Outdoor enclosure...substrate

[mini_max]

I am working on the design for our outdoor enclosure. It will be south facing, and about 20 x 3.5 feet, plus a heated hut of some kind in addition.

I am wondering, what do they like best underfoot outdoors? We currently have sod there, should I leave some of it? Do they like walking on it? And if I remove the sod, just the dirt underneath is ok?

Also, I have a little blue spruce seedling that my son got at school last year. It needs a home and I was thinking it could go in the enclosure for shade. Would this be a problem in any way?

 

[Jodie]

I don't know about the tree, but grass is fine. Dirt is warmer though so i have removed a lot of the grass from my Leopards enclosures.

 

[leigti]

I would leave some of the grass and then tear some out so they have plain dirt. Bluespruce get huge, I'm talking huge I am not sure if it would be safe in case they try to eat the needles. But maybe somebody that knows more about trees could help with that woman. look under the tortoise table website and see what they say about Spruce. I would only put Planson there that you know are safe. Herb plants work well, the tortoise usually won't eat them but likes to hide under them.

 

[Yvonne G]

I have always used the native soil in all the habitats I've built. For the box turtles, I add garden trash (pulled weeds, grass clippings, leaves) occasionally, and for the tortoises, I dug up a large section and keep it bare (most of my tortoise yards are grass). Bare dirt in the sun is easier for heat transmittal to the tortoise than grass is.

Last year I made a new area for the leopard tortoises, and because my soil is red clay, and packs hard when dry, I loosened it with a shovel then added decomposed horse manure and leaves to it, and tilled it in then raked it smooth before I planted a wildlife grazing mixture.