Timi the sulcata new outdoor playpen

[Trishk]

Hi all, what do you think of the little starter outdoor enclosure I made for my little sulcata Timi today? Made from a rabbit cage surrounded by salvaged cinder blocks. She is still quite small
at 7 months and 6.3 ounces( 178 grams). She is there to the rear right of the water dish and little pile of greens. I’ll be planting some tortoise friendly seeds in there real soon.
This is just for sun and exercise during the warmest part if the day. I still bring into her terrarium indoors most of the day.

 

[TammyJ]

It looks nice and secure but I would provide more shade, over at least half of it. How hot does it get and for how long is she there? She is small and needs carefully controlled temps and high humidity.

 

[Trishk]

It looks nice and secure but I would provide more shade, over at least half of it. How hot does it get and for how long is she there? She is small and needs carefully controlled temps and high humidity.

 

[Trishk]

Hi. I put her out for an hour. It was 72 degrees fahrenheit today. I will provide more shade per your suggestion, thanks.

 

[TammyJ]

I can tell you that 72 is too cool, especially in the shade, and an hour in that cool temp is too long. She is a baby Sulcata. Please read the sulcata care sheets especially "The best way to raise a young Sulcata" by Tom. I am not an expert but I also am learning a lot here.🐢

 

[Trishk]

Ok thanks.

I can tell you that 72 is too cool, especially in the shade, and an hour in that cool temp is too long. She is a baby Sulcata. Please read the sulcata care sheets especially "The best way to raise a young Sulcata" by Tom. I am not an expert but I also am learning a lot here.🐢

 

[Tom]

Hi all, what do you think of the little starter outdoor enclosure I made for my little sulcata Timi today? Made from a rabbit cage surrounded by salvaged cinder blocks. She is still quite small
at 7 months and 6.3 ounces( 178 grams). She is there to the rear right of the water dish and little pile of greens. I’ll be planting some tortoise friendly seeds in there real soon.
This is just for sun and exercise during the warmest part if the day. I still bring into her terrarium indoors most of the day.

This will work great. I have some minor suggestions for improvement:
1. Sink the water dish down into the dirt so the rim is almost level and fill it all the way up.
2. When temps are in the 70s, that black plastic flower pot is an okay hide. I don't know how far inland you are, but if temps ever reach the 80s in summer, it might get too hot.
3. Due to your climate and how cool it stays, I would not do a whole lot shade, but there does need to be some shade at all times. You could provide this by simply resting a 10-12" strip of plywood over the top. Place it in such a wide that it will continue to offer shade as the sun moves.

Soon you will have a giant yard destroyer, and then we have a whole different conversation. Instead of how to protect the tortoise we will be talking about how to protect everything else. Enjoy this baby stage and remember these two words: Grass hay. In about 6-12 months you will go through an exasperating period of putting out tons and tons of food only to have it gobbled up in minutes and the tortoise begging for more. There will be a brief moment of mild panic where you think to yourself: "I can hardly find enough food to feed this little thing now. How on earth am I ever going to feed it when it gets larger?" When that moment comes, and it will, remember my two words...

P.S. Star planting all sorts of tortoise food plants NOW! Lots of opuntia stands, lavatera, hibiscus, rose of Sharon, grape vines, and start looking for mulberry trees near you.

 

[Trishk]

Thanks for replying Tom. I will make the improvements you suggested.
I live about a half mile inland from the ocean
so the weather is pretty temperate, usually in the
60’s and 70’s fahrenheit. We do have occasional heat waves into the 80’s and 90’s.
I will start on planting those tortoise friendly plants too! Right now she still shows no interest in grass but likes mallow weed, clover and dandelion.
I sprinkle some powdered reptile calcium on her greens too a couple of times a week and also spray some reptile vitamins.