Outdoor Sulcata Enclosure

[Soccerplr1]

It has been some time since we posted to the forum. Our beloved Hatch who we had for year and a half was able to wiggle his way out of his outdoor enclosure and we have not been able to find him. We are hopeful that he is exploring the world on his own time and will be home soon a traveled and experienced tortoise.

In the meantime, we have constructed a very secure and Sulcata friendly outdoor paradise. We were even able to adopt a new tenant to live in the Vegas sun. Margherita is our new young Sulcata. She is very happy, active and hungry in her new enclosure. It has been 3 weeks now and she appears very healthy.



Very secure !


A perpetually humid hide


The drip line keeps the hide humid and the tortoise mix growing (ATC Sulcata mix). The soaking dish is filled with RO water regularly. There is never direct sunlight on the entire habitat and it is shaded during the most intense afternoon sun by large trees.

When winter arrives Margherita will move inside to a 40 gallon terrarium to avoid the cool temps but for now there cannot be anything better than natural light and humidity!

Hello again all!

 

[lismar79]

Very nice!

 

[Tom]

Have you measured humidity in there? Wet ground doesn't not necessarily mean humidity, especially with a wide open mouth like that.

Outside all day and night is not good for babies, especially in dry climates like ours. They simply do not do as well outside full time. They fare much better indoors in closed chambers where we can simulate the warm, humid weather that wild sulcatas hatch into. I give babies hour long excursions in pens like yours, but indoors keeps them healthier. As they grow, I leave them out longer and longer until they spend all day outside and sleep inside in their closed chambers at night.

And a 40 will be much too small over winter.

Check these out:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

 

[Soccerplr1]

Thanks tom

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

I'm sorry about your tort
I would take that broken pot out,she might scratch herself.

 

[Jacqui]

What is RO water?

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Reverse osmosis. It's very popular with fish keepers.