Underground Perimeter Around Enclosure

[dizzy_808]

Hello,
As I am designing and constructing a 5’ x 6’ outdoor enclosure for my 4” Russian Viktorya, I have come across the question of how deep to set my hardware cloth into the ground around the perimeter of my enclosure. The main walls of the pen are douglads fir, and stapled near the bottom will be the hardware cloth to prevent Viktorya from escaping, and to prevent the intrusion of predators. I have the option of trenching down up to 18”, does anyone have any recommendations on how deep to set it? (Predators might include raccoons, squirells, rats.) Thank you.

 

[NorCal tortoise guy]

Russians really like to dig and with all those possible preditors I would think 12 inches would be a good idea. Always better to go over board then regret it so if 18 is not much more work go for it. Also if it’s possible to make the enclosure bigger do it. I and I’m sure lots of other keeper always end up expanding the enclosure at more work then if I had just made it bigger to start with haha

 

[KarenSoCal]

I went down 12 inches for my desert tort, and they are pretty industrious diggers like Russians. So far he hasn't dug out.