Tortoise home size

[Schatzi011]

Right now, Hercules sleeps in a wooden box which is only an inch wider than him. We have been thinking of getting a larger home and eventually will go the home depot route. Anyway, he uses his home to sleep, but we've noticed that sometimes it takes him a while to back out in the morning. He usually wakes up pretty slowly and takes around 10 minutes from when he first stirs till he actually leaves his home (we time this departure every day), but lately he has kicked around a lot more and taken longer to get out of his box. He has an inch clearance, but maybe that isn't enough. He does like tight spaces though and I worry that if we get him a much larger home, he will do something else, like squeeze behind it or so to get into a tighter place. We usually change his home every year. Any ideas? Thanks.

 

[phebe121]

What kind is he ,id say he needs bigger if you only had an inch to move would be crazy bigger is better

 

[Yvonne G]

In my opinion, your tortoise needs an area big enough that he can turn around. I would say at least twice as big around as he is.

If you use a pig blanket or heat pad on the floor, you want enough space that he can get off the pad if it malfunctions or if he wants to cool down.

Quite a few folks here use night boxes, but I prefer a regular shed. I want to be able to go inside and clean it out while I'm standing up, not leaning over a wall with the lid propped open. But, I'm old and standing up is much easier on my body.

 

[bouaboua]

Yvonne you are not old. Lots young folks will be shame to compare with you.

I will say build as big as you can for Hercules. I have two outdoor shed. One I can enter, other one I build large maintenance door that I can use water hose to hose off if needed. Actually both shed are build with hose off exits for easy clean up.

Here are both outdoor "night" box!

 

[Tom]

Its time to just build his grown up house and be done with it. I suggest something like this:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/another-night-box-thread.88966/

The benefit is that he is always warm and can be locked up for safety while he sleeps. If he's cold, he can get on and under the heating elements. If he's feeling warm enough, he can move to the side of the box with no heating elements, but still be safely contained in the warm air.

 

[Schatzi011]

I'm not talking about his enclosure. I'm talking about the actual sleeping place where he goes to sleep within his enclosure. His enclosure is much, much larger with a grass area, water dishes, plants, sun bathing area, etc. It is outside. Then, within that enclosure, I keep a wooden box where he goes at night to sleep.
The problem with a really large sleeping box is that he won't use it if it is too large. Instead, he will push it around and then crawl behind it where there is just a small space.

 

[Schatzi011]

By the way, he is a sulcata. Thanks for the advice. I'll build him a bigger box this weekend and see how he goes, keeping the old one around in case he prefers it still.

Tom, I love the link you posted. I think I'll build that one. Looks great and pretty simple to build.

 

[Tom]

By the way, he is a sulcata. Thanks for the advice. I'll build him a bigger box this weekend and see how he goes, keeping the old one around in case he prefers it still.

Tom, I love the link you posted. I think I'll build that one. Looks great and pretty simple to build.

Too heavy for him to move too.

 

[Heather H]

hi I know you are not new but this thread might help.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/attention-new-members.112263/
can you show me pictures of your enclosures. I love to see how others do it. And there are really great ideas on here that your tortoise can benefit from and many times ways that are less expensive.

 

[Heather H]

here is another one that I wrote that you might like.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/dont-ask-if-you-wont-take-the-advice.110935/#post-1031443

 

[Schatzi011]

I'll try to get up some photos later. The place is only temporary though as I think it is way too small for him. We're buying a house soon, and then he will have the full run of the yard. I can't wait for the extra space and think it will really do him some good.

 

[Heather H]

my son wants a large tortoise but I have to remind him that we get soooooo cold in ohio and that would not work. He said we could give the tort his bedroom and he would sleep on the couch