Outside enclosure

Sycamore

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So I've stated planning an outside enclosure for penny, my redfoot tortoise. She's gonna be in North Carolina so the temperature is currently in the 70s early 80s and humidity is around 50-80% with rain two or three times a week. Like today, weather is 76 degrees Fahrenheit and is raining with 93% humidity, humidity and heat will both go up as the summer months start. Would these conditions be acceptable for a baby red foot tort? She should be starting outside in about 2-3 weeks and will still be coming inside every night and getting a daily soak. It will be located in my about 10x16 foot fenced in garden and will probably be about 3x2 feet. Planning on wood and hardware cloth. I'm not sure what is allowed except I'm pretty sure no cedar and we have a lot of pine here in nc. My questions
1. Should I place hardware cloth on the ground and cover with dirt or just leave the bottom open?
2. Should I use wood glue or nails/screws and what should my worries be regarding rust?
3. What kind of wood?
4.Should the walls be solid boards or two 2x4 with hardware cloth in between?
P.s. also planning on putting on a hinged lid 2x4s and hardware cloth.

Thanks everyone
 

wellington

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How old is the RF? It's best to house real little ones for approx two years mostly inside in a proper enclosure with short daily visits out side on warm days.
However, seeing you have a high humidity, it might not be a problem to house outside all day.
Maybe @ZEROPILOT can help. If my memory is not wrong, he is in very humid Florida.
 

Sycamore

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@wellington. She is approximately 8 months, a little over 3 1/2 inches long. It wouldn't be for permanent housing, just for outside time that I wouldn't have to be supervising her so she can be safe and secure as well as have outside time while I'm not there.
 

ZEROPILOT

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How old is the RF? It's best to house real little ones for approx two years mostly inside in a proper enclosure with short daily visits out side on warm days.
However, seeing you have a high humidity, it might not be a problem to house outside all day.
Maybe @ZEROPILOT can help. If my memory is not wrong, he is in very humid Florida.
My adults all live outdoors 24/7.
I recently started letting my 8 and 9 week olds spend a lot of time outside too. But it's a very secure pen. Too many animals will carry off small tortoises. Even in the suburbs.
 

wellington

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My adults all live outdoors 24/7.
I recently started letting my 8 and 9 week olds spend a lot of time outside too. But it's a very secure pen. Too many animals will carry off small tortoises. Even in the suburbs.
No, adults yes should be outside. However, this one is 8 months. I keep my young leopard that won't be 2 until November in a closed chamber since it hatched. I will take him outside during warm summer months for a couple hours but mostly he lives in the humid chamber inside. I don't have as high of a humidity as you or the OP though.
I have seen hatchlings though from Florida that were not kept with any more humidity then what is already in Florida and they still pyramid.
Do you let your RF spend all day outside under two years and house them in a humid environment only at night?
 

Jennifer M

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I'm in South Georgia and my Redfoot is about the same age/size as yours. She goes outside in a secure, covered enclosure for about 4 hours each day. The rest of the time she's inside her closed chamber in our house.
 

ZEROPILOT

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No, adults yes should be outside. However, this one is 8 months. I keep my young leopard that won't be 2 until November in a closed chamber since it hatched. I will take him outside during warm summer months for a couple hours but mostly he lives in the humid chamber inside. I don't have as high of a humidity as you or the OP though.
I have seen hatchlings though from Florida that were not kept with any more humidity then what is already in Florida and they still pyramid.
Do you let your RF spend all day outside under two years and house them in a humid environment only at night?
Both my semi secured adult enclosure and my very secured baby enclosure have supplemental misting systems as well as pools for self soaking.
In South FLORIDA, the humidity is only 100% adequate in the summer months. In the summer months, it also commonly rains for about an hour every afternoon and it stays over 90% humid.
In the winter time by comparison, the humidity level is down to about 40%.
 

Sycamore

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So, I'm also planning on starting an inside Winter enclosure after I do the outside one, probably 4x2x1 ft dimensions with closed floor and open top, same questions.

1. Should I use wood glue or nails/screws and what should my worries be regarding rust?
2. What kind of wood?
3. Also, do most people put in some kind of lining to keep the wood from rotting?

Thanks again, everyone has been a lot of help.:)

P.S. I just tried adding this avatar from my phone but it's looking pretty fuzzy so I think maybe to upload some pictures from the computer later, is this what most of you all do?
 

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