Predators?

[Toddrickfl1]

What predators should I be most concerned about? I just got a redfoot this weekend. He is about 7 inches. I want to build an outdoor enclosure for him for the summer. I live outside Atlanta, and it is quite wooded in my backyard. I have seen coyotes, large owls, and hawks in my yard from time to time and this concerns me. Should I definitely build a top for the enclosure, or can I just provide him plenty of places to hide? Any tips from experienced tortoise owners would be appreciated

 

[Yvonne G]

I had a few box turtles killed by a raccoon last summer. They are definitely a threat.

 

[Toddrickfl1]

I've lived in my house about 15yrs and have yet to see a raccoon. I assume their probably around though. I had originally planned on getting some Box Turtles but I found out they are illegal to own in the state of GA

 

[Bambam1989]

Coyotes, large predatory birds, stray dogs, raccoons, opossums.. I would not take a chance. I would put wire all the way around and over the enclosure.

 

[Tom]

If you lock the tortoise up at night, and only have it out running around during the day, the only animal that is likely to bother a 7" tortoise is a dog. The family dog is probably the biggest threat there is to the family tortoise.

I use heated night boxes outside and the tortoises put themselves away. I just close the doors and latch them shut every evening, then open the doors each morning. Like this: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/another-night-box-thread.88966/#post-828952

 

[Toddrickfl1]

I had thought about doing that, just putting him outside in the morning and bringing him in during the evening. My dog doesn't seem to be bothered by the tortoise, but he's never let out unsupervised anyway

 

[Bambam1989]

Here in Western Washington. Bald eagles have made a come back. In my area there are alot of incidents of them swooping down and snatching people's small pets. Was told by a lady last year that one stole a 20pound turkey. She heard a bunch of noise and walked outside just in time to see it flying off with it...

 

[Tom]

My dog doesn't seem to be bothered by the tortoise...

That is how it happens. Dog shows no interest for months or years, and then, one day…

The only safe bet and the only good advice is to have some sort of fence or barrier, so that the dog cannot physically get to the tortoise. I know you intend to always supervise, but one day a kid, or the washer repair man, or a visiting relative is going to let the dog out with out you realizing it. Or you will be distracted by a phone call, or a home emergency, or a pretty butterfly… Just don't take the chance, and you won't be one of the dozens of people that post here asking what to do when the family dog chews up the family tortoise. I don't intend for this to sound mean or harsh, and I hope it doesn't, but I don't ever want to see another tortoise mauled, eaten or chewed up by a loving family dog. People just don't realize the danger, or take proper precautions, until its too late. I hope my words here can prevent it from happening.

 

[Yvonne G]

I had thought about doing that, just putting him outside in the morning and bringing him in during the evening. My dog doesn't seem to be bothered by the tortoise, but he's never let out unsupervised anyway

Most of us have sheds or night houses that we close the tortoise inside at night. That way the tortoise isn't disrupted by taking him in the house. He just goes into his house and in the evening you close his door to keep him in and critters out.

 

[Toddrickfl1]

I understand what you're saying. I don't have a fenced in backyard so my dog NEVER goes out not on the leash or tied to his rope and left unsupervised. The spot I have planned for the tortoise enclosure is way out of reach from my dog when he's tied to his rope outside. However I am going to look into possibly putting up a chain link fence around the tortoise enclosure just to be safe

 

[Toddrickfl1]

Most of us have sheds or night houses that we close the tortoise inside at night. That way the tortoise isn't disrupted by taking him in the house. He just goes into his house and in the evening you close his door to keep him in and critters out.

This is something I'm going to look into too

 

[Toddrickfl1]

How do you maintain the humidity outdoors too? Here in GA it gets pretty humid in the summers but not everyday.

 

[theguy67]

I would put up a fence to keep dogs out. Even if your dog is contained, a stray could show up. You also mentioned coyotes.

I keep a group of redfoots in central Texas. For humidity I provided two burrows, as well as sprinklers set on a timer. Thick shrubbery will also help. Unless you have a greenhouse, you won't be able to keep the entire pen at the same conditions to their natural habitat. The best way to solve this is by providing "micro-climates".

Also, locking them up in a heated night box may be a good way to keep them safe from traditional predators, but unless you have your fire ants under control (which I think Tom has), it can be just as dangerous. When it cools down, I've had issues with ants being drawn to my enclosures. I don't know if you have ant problems, but I thought I should bring them up as well.

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

predators // I have seen coyotes, large owls, and hawks in my yard from time to time and this concerns me. Should I definitely build a top for the enclosure, // Any tips from experienced tortoise owners would be appreciated

~ Predators are real and always of concern.

 

[Oxalis]

The biggest problem outdoors for my tort are raptors and neighborhood cats. We also have a lot of rabbits in the neighborhood eating our garden plants. To solve both issues, I not only put up walls with bricks under them to keep my tortoise inside, I covered the entire enclosure with chicken wire to everything else out. The chicken wire is wrapped around a wooden frame:

 

[CharlieM]

These are a few different enclosures I’ve constructed over the years as the tortoises grew. The plants helped with shade and humidity and they were built to prevent any predators from getting in. Each one was built with a totally shaded area and some sun. In the winter I’ve used plexiglass to keep heat in from the sun and keep the humidity up. At night I’ve used tarps and a ceramic heat emitter to keep them warm on our rare cool nights.