Like so many, we re-purposed an old raised tomato bed for a tortoise enclosure. The plants had died over the winter and we had an unexpected need for another enclosure. We added height to accommodate plants; then, a lid with 1/4 inch hardware cloth was affixed to the top. We added plants, a few hides and a large ceramic plant saucer for water/soaking.
We're pretty diligent about ensuring there is a layer of hardware cloth under the enclosures we build, and for some reason didn't give a thought to the tomato bed not having that barrier. The reason for hardware cloth is two-fold. In addition to keeping your tortoises in... the hardware cloth will keep predators that dig (like rats) out. It is an important feature, especially if your tort is a digger! When outside, we check on the tortoises frequently. She was busy each time we looked in on her... foraging, soaking or exploring. Late in the afternoon, she didn't appear to be in her enclosure. A quick walk around the entire bed, here she was popping up on the outside of her enclosure! Needless to say, we'll be working backward with this enclosure... removing the substrate, installing hardware cloth, back-filling the bed, re-installing the tunnels, hides and other hardscaping before re-planting. The only thing we won't need to worry about are the height and lid - which are still perfect. Just a friendly reminder to think about all SIX sides of your enclosure, so you don't have to dig everything up and essentially start from scratch later!
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorThe Tort Resort is a Whidbey Island based project dedicated to rescue and rehab of smaller tortoise species. Archives
June 2021
Categories
All
|