General Care Discussion :: Nesting Space - How Much Do they Need?

[penelope]

I have Penelope in a 3 ft L x 1.5 ft W X 18 inches high bin. Inside I have 8 inches of non-fertilized potting soil.
Out of the 3 foot length, about 1.5 feet is covered by a roller-paint tray (to hold water), leaving 1.5 feet of plain ol' dirt and plenty of room to dig under the tray if she wants.
Is that enough room? Should I move the paint (water) tray the other direction to give her about 6" more "dirt-only" space?
Is the dirt too deep?
It's all new to me. I'm not quite sure what a nesting area should consist of.
Outdoors is not an option for various reasons. What I explained size-wise is largest I have to work with. I have plenty items to go smaller.
Any insight is appreciated.

[steve]

I don't think there are specific directions on the dimensions, though it's recommended that they are as deep as possible.

[Tokapeli]

i think ive read it should be at least as deep as the shell is long so they dont hit bottom

[penelope]

Thanks. That puts my my at ease. ..hmmm....just made me think
I guess as long as they can "Fit" in any direction, then there is enough area.
Do you think that is reasonable?

[steve]

I would aim to make it as comfortable as possible for her. So if she's at ease with what you're using, then stick with that.

[penelope]

OK - she didn't like the mud mess she made, so I swapped it for dry dirt and she got to work almost immediately. Too bad she is egg bound - but, that is a whole other story.

[penelope]

For those who have been there and done that...you can ignore this...whatever works, works.
As Steve mentioned, there is no prescribed dimension...

For those (like me) who never-ever had to create a nesting environment, the unofficial opinion from my tortoise loving vet tech is that about twice the length will do. It doesn't need to be as deep as the shell, just deep enough for them to scratch around and hide eggs...
Again, totally unofficial, but at least it gave my little black-and-white mind something to start with