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| Star Tortoise Treasury | * Indian, Sri Lankan, and Burmese Star Tortoises... plus a few other tortoises... |
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Indian Star Tortoise
Burmese Star Tortoise Other Starred Tortoises Angulate Tortoise Misc. Pages
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Star Tortoise Housing p.3 Outdoor enclosures
My backyard at sunrise. I am fortunate to live in a warm climate, so my Star tortoises get to spend a lot of time outside living a 'real' tortoise life. :O)
Stars outside I keep my Sri Lankan and Burmese Star tortoises outside when the weather is sunny and the temperature is at least 70 °F (21 °C). For very small babies, like hatchlings, you might want to wait until it's 75 °F (24 °C). I do not leave my Star tortoises out overnight for temperature and security reasons. Evenings, when they come back in, they usually get a quick bath for wash-up and rehydration. Ideally, never keep Star tortoises, even adults, outside if the temperature falls down to 60-65 °F (15-18 °C), unless they have a heated house they can retreat to.
Outdoor pens I have used both wooden and stone pens outdoors. I like enclosures build with natural looking stone blocks better than ones made with plain concrete construction bricks (cement blocks, cinder blocks). I just casually place the stones on top of each other. This makes my backyard look like it's full of ancient Greek ruins. Maybe an archeological dig site. :O) The advantage of blocks is that pens can be build in any shape, moved, and enlarged as needed. Small tortoises cannot push or move these blocks because they weigh about 20 lb each. Stone blocks also retain heat from the sun. During the cooler spring and fall afternoons, my tortoises can stay warm by staying next to the heat radiating stone walls.
Stone pen with 2-block high walls and edible plants grown from seeds.
A pen with all natural vegetation, i.e. weeds that grew from windblown seeds. The mushroom garden statue in the middle not only provides additional shade but also supports the netting in the middle of the pen. There is a Star tortoise in the photo, but she's very well camouflaged. :O) Indian, Sri Lankan, and Burmese Star tortoises are not superior climbers and they won't be able to scale these rough block walls, but you have to be careful with good climbers like Box Turtles and Russians. With them, you'll have to build the enclosure walls so that they won't be able to get footholds between the blocks. In other words, stack the higher levels slightly inward. Tightly packed, smooth cinder blocks or smooth wood walls might be more suitable for them. An escape-proof cover would provide additional security. If you keep different species in the pens, it's a good idea to leave a buffer zone between them to avoid cross-contamination. For example, if the pens share a wall, soiled water may seep from one pen to another. I give each tortoise species its own reserved area of the backyard. I don't mix species or overlap their outdoor living quarters.
Pen with 3 blocks high walls I don't keep huge tortoise species, so I like to build my outdoor tortoise runs long and fairly narrow. This way I can reach all parts of the pen without having to step into it. Helps me avoid cross-contamination between pens of different species. However, I don't want the pens too narrow either. That may encourage tortoises to pace the walls instead of exploring the enclosure. Now, if I only kept one tortoise species and had only one outdoor pen, I would build it large, roundish, wide, and with irregularly shaped walls (not straight). Wide areas with irregular borders would look and feel more natural to the tortoises. With only one pen, I wouldn't have to worry about cross-contamination either. If your tortoise pens are very large, it's useful to have a pair of garden clogs next to each pen. Having a designated pair of shoes for each enclosure helps prevent transferring microorganisms and parasites between pens. Remember to wash your hands thoroughly, too. Also, do not share water and food dishes between different pens, and especially not between different species. Wild birds and neighborhood cats are the only predators I (may) I also have a video monitoring system that allows me to observe my Star tortoise outdoor pens from inside my house. Just in case.
Beginnings of the landscaping The small patio table provides a shaded area until the plants grow bigger. Putting shade cloth over part of the pen is another quick way to provide shade. Under the table is a large, shallow flower pot saucer dug into the ground. It is filled with pebbles and water. Because my Stars like to taste everything new, I chose pebbles that are too large for them to eat. In the evening, I dump out the water and rocks from the water dishes, and let them dry. The hot morning sun will then help disinfect them (before refilling) to reduce pathogen growth.
Maturing plants Same pen as above, but with more mature plants. I often just throw some seeds from edible plants into the tortoise pens, water them, and they grow! :O) I water my tortoise pens early in the morning, and on really hot summer days, I water the pens during the day as well to help keep them cooler and less dry. Can you find any Stars in the photo? It's a good idea to supply the tortoises with plenty of plants to eat and hide under, variations in the ground level, several hiding places, and a choice of substrates. Obstacles, like rocks or logs, and small mounds of dirt create many different paths for the tortoises to follow. For small tortoises, the enclosure should also have a predator-proof cover. Climbers will need high, escape-proof walls and/or a cover, and diggers will need a dig-proof bottom or perimeter (e.g. Russian tortoises and Box Turtles).
Simple wood pen Here's an example of a simple, portable wooden pen. It can be moved to any location on the yard as needed. This type of enclosure works well for Star tortoises because they do not dig or climb. Top and bottom levels of the side panels can be separated for easier transport. Notice the wooden 'pegs' on the inside walls holding the second level in place. Covered corners provide shady hiding places and help prevent any climbing attempts. Enclosure corners are favorite climbing spots for tortoises (not Stars) who like to scale walls. If you use good quality wood for the pen, it will last many years. The pen in the photo looks very weathered because it's over 15 years old!
