Richmond, VA
JLMDVM

Do you know anyone at Winchester Veterinary Clinic? That's the vet practice when go to. I have not checked in with them yet to see if the do exotics/tortoise care. Since we are right down 33 from each other I could bring crash :tort: down to you for a check up if they don't. :)

obxdevilfin

I was in the same boat about 2 months ago.Had plans ready for a table build, but in the end after reading and researching, I got a 48x24x24 from DIYCAGES. Cost me $200, it was a factory B grade (scratch and dent). Main reason I went this route was to make sure I could have a more controlled environment for the first few years. I plan to build the table then. I also wanted to be able to keep the kids from getting hands on with the tortoise without any adult supervision. It has locking glass sliders.
For that price that is an awesome deal for something that will easily be outgrown!
 

obxdevilfin

New Member
Joined
Sep 28, 2019
Messages
21
Location (City and/or State)
Youngstown, Ohio
I probably won’t be any help, but welcome from a fellow Ohioan who just got my babies a little over a week ago. I have closed chambers for my hatchlings, made out of plastic Christmas Tree totes to keep humidity levels up. There are lots of people with good information here!
Where are you getting your totes, having a hard time finding them available to purchase !!~
 

obxdevilfin

New Member
Joined
Sep 28, 2019
Messages
21
Location (City and/or State)
Youngstown, Ohio
Hey there! I’m located in Alliance, OH and actually breed Russian Tortoises. Happy to send you a photo of my indoor enclosure if you’re interested.
Hello Lionheart !! I'm hoping you didn't forget about sending me your pictures of your indoor enclosure. Do you sell your Russians by any chance ?
 

JLMDVM

Member
Joined
Jun 17, 2019
Messages
71
Location (City and/or State)
Ohio
JLMDVM

Do you know anyone at Winchester Veterinary Clinic? That's the vet practice when go to. I have not checked in with them yet to see if the do exotics/tortoise care. Since we are right down 33 from each other I could bring crash :tort: down to you for a check up if they don't. :)

obxdevilfin

I was in the same boat about 2 months ago.Had plans ready for a table build, but in the end after reading and researching, I got a 48x24x24 from DIYCAGES. Cost me $200, it was a factory B grade (scratch and dent). Main reason I went this route was to make sure I could have a more controlled environment for the first few years. I plan to build the table then. I also wanted to be able to keep the kids from getting hands on with the tortoise without any adult supervision. It has locking glass sliders.

If you can private message me about vet clinic, do so for any details. I do not see reptiles, and I actually worked at the clinic you mentioned for 15 yrs. if you’ve been a client there for a long time, you’ve probably seen me. Unless something has changed drastically in the last year and a half, no one there is actually experienced with reptiles either, but they will still see your reptile. When I was there, they might see 2-4 reptiles a year at most. I can read from a book as well as any vet, but that is not experienced.
If in need of Vet care in central Ohio, I would recommend going to MedVet in Hilliard, where the former OSU Vet school exotic professor works, Barb Oglesbee. I think she is more focused on avian, but I would trust her knowledge. Animal Care Unlimited in Dublin sees a lot of exotics, but I do not know anyone there to have first hand knowledge of their quality of medicine. I intend on seeing Dr. Oglesbee if I need care beyond basics for my guys.
Again, if you want further details, happy to discuss privately.
 

New Posts

Top