Original post: forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=1039158,1039477

I recently got to go home and visit with The Boss and our tortoises. I thought I would post some of the upgrades we have made since the pictures in the first thread.

We added a lift-out door so that we don't have to lift them over the wall any more:



It is framed up with 2X4 so the torts can't get to the sharp edges of metal where I cut the pool wall.

We made their "shed" sturdier and added an insulated roof:



When I get home later this year, I intend to suspend a pig blanket from the roof of the shed so that they can stay out all winter in their shed.

They have additional hiding spots in the pen, including an old water softener salt bin and a "dog house":



Apparently they like their accomodations well enough. The smallest female started digging her second nest of the year while I was at home:



It looks like the larger female is offering encouragement while the male basks in the background.

I am not sure how many eggs she laid:





She covered them up when she was done:



And The Boss marked the nest location, date and "mother's initial":



Since we let the adult tortoises roam the back yard during the daytime, casually mowing the lawn, we thought maybe we ought to prevent the possible babies from leaving the pen. So, I installed a 3" step which should keep them in long enough to be discovered and collected:



Hope you enjoyed the show,

Karl H. Betz & The Boss

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