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Pussygalore · 18-08-2014, 08:53 AM

I haven't had an adult one but would imagine that a decent size well insulated shed would be good enough with access outside through the day shut in at night. I know when we insulated ours for two Ibera a tubular heater the length of the shed kept it plenty warm enough at night and two suspended 160w combined bulbs did the job through the day. The shed was well insulated everywhere floor, roof and walls and lined over the insulation with boarding, the window was also 'double glazed' with perspex, ours had a opening cut into the door with a ramp and simple slot in piece of wood for nights. The size of the garden would need to be large and well fenced in although I've seen zoo's etc use posts set in the ground with gaps that the tort can't get through, they maybe stronger than just fencing as these torts dig. You wouldn't have much of a garden left so no planted borders etc unless you could fence them in and that they seem to prefer short rather than long grass. As for handling they obvioulsy get to a size where you can't lift them and I know members that keep them need a wheelbarrow or trolly to move them so vet visits would be hard and a vet that comes out maybe the only option with an adult. I don't think they are any harder to look after than a smaller tort but its just their size and strength that causes any problems. With a good heated building they'd probably come outside for a short while in most weathers and simply go back in when cold, one member in the USA showed photos of his outside in the snow so they'd be fine untill they got cold and an adult would stay warm for enough time to have a wander, and I'm sure theyd be fine if they had to be shut inside I doubt they behave any differently from any other tort if they had enough space to stretch their legs so the shed would need to be big enough. If money and space wasn't an object then a green house or covered run attached to the shed would be ideal with the outside access going from that, that way they'd always have somewhere to come out or at least that would be my idea of something ideal.

18-08-2014, 08:53 AM	#2
Pussygalore Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Cambridge Posts: 6,479	I haven't had an adult one but would imagine that a decent size well insulated shed would be good enough with access outside through the day shut in at night. I know when we insulated ours for two Ibera a tubular heater the length of the shed kept it plenty warm enough at night and two suspended 160w combined bulbs did the job through the day. The shed was well insulated everywhere floor, roof and walls and lined over the insulation with boarding, the window was also 'double glazed' with perspex, ours had a opening cut into the door with a ramp and simple slot in piece of wood for nights. The size of the garden would need to be large and well fenced in although I've seen zoo's etc use posts set in the ground with gaps that the tort can't get through, they maybe stronger than just fencing as these torts dig. You wouldn't have much of a garden left so no planted borders etc unless you could fence them in and that they seem to prefer short rather than long grass. As for handling they obvioulsy get to a size where you can't lift them and I know members that keep them need a wheelbarrow or trolly to move them so vet visits would be hard and a vet that comes out maybe the only option with an adult. I don't think they are any harder to look after than a smaller tort but its just their size and strength that causes any problems. With a good heated building they'd probably come outside for a short while in most weathers and simply go back in when cold, one member in the USA showed photos of his outside in the snow so they'd be fine untill they got cold and an adult would stay warm for enough time to have a wander, and I'm sure theyd be fine if they had to be shut inside I doubt they behave any differently from any other tort if they had enough space to stretch their legs so the shed would need to be big enough. If money and space wasn't an object then a green house or covered run attached to the shed would be ideal with the outside access going from that, that way they'd always have somewhere to come out or at least that would be my idea of something ideal. Last edited by Pussygalore; 18-08-2014 at 08:59 AM.