AwwShucks
New Member
Hello! I'm new and have some questions!
So it is finally time to build my tortoise the home of his dreams! No longer shall he spend his days outside closely monitored by me or in a kiddie pool of substrate. He shall be free! Sort of...
Anyways, I live in Los Angeles, and I have finally got the time to build it. I have a (approximately) 7-year-old male Hermann's tortoise, and I'm wondering first of all how large I should make the outdoor area, I don't want him to get bored. I have a pretty sizeable space picked out, here are some images. NOTE: I plan to remove all the ivy and possibly agapanthus to make my own space with appropriate plants and substrate. The area is pretty sunny, from what I can tell, so I wasn't planning on putting a heater/lamp in there. He will be coming in at night for an evening bask / bedtime, so there's no need to worry about that.
So my biggest questions are
So it is finally time to build my tortoise the home of his dreams! No longer shall he spend his days outside closely monitored by me or in a kiddie pool of substrate. He shall be free! Sort of...
Anyways, I live in Los Angeles, and I have finally got the time to build it. I have a (approximately) 7-year-old male Hermann's tortoise, and I'm wondering first of all how large I should make the outdoor area, I don't want him to get bored. I have a pretty sizeable space picked out, here are some images. NOTE: I plan to remove all the ivy and possibly agapanthus to make my own space with appropriate plants and substrate. The area is pretty sunny, from what I can tell, so I wasn't planning on putting a heater/lamp in there. He will be coming in at night for an evening bask / bedtime, so there's no need to worry about that.
So my biggest questions are
- Ideal dimensions? Including how tall the "walls" should be!
- How should I go about making the lid, I have seen many flat chicken wire lids, but I have also seen some people go for a domed/roof approach?
- I am worried about making the top because I need a way to reach him in all places of the enclosure if that makes sense, so I can take him in at night
- Should I use a wooden garden bed/chicken coop/mini greenhouse as a starting point, and if so, can anyone recommend one?
- Furthermore, for Hermann's, do I need to dig the walls into the ground? I've read mixed things.
- What ground covering/substrate should I use
- Are there any common plants I should avoid putting in (dangerous to Hermanns)
- Any common mistakes to avoid when building these type of things?
- Can I put in those little clovers that grow in the grass for him to eat? He also seems to like munching on our grass.