Outdoor Enclosure Concerns

[robopeen]

We have been working on an outdoor enclosure for our Hermann's and we realized how much room we actually had for more tortoises so my family and I have been seriously considering making either two enclosures for two male CDTs or a large enclosure for a few female CDTs.

Firstly, we have a large brick area and we were thinking about building a fence around it, laying down a tarp, and adding dirt. The only problem is the drainage for the weeds. Has anyone tried anything like this and has it worked well?

Secondly, and most importantly, we have a Cider Gum tree (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eucalyptus_gunnii) that would partially hang over the enclosure, if some of the leaves or flowers were to get in the enclosure would they harm the tortoises? I haven't been able to find anything that had said they're poisonous but I do worry a lot, lol.

Lastly, it can get hot here in Livermore, over 100F for a few weeks at a time over the summer, what do you guys do to help your tortoise thrive in that heat? Let them burrow and hose them down I suppose?

 

[ascott]

we have a large brick area

Is there a way to remove some of the bricks to allow access to the earth beneath? and then leaving some of the bricks as a border for the outdoor yard? and if doing this in an option will there be adequate drainage in the event of a summer rain? Even to use a tarp with soil placed atop of it--will there still remain drainage? Remember, CDTs are magnificent earth movers so I would think that they could and likely would dig down to the tarp/bricks in no time at some point...just my opinion and experience watching them in action

it can get hot here in Livermore, over 100F for a few weeks at a time over the summer

This is the perfect excuse for a CDT to be master earth movers, here where they are most recently from--the temps can get to and well rise above that temp for extended periods of time as well...so this would be why it is so very important to provide a hide/burrow for them to retreat to during the hottest times of the day during the warm season...and yes, they have been known to enjoy a good sprinkler romp

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eucalyptus_gunnii

Is this what you have?

 

[robopeen]

we have a large brick area

Is there a way to remove some of the bricks to allow access to the earth beneath? and then leaving some of the bricks as a border for the outdoor yard? and if doing this in an option will there be adequate drainage in the event of a summer rain? Even to use a tarp with soil placed atop of it--will there still remain drainage? Remember, CDTs are magnificent earth movers so I would think that they could and likely would dig down to the tarp/bricks in no time at some point...just my opinion and experience watching them in action

it can get hot here in Livermore, over 100F for a few weeks at a time over the summer

This is the perfect excuse for a CDT to be master earth movers, here where they are most recently from--the temps can get to and well rise above that temp for extended periods of time as well...so this would be why it is so very important to provide a hide/burrow for them to retreat to during the hottest times of the day during the warm season...and yes, they have been known to enjoy a good sprinkler romp

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eucalyptus_gunnii

Is this what you have?

We're trying to do the work ourselves, I'm not sure if we can remove the brick but we could move the enclosure space further back near the tree but some of it will still be on the bricks I would think.

The dirt we have is packed tight but the CDTs will be welcome to try to tear it up, lol. I plan on adding a burrow per tortoise, I'll probably make them with cinder blocks and a piece of plywood and bury them as deep as I can. I think the hardest thing though will be resisting bringing the tortoises inside any time it gets too hot or cold.

That is indeed the tree we have. On the tortoise table it says do not feed because of the oils in the leaves, but an occasional leave will eventually fall in. Perhaps the strong smell will drive them away from sampling any stray leaves?