Tortoise Pellets vs Fresh Veggies

[Tom]

Carolyn, We don't want you to feel as if you are under attack, but our concern is for your tortoise. Tortoises, and especially russians, need a lot of room to move around. They need large enclosures relative to their size and compared to other reptiles. Letting them outside to roam once in a while when you have time in a busy college schedule is both dangerous for the tortoise and not an effective solution to this tortoises daily need to move around in a large familiar territory. Its really very easy to screw some sides to a sheet of ply wood. The folks at any hardware store will even be glad to use their saws to cut the wood for you.

The bottom line is that if you are unable to provide this tortoise with what it needs, for whatever reason, then it should be with someone who can. This is not an insult or an attack in any way. Its just reality, and its whats best for the animal involved in this discussion.

 

[Carolyn M]

No don't worry, I do not feel insulted. Sorry if I came off that way. I do understand, and appreciate your concern. I have thought about giving him away, but decided to see if I could care for him first. After reading some of the responses, i decided to switch to a tortoise table for him which I will begin working on. That will be able to stay at my house, and I will also start looking into different options for when I am at school. I think a double-decker cage would be the easiest way to start and I'll see if there are any other options. I may also consider letting him hibernate in the sun room sense it will be cold, but I will have to do more research first. Thank you for your help, i know this thread kind of got off track. Does anyone have any suggestions to where I can get blue-prints to an easy to make tortoise table?

 

[Tom]

You didn't come off in any sort of negative way at all. Some people, some of the time, just get very defensive when we "gang up" on them and tell them they are doing it "wrong". Its an understandable reaction, but if we offend people, they usually just leave and then there tortoise doesn't get the help it needs. So the above posts are just my attempt at being tactful and helpful vs. confrontational or mean.

I don't have blue prints but I might have a pic that will help:
In the foreground is a simple sunning enclosure. I got an 8 foot long 2x12 and cut it in half. Then I screwed those pieces to two 8' long uncut pieces. The lid is a safety measure for small tortoises outside. You could skip the lid if your tortoise doesn't need it. In the background are two enclosures made basically the same way, but they have plywood on the bottom. Its just a 2x12 frame screwed to some plywood. If you cut some plywood in half lengthwise you could easily make your sides 16" or 24" tall and frame with 2x4s. This type of enclosure is a much less complex build than a double decker.

 

[Carolyn M]

Okay thank you. i am going to start working on it and will upload pics when it's done.