Bottom level Here you can see how the bottom level is constructed. Six wooden 'pegs' attached to the inside walls keep the top level in place. Just simply place the top level on the bottom level. No nails, screws or other attachment needed. Also notice the small wood blocks in the corners. The top layer is build the same way, just with covered corners and no 'pegs'.
Ideas for outdoor enclosures Concrete blocks Large, hollow-core, concrete construction blocks (16"x8"x8") are a popular, easy-to-use building material for outdoor tortoise pens. They can also be called concrete masonry units, foundation blocks, cement blocks, cinder blocks, or breeze blocks. Concrete blocks can be be gray or brown in color. All you need to do is to stack them. You can finish the top of the wall with thinner 2" block caps to hide the holes on the top of the walls. These blocks are very heavy, 20-30 lbs each, and require no mortar to install, unless your tortoises are jumbo size or super excavators. For example, big sulcatas can push the walls down and burrowing tortoises may dig under the block walls to cause them to collapse. Concrete blocks cost less than $1 a piece, but they are not very attractive looking. Wood or plastic timber kits A fast and easy way to construct an outdoor enclosure for a small If you use wire netting with large gaps, like chicken wire, on the bottom of the outdoor pen and your tortoise is an energetic digger (Stars are not), be sure to put a think layer of dirt on top of it. Otherwise your tortoise may dig down to the wire mesh and get caught in the netting. Rabbit cages and pens For small baby tortoises who are not diggers or climbers, a large rabbit cage can be used as temporary outdoor tortoise pen. However, even the largest cage is only big enough for a baby tortoise. Always provide cooler, shady areas! You could put a large flower pot next to the cage or attach a sheet of shade cloth to a side wall to provide shade. For added stability and safety, you can stake the pen to the ground with dog exercise pen stakes or garden pins. Preferably, you should cover the bottom perimeter of the pen so that the tortoise cannot see through it.
Rabbit cage as a temporary outdoor pen for a little baby. This cage has no bottom grid, so the tortoise can freely walk on the dirt. It should be staked to the ground for security. If the pen comes with a metal or plastic bottom, remove it (unless you fill it with a thick layer of dirt). Metal and plastic can get very hot in the sun. You don't want to cook your baby! Some outdoor rabbit runs have an attached wooden hutch that looks like a dog house (no pic). During hot weather, the hutch Dog crates and pens For babies and small tortoises, dog play pens Dog runs I have also used chain link dog kennel runs
Heated houses If you leave your tortoises out in colder weather, they will need a heated house. Dog houses Hi Tech Building Systems (Premium Pet Products) manufactures a dog house climate control system Other outdoor heating choices include ceramic heat emitters, farm animal heat blankets (solid mats), and hound heaters. If installing the heater on the inside of the tortoise house, be careful. You don't want your tortoise to burn himself or the heating unit to become a fire hazard. If you are using a dog house with high-pitched, removable roof, you can put a sheet of metal mesh in as a lower, inner ceiling, and then install the heat lamp above it.
Moving tortoises Some tortoise keepers are strongly against moving tortoises between pens. There are tortoises that do find this kind of Interestingly, I found an article on husbandry and breeding of Golden Greek tortoises that addresses this issue. It was written in 2007 by David S. Lee and Mike Lowe of the Tortoise Reserve. Excerpt: "Group wintering indoors: Despite being moved in and out, and from pen to pen on a regular basis these turtles show no sign of stress and seem content with the routine, often feeding and mating within minutes of being moved. This is contrary to what some authors have suggested as they insist that the captive tortoises should be handled and moved as little as possible in order to assure consistency and to achieve maximum reproductive success."
Links Outdoor enclosures
Disease prevention
See also Star tortoise housing p.1 and housing p.2 for detailed indoor enclosure descriptions, general care info, and photos.
I live in lizard country! :O) I see a lot of lizards in my backyard. They like to sun themselves on hot rocks. A close-up of a handsome fence lizard. |
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have to worry about, so I cover my little tortoises' pens with bird netting. I weigh it down by putting smaller stone blocks around the pen. I like aviary mesh because it's cheap, can be cut to any size, and it's almost invisible from far away. It also prevents cats from using my pens as their toilets. However, bird netting is not sturdy enough to keep serious predators away. Plastic nets also degrade in the sun, so they need to be replaced every season.
tortoise is to use ready-made 
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part of the pen should be positioned in a shady spot to prevent overheating in the sun. Check the temperature inside the hut to be sure. This small, portable 
bricks or other dig-proof materials along the wall below the surface level. To prevent your tortoise seeing through the chain links and trying to get out through them, cover the bottom one foot of the run or use chain link fence slats along the bottom. Fence slats are great because they will prevent climbing attempts (by tortoises other than Stars) better than boards on the outside. A top netting or panel may be added to make the pen predator proof. You can attach pieces of cardboard or shade cloth to the dog run walls to provide more shade.
environmental change distressing while other tortoises are fine with it. Mine seem to have adapted to it without problems. Switching between indoor and outdoor pens is a familiar routine for them.