Tortoise VS raised garden beds

[Cam1295]

Hi,

We plan to let our new rescue Sulcata free roam our yard. He’s 18 and approx 100lbs. A couple questions:

We have raised outdoor garden beds (approx. 11in tall) with veggies. Will he be able to climb into these?

We have skunks and raccoons that sometimes come by at night. Are these a concern for his size?

 

[Tom]

Hi,

We plan to let our new rescue Sulcata free roam our yard. He’s 18 and approx 100lbs. A couple questions:

We have raised outdoor garden beds (approx. 11in tall) with veggies. Will he be able to climb into these?

We have skunks and raccoons that sometimes come by at night. Are these a concern for his size?

Where in CA are you? Different advice for San Francisco vs. San Fernando.

Yes he will eat everything in your garden beds, so fence that off and make sure not to plant anything toxic like tomatoes or potatoes.

You will need a heated night box for him to sleep in at night, so the local predators and critters will not be a problem. In some areas, it is best to let them use burrows to escape scorching summer heat, but they still need the heated box for the rest of the year. Here are two examples:

Single Tortoise Night Box

I like my larger tortoises to live outside full time. My climate permits this year round with a little help. For people who live where it snows all winter, this type of box is still good for warmer weather, getting them out earlier in Spring, and keeping them out a bit later into fall. You'll...

tortoiseforum.org

Double Door Night Box

As the years have gone by and I build more of these boxes, I learn more and more each time. This one is the latest and I incorporated everything I've learned over the years. I also tried to take lots of pics so I can explain in more detail some of what is going on. It will take multiple posts to...

tortoiseforum.org