Is an enclosure necessary?

alotoffluff · 05-04-2009, 09:35 AM

If you have a very secure garden, is it necessary to build an outdoor enclosure?
Fluffy has the run of the garden and he always goes back to the same spot to hide. He hides under a cut out tree stump.
I want to buy him a house to sleep im overnight when summer is well and truly with us, but as my garden is secure, is it worth making him an outdoor enclosure too?
We dont have probs wth birds swooping down etc as i am in the heart of London. In fact, i never see any animals other than my neighbours cat.

Mrs Frog · 05-04-2009, 09:38 AM

I would say it would be best for Fluff bum.

How about this? http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...m=220387086952

You could make something like that cheaper tho

sandy · 05-04-2009, 09:45 AM

My tortoises have free run of my garden. We have the concrete things under fence panels, and every other thing blocked so they cant get out of it. They do have a greenhouse to go back too. But I also have old damaged teracotta pots dotted around, so if the temps drop they have somewhere else to hide. Generally they dig under my Yucca.
So no you dont have to have enclosures.
I do for hatchlings and really small tortoises, as otherwise its a nightmare to find them. It can take an hour sometimes to find adults:0)
I always check where the tortoises are at night.

**Alan1** · 05-04-2009, 09:48 AM

From what I've read on here from others, there's been one getting attacked by a magpie, others have been attacked by cats and dogs and gulls, others have escaped from escape-proof gardens never to be seen again, some have dug down and never found for months but have very fortunately survived and someone has had all their torts nicked!

I wouldn't want to risk letting them roam unless maybe if they were adults but even then I'd have to dig some barriers into the perimeter first

sandy · 05-04-2009, 10:44 AM

A lot depends on the size of garden as reguards to magpies etc. My garden is 35ft wide, and 85ft long. I have a birdbath in the middle with a whirley pole placed at the end. Both these stop birds with a wide wing span getting easily into my garden.
Gulls are not a problem here, I cannot see what or how a cat kills a tortoise, unless its very small.
Common sense has to come in somewhere, you cannot protect agaist all and let your tortoise have a normal life. My tortoises have had free roam over my gardens for the last 32yrs, and I am luckily enough not to have lost any by escape.

**Alan1** · 05-04-2009, 11:29 AM

I was referring to Fluffy in particular - pointing out what others have had as I believe he is just small though I could be wrong

sandy · 05-04-2009, 11:34 AM

I agree with small tortoises, as they would be impossible to find if left to roam freely. Its my adults that have free acsses, and they are hard to find somtimes.
All my small tortoises have enclosures.

05-04-2009, 01:42 PM

my adults have free run of the garden, the small ones will be in a run for my ease as it becomes hard to find even the big ones

most make their way back into the house come tea time

alotoffluff · 05-04-2009, 06:27 PM

ok guys thanks for the advice. I like Fluffbum to have free roam of the garden as its quite a small garden. I never leave him a full day without going out to check on him. (im out there every half hour when im home!)
I will buy some sort of housing for him, and maybe section off a part of the garden just for him.
Give mu husband something to moan about!

alotoffluff · 05-04-2009, 06:29 PM

Thanks Jackie for the link! Im have a patch of concrete which measures around 8ft x 4ft, so i am now going to convert this into a sort of raised flower bed, (with tort friendly flowers), and put an enclosure in there for him of a night!
Does anyone know where i can buy the netting to go over the top?

05-04-2009, 09:35 AM	#1
alotoffluff Senior Member Adult Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: greenwich, london, previously born and brought up in Kent! Posts: 2,127	Is an enclosure necessary? If you have a very secure garden, is it necessary to build an outdoor enclosure? Fluffy has the run of the garden and he always goes back to the same spot to hide. He hides under a cut out tree stump. I want to buy him a house to sleep im overnight when summer is well and truly with us, but as my garden is secure, is it worth making him an outdoor enclosure too? We dont have probs wth birds swooping down etc as i am in the heart of London. In fact, i never see any animals other than my neighbours cat.

