Thoughts on enclosure

[tonythetiger]

I am looking for an enclosure for our newly acquired Russian tortoise that will keep dogs out and our two year old will be able to view him w/o touching. I found this in craigslist and would like your thoughts.
http://grandrapids.craigslist.org/for/4863038587.html

He is currently in a makeshift tortoise table made from an old book case but it is not working for us.

 

[russian/sulcata/tortoise]

welcome to the forum and happy birthday! i would say that enclosure is to small, the minimum enclosure for an adult russian is 4ft by 8ft.

 

[Kenzi W]

I think it's a nice size but aquariums are a pain to clean. It doesn't have much ventilation so you might want to be cautious with heat and humidity. It is a nice size (If their measurements are correct), but it might be cheaper to build your own.

 

[leigti]

I agree that you could probably build something cheaper on your own and that it is too small. how big is your current enclosure? You could use plexiglass for one wall of it. Or build up all sides with plexiglass check out the enclosures section for some ideas. One of my favorite ones is when somebody use a bunk bed frame and Belton enclosure. It was very creative. maybe give us some pictures of your current enclosure and we could suggest how to add to it to make it work. What kind of dogs by the way?

 

[Jodie]

It is very pretty, but too small for a Russian. There are a lot of enclosure ideas in the enclosure section.

 

[bouaboua]

I agree with this is way too small for a russian tortoise. $275.00. I can build a very nice 4 X 8 indoor enclosure that can keep your dog out and your two year old kid to view the torts without touching.

 

[Kenzi W]

I just came back and reread the enclosure size and i realized I misunderstood the dimensions! It IS way too small! Sorry!

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, and welcome to the Forum!

If you can't set the tortoise up in a safe, outdoor yard, then you'll need the very biggest indoor space you can provide. Russian tortoises are hard wired to wander over great distances and if you pen him up in a small space he'll drive you crazy scratching in the corners.

 

[Kenzi W]

I agree with Yvonne. You could try to build your own with plexiglass but again its not the best idea to make a clear habitat because he will get stressed out by not being able to go through the wall.

 

[leigti]

You can put a border along the bottom part so that he can't see out easily. But you can still see the tortoise relatively easily. Or just make one part clear instead of all four sides if that works better. i've heard that some tortoises don't like glass or plexiglass at all and it stresses them and others don't seem to mind at all. You just Kinda have to see how your tortoise reacts.

 

[tonythetiger]

Thanks for all of the responses. I appreciate the feedback. I will be building a nice table for him in the future but for now we have a 4' x 2' plastic tub (actually a rabbit cage). Works well for now and keeps the kids and dogs out while allowing everyone to see him still. Plus it has a nice hide on one end.

Our tortoise is a 9 year old Russian we named Tank. He is about five inches long. He was not taken care of very well according to our vet. He had a visit with the doc on Friday to trim his beak and check him over. He was not getting enough uva/uvb light and had some infections in the past that you can tell from the way the shell is now. She said his beak was so long she was surprised he could eat. He will be well taken care of now. The kids adore him!

Here is a pic of him right after we got him. (pre visit to the vet)