Tortoises are becoming very popular pets. They are friendly, cute, slow, and don’t have to many care needs. But, there is only one problem: You can’t put them in a terrarium, because they are usually too small for an adult tortoise, and they can’t be kept in a pond or aquarium, either. This limits things down to pen. In most places and climates, most species can live outside, and in climates with colder winters, you can just put some heating mats down and maybe some heated basking rocks. Having a pen will not only let your pet have a bigger area to run around in, and rest in, natural playthings, but being outside will also boost it’s immune system. Making a pen does not have to be hard nor expensive, and can usually cost less then $100, and usually can take less then an hour and a half. There are many ways to do it, but we, quite frankly, think that the simple wooden box type pen is just as good and efficient as any fancy one, and just as efficient as a store-bought one. Your pen should be at least five feet long and three feet wide, and that depends on the species of tortoise. As always, we recommend getting bigger then is needed for the animal. To make the pen, pick up some lumber from your local hardware store, two boards at least five feet long and two others at least three feet long. Then, pick up two more of each, and some plywood that is as big as the two boards stacked up. If you can’t find any that size or smaller, then get the smallest you can and cut it. Here is a short list of items you need. No sizes or numbers because you may be doing a different size pen:
- Wood, at least 4 pieces for a square pen
- Drill
- Screws
- Chickenwire
- Tarp
Put together the wood. Then, dig out a whole, deep enough for the tortoise to bath and swim, and drink, then put the tarp in it.Put chicken wire on the ground, everywhere except the tarp whole. Put at least 5 inches of dirt on the ground. Put the chicken-wire over the top of the pen, with an opening area that you put a nail in the wood and stick the wire on it. This will let you open it, but protect it from nails. Once that’s done, fill the tarp with water, and place things like logs and rocks in. Make sure the turtle can hide. Set up the heater in one side, so that you have a hot side and cold side. Now you can introduce the turtle. He should love it! Make sure he gets the proper amount of food and change the water. Put in an extra bowl of water, as some tortoises will poop in water, and you don’t want it to drink fecal water. Monitor his behavior with other turtles. You may need to separate some if the pen isn’t big enough. If he is spending more time in water than land, you may have to separate any aquatic turtles.
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