sulcata outdoor shed floor or no floor?

[heathedw]

I'm planning a outdoor pen for my sulcata. About 20 lbs. It will be 6 feet long and 4 feet wide. Roof with shingles. I will add some insulation. Going to add about 12 inches of hay and a heater with a thermostat and fan from Lowes which will shut off if it turns over. I will probably build a shelf which is very secure for it. Maybe set to 50. I did read a few places that said 12 inches of hay would be fine without a heater but idk.

My question is the floor.

Would it be better to have a floor or not to have a floor?

Please consider cleaning, etc. I am located in Alabama. I have read some articles which say no floor. I guess I could just clean out the hay from poop and urine. This seems harder with a wood floor. Not sure if a floor would help with heat but if they burrow then they are probably not use to a floor anyway.

If I missed a thread like this somewhere, please just post the link and I will read. Thanks a bunch.

 

[Yvonne G]

If you don't want your tortoise digging a burrow that ends up at the center of the earth, then you'll want to put in a floor.

 

[Dizisdalife]

I would plan on setting the thermostat to about 60 at least, if not 70. I set mine at 75 in the summer and 85 during the winter. You probably should have a floor.

 

[Tom]

I have built a couple with no floor. Yvonne is right. They went so deep I think I could hear Chinese people down there. Let me tell you that retro fitting a floor into an enclosure that is already three feet underground is NOT easy!

I highly recommend you get your own reptile thermostat and do not rely on the one that's on the heater. Those ones that come on the heater are not accurate and do not hold a steady temp at all. I would set it much warmer too. Sulcatas might be able to survive at 50, but they do not experience this in the wild, and I don't think anyone will argue that it is "good" for them. I also set mine for around 70-75 in the summer, when days get around 100 every day, and I set it for around 85 in the winter when the days don't get warm at all.

 

[Laura]

I use rubber stall matts. Feed stores sell them..