Habitat - Outdoor :: outdoor living

[jezzell]

i want to make an outside place for my turtles, but the two are opposites. isabelle-1 year old res-loves to swim, and emmy-@2 year old box turtle-is more of a crawler. i've figured out the shell-a large wood frame with chicken wire-but am having trouble thinking of ways to set up the inside-how to do the water, what kind of plants, can res's live in mulch, or will it bother them?
by the way-does everyone have as much trouble with birds or are my psychotic? they keep attacking my turtles=\

[jenaero]

Any animal, including birds will eat or attack and injure turtles. That's why building and outdoor pen is difficult. First, you'll need to make separate enclosures. Box turtles need a totally different environment than res. How are you keeping them now? Boxies are not good swimmers. If he wandered into the pond, he'd sink like a stone. I have yet to attempt to build an outdoor enclosure but I do know it'll have to be escape proof, and it'll have to keep all other animals out.

I'm sure OldTurtle will drop in and help you out. He keeps several res in ponds and he really knows his stuff!

[marisa]

You need to put a "cover" over the enclosure to keep the birds out. I'm covering my outside pools/stock tank with 1/2 inch hardware cloth (it's screening with half inch holes). It works well--it lets in the sunlight and keeps my turtles safe.

[jezzell]

yea, i plan to make a wood frame and cover it with chicken wire...may have to go a different route though if isabelle can get through it lol=)

[jezzell]

isabelle-my res-is in a 10 gal aquarium, 3/4 water with a big coral statue thingy for her to climb on. emmy-my box-is in a 25 gal long aquarium (needs about a 40 though=\) that's why i want to go outdoors. hers has a shallow, wide bowl of water-about 1/4 of the cage width and the rest is reptile mulch, her favorite plastic plant and a half hollowed log. she's getting too big for it though. i may just put isabelle in the 25 g and put emmy outside, don't know yet, but isabelle needs more sun i feel, and i thought outdoors might be good for her.

[marisa]

This site may help you with your outdoor enclosure for Emmy:
http://www.anapsid.org/boxhouse.html

If they can get through the chicken wire, I'd go with the hardware cloth.

[reptilegrrl]

http://billsboxturtles.com has a great example of a box turtle pen, with complete instructions for building one. It's the best one I've seen so far, and the kind I will build.