05-04-2009, 09:38 AM	#2
Mrs Frog Senior Member Adult Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bournemouth Posts: 4,419	I would say it would be best for Fluff bum. How about this? http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...m=220387086952 You could make something like that cheaper tho __________________ https://www.facebook.com/groups/1442...06053/?fref=nf

05-04-2009, 09:45 AM	#3
sandy Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Kent UK Posts: 12,146	My tortoises have free run of my garden. We have the concrete things under fence panels, and every other thing blocked so they cant get out of it. They do have a greenhouse to go back too. But I also have old damaged teracotta pots dotted around, so if the temps drop they have somewhere else to hide. Generally they dig under my Yucca. So no you dont have to have enclosures. I do for hatchlings and really small tortoises, as otherwise its a nightmare to find them. It can take an hour sometimes to find adults:0) I always check where the tortoises are at night. __________________ < > 60+, keeping ibera, graeca and box turtles \0/ /_\ http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/tortoisefriends

05-04-2009, 10:44 AM	#5
sandy Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Kent UK Posts: 12,146	A lot depends on the size of garden as reguards to magpies etc. My garden is 35ft wide, and 85ft long. I have a birdbath in the middle with a whirley pole placed at the end. Both these stop birds with a wide wing span getting easily into my garden. Gulls are not a problem here, I cannot see what or how a cat kills a tortoise, unless its very small. Common sense has to come in somewhere, you cannot protect agaist all and let your tortoise have a normal life. My tortoises have had free roam over my gardens for the last 32yrs, and I am luckily enough not to have lost any by escape. __________________ < > 60+, keeping ibera, graeca and box turtles \0/ /_\ http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/tortoisefriends

05-04-2009, 11:34 AM	#7
sandy Senior Member Adult Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Kent UK Posts: 12,146	I agree with small tortoises, as they would be impossible to find if left to roam freely. Its my adults that have free acsses, and they are hard to find somtimes. All my small tortoises have enclosures. __________________ < > 60+, keeping ibera, graeca and box turtles \0/ /_\ http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/tortoisefriends

05-04-2009, 09:48 AM	#4
Alan1 Super Moderator Adult Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Sunny Scotland Posts: 21,512	From what I've read on here from others, there's been one getting attacked by a magpie, others have been attacked by cats and dogs and gulls, others have escaped from escape-proof gardens never to be seen again, some have dug down and never found for months but have very fortunately survived and someone has had all their torts nicked! I wouldn't want to risk letting them roam unless maybe if they were adults but even then I'd have to dig some barriers into the perimeter first

05-04-2009, 11:29 AM	#6
Alan1 Super Moderator Adult Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Sunny Scotland Posts: 21,512	I was referring to Fluffy in particular - pointing out what others have had as I believe he is just small though I could be wrong

05-04-2009, 01:42 PM	#8
purplelinda Guest Posts: n/a	my adults have free run of the garden, the small ones will be in a run for my ease as it becomes hard to find even the big ones most make their way back into the house come tea time

05-04-2009, 06:27 PM	#9
alotoffluff Senior Member Adult Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: greenwich, london, previously born and brought up in Kent! Posts: 2,127	ok guys thanks for the advice. I like Fluffbum to have free roam of the garden as its quite a small garden. I never leave him a full day without going out to check on him. (im out there every half hour when im home!) I will buy some sort of housing for him, and maybe section off a part of the garden just for him. Give mu husband something to moan about!

05-04-2009, 06:29 PM	#10
alotoffluff Senior Member Adult Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: greenwich, london, previously born and brought up in Kent! Posts: 2,127	Thanks Jackie for the link! Im have a patch of concrete which measures around 8ft x 4ft, so i am now going to convert this into a sort of raised flower bed, (with tort friendly flowers), and put an enclosure in there for him of a night! Does anyone know where i can buy the netting to go over the top?

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