Protecting from Sulcata backyard demolition projects

[kewp]

Hi. My Sulcata, pancake, is around 75 pounds now and has discovered his inner decorator and demolitions tendencies.
For example, he used to be able to walk under our outdoor faucet. Not anymore. It broke on a holiday weekend. Water spraying everywhere. He is also thinks he can still get around the ac unit and wants to come inside THROuGH the sliding glass doors.

I don’t care about the random chairs walking across the patio and I’ve strapped down the expensive pottery. I have no idea about the faucets, sprinklers, and glass doors.

Any easy diy suggestions? I’m attaching some pics of Pancake and the offending areas…..

Thanks

 

[kewp]

Wanted to add a pic showing roughly full yard. He has full access to w everything. Seems happy. Luckily no borrowing so far.


. It’s hot out here!

 

[Yvonne G]

What a brat! I firmly believe that a sulcata has no idea how big he is in back of his head. But I also believe they do destruction on purpose sometimes.

You could put up a decorative, tortoise strong fence around the patio.

 

[Dustin]

I agree with @Yvonne G you need to keep him off the patio. Those pots you have strapped to the columns are going to have the stands knocked out from under them. He will probably knock over the glass tables at some point as well. If you aren't home to catch it, he will probably start to eat the glass and pottery shards once they hit the ground. It is going to be expensive and you will wind up resenting him.

 

[ecachuh]

Solid barriers...and I mean solid. If they can see it, they will bulldoze!

 

[ecachuh]

Hi. My Sulcata, pancake, is around 75 pounds now and has discovered his inner decorator and demolitions tendencies.
For example, he used to be able to walk under our outdoor faucet. Not anymore. It broke on a holiday weekend. Water spraying everywhere. He is also thinks he can still get around the ac unit and wants to come inside THROuGH the sliding glass doors.

I don’t care about the random chairs walking across the patio and I’ve strapped down the expensive pottery. I have no idea about the faucets, sprinklers, and glass doors.

Any easy diy suggestions? I’m attaching some pics of Pancake and the offending areas…..

Thanks

View attachment 378814View attachment 378816View attachment 378817View attachment 378818View attachment 378819View attachment 378820View attachment 378821

BTW, He's a very handsome Tort!

 

[kewp]

How tall would you make the fence? I wouldn’t have a problem fencing off the main square area of patio. That’s where all the furniture / pretty Potts/ offending glass doors are. Would have to be a longer term project though.

For the faucets /sprinklers / ac I was thinking of something like this….

.

There is a second pair of sliding doors into a bedroom with drapes. She used to insist on sharing her breakfast with “the creature” (she had dementia and was in hospice). He bumps against those occasionally looking for the oatmeal and toast lady, but I think the drapes I hung helped and that aren’t really opened anymore.

 

[wellington]

Either what Yvonne said or just a small solid, non see thru barrier around the faucet and across the front of the slider.

 

[wellington]

How tall would you make the fence? I wouldn’t have a problem fencing off the main square area of patio. That’s where all the furniture / pretty Potts/ offending glass doors are. Would have to be a longer term project though.

For the faucets /sprinklers / ac I was thinking of something like this….

.View attachment 378833

There is a second pair of sliding doors into a bedroom with drapes. She used to insist on sharing her breakfast with “the creature” (she had dementia and was in hospice). He bumps against those occasionally looking for the oatmeal and toast lady, but I think the drapes I hung helped and that aren’t really opened anymore.

Yes, you posted just before my last post. Exactly what I was posting you could do.

 

[Sarah2020]

I think it needs it's own reinforced enclosure. Just bulldozing around it going to get tiresome and potentially harmful. Perfect example of what these cute hatchlings mature into . Nice tort . Please keep us posted.

 

[kewp]

Thanks for all the suggestions. Will start with the barriers around faucets and work up to enclosing the main patio.

He’s a good boy (most the time). He used to come in at night until I stopped being able to handle him. Think that’s why he tries to get through the doors. Wants to be with people.




The “Breakfast Lady” (my grandma…thus tortoise was only animal she ever liked)

 

[SinLA]

yeah its unfortunate, we see a lot of that here, especially what I call the "Instagram effect" because so many people see tortoises wandering the house or mixing with other pets (or eating fruit), but places like this board see the results of that that doesn't get shown online - namely when the tortoise is hurt or killed because of being raised that way. Good luck, I hope you get it sorted!

 

[Maggie3fan]

My Mary Knobbins is destructive like that...I freaking love Sulcata anyway. lol Honestly, he is only going to get bigger and more destructive. You really need to make plans for that. Seriously, you cannot have Sulcata AND a nice yard. Pick now...
this is Mary Knobbins
This is where she lives
her pen is made from 2 high cinderblocks.

The bottom right is the box turtle pond, Mary likes to knock over the blocks there and she takes herself for a swim...this photo was taken in the fall. The swimming is in warm weather...Mary is pretty pyramided as she's had a pretty difficult life.
Please believe my experience when I say your tortoise needs his own enclosure to be safe...he will get worse...Mary is easier to keep as she has her own world...

 

[Tom]

Your tortoise needs a tortoise enclosure. Loose in the yard is a recipe for any number of disasters. You’ve already received your wake up call with the broken faucet. Do you have a heated night box for him?

Another major problem is the concrete. Eventually that will wear through the tough scales on his feet and you will find bloody foot prints all over your patio, Then, because the tortoise won’t stop walking on them, those wounds never heal and can get infected. It’s a bad deal. Prevent it now. Keep the tortoise off the concrete,

18 inches will usually be tall enough for the walls. Go 24 inches if you want to be extra thorough. It needs to be an opaque barrier, not anything see-through.