sbwalker5
Member
Hi there, just thought I'd share Douglas' temporary outdoor enclosure for this summer...
I've seen many people mention using those little sand pits, or kiddie paddling pools as an outdoor enclosure for smaller/younger tortoises. I had my eye on one like this from Toys R Us (I live in the UK) - http://www.toysrus.co.uk/Toys-R-Us/...ior-Pool-or-Sandpit(0105782)?searchPosition=8
As luck would have it, we have just moved into a new house, and the previous owner had just left behing something very similar! We gave it a good clean out, and I filled it with 10 litres of coconut coir. I added a few playsticks (made for hamsters/gerbils, but perfect for tortoises!), both to create sight barriers and to fence off a section of the sand pit that has a slightly lower wall. I gave him a large half-log and a plant pot on its side for somewhere to hide, along with a slate food plate, and a green plant pot saucer for fresh water...
This is perfect to have him outside with some natural sunshine, just for an hour or so on warm sunny days. He will be completely supervised, so I haven't felt the need to cover it with some wire mesh (this would be necessary without supervision). I will bring him out for an hour when I get in from work in the afternoon, then take him back to his indoor home. The sand pit also has a lid, so I put that on when it's not being used, to protect it.
The enclosure is about 80cm x 80cm, with walls around 20cm. It's about right for now, with Douglas only being 1 year old, and about 8cm long. This will give me until next summer to design and create a more permanent outdoor enclosure.
I hope this is useful to anyone...
I've seen many people mention using those little sand pits, or kiddie paddling pools as an outdoor enclosure for smaller/younger tortoises. I had my eye on one like this from Toys R Us (I live in the UK) - http://www.toysrus.co.uk/Toys-R-Us/...ior-Pool-or-Sandpit(0105782)?searchPosition=8
As luck would have it, we have just moved into a new house, and the previous owner had just left behing something very similar! We gave it a good clean out, and I filled it with 10 litres of coconut coir. I added a few playsticks (made for hamsters/gerbils, but perfect for tortoises!), both to create sight barriers and to fence off a section of the sand pit that has a slightly lower wall. I gave him a large half-log and a plant pot on its side for somewhere to hide, along with a slate food plate, and a green plant pot saucer for fresh water...
This is perfect to have him outside with some natural sunshine, just for an hour or so on warm sunny days. He will be completely supervised, so I haven't felt the need to cover it with some wire mesh (this would be necessary without supervision). I will bring him out for an hour when I get in from work in the afternoon, then take him back to his indoor home. The sand pit also has a lid, so I put that on when it's not being used, to protect it.
The enclosure is about 80cm x 80cm, with walls around 20cm. It's about right for now, with Douglas only being 1 year old, and about 8cm long. This will give me until next summer to design and create a more permanent outdoor enclosure.
I hope this is useful to anyone...
