Outdoor enclosure

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Raymo2477

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Now that fall is in full swing and winter is around the corner I am thinking about building a pen for a pair of Hermann's (btw I'd like to make it a trio if I can find another female) next spring.

Questions:

Size, I was thinking 6'x6'

Sides, I was looking into fake wood (like Trex) and I was going to put chicken wire down about a foot to prevent digging.

Problems...do I need heat out there? I was going to use it from late May (days 70s-80s nights 60s possibly upper 50s) until mid September.

Cover...was going to use chicken wire to keep out animals and kids.

Do people bring them in if there is going to be 2-3 days of rain?

Any help appreciated.
 

Yvonne G

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Hi Ray:

I don't keep Hermann's, but I do have Russians. I don't think that six foot square is big enough for two adult Hermann's tortoises. I'd like to see it at least 16' square and bigger is even better.

I don't know how your "vermin" problem is in Philly, but here I don't bother with covers for my tortoises. Every night I just go around and make sure they are all put up into their houses, and I block the doors so they can't come out until I let them out. There are coyotes, fox, oppossum, racoons, etc. here and I haven't lost any turtles or tortoises to them in the 15 years I've lived here.

When I first moved here and built the pens, I buried chicken wire along the fence line to keep the Russians from trying to dig out. In my case, it was a wasted effort. My Russians never tried to dig out. If they can see daylight under the fence, yes, they might try to dig out. They DO dig to hide, but in my experience, not to escape.

For the tortoises that hibernate, I don't provide heat in my outdoor pens.

If it is cold when it rains then I'd bring them inside.
 
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