Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i am setting up a temporary outdoor habitat. i'm using a kiddy pool that is about 4'x4' for one box turtle. i have it slightly slanted on a hill in my backyard to keep the water on one end. will it be ok for her to track mud into her water as she wades in it through out the day? i plan on replenishing with fresh water every morning since the kiddy pool has a drain and i can do so easily. if this is unacceptable what would be a better solution to this issue. also, i would like to build a real outdoor habitat, but i am not very handy so if anyone has any simple solutions for somebody with a tight budget, please let me know. links to websites about this topic would be greatly appreciated. thank you
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1:0 White's Tree Frog
0:1 Rose Hair Tarantula
0:1 Ball Python
0:0:2 Bearded Dragon
0:0:1 Tokay Gecko
1:1 Cat

I don't have any links for you, but if you do a web search, I'm sure you will find many.

As for your temporary set up, that sound fine. As ,long as she has clean water daily. Also be sure that some of the pool is in the shade and some in the sun at all times, so she can regulate her body temp.

Make sure she has places to hide to feel safe, but you will also have to be sure the pen is predator proof!
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0.1.0 ornate box turtle
1.0.0 eastern box turtle
1.0.0 Yellow belly slider
0.1.0 Red belly cooter
0.1.0 Australian shepard
1.11.0 chickens
1.0.0 Dutch(rabbit)
3.2.0 children (do I still count the married ones?)
1.0.0 husband

Is the slanted kiddie pool just for the water source or is that the whole outdoor enclosure? As the water source it sounds like overkill--a smaller tub the turtle can get in and out of by itself without the slant and have access to SHALLOW water would be better. As a whole enclosure it sounds like a bad idea--how steep is the angle of the hill? What is the substrate? How will it both contain the turtle and keep predators out? I'm thinking of the cheap plastic kiddie pools I grew up with and I can't see them working well for a box turtle without a lot of adaptation.

It will be ok if she tracks mud into her water, especially if you are giving her fresh water every day.

you wouldn't need to have it on a slant with water in the pool on one end if you just put a cheap 12-20" diameter plastic plant pot saucer in as a water source, you can easily change it daily just put a couple rocks in it by the end to make it easy to crawl in and out of. If this is to be outside you should drill some holes in the pool to allow it to drain when it rains, it would be good to use a well draining substrate mix of soil, sand, wood chips, leaf litter, ect. Also if it is outside you will want to protect from predators, you can do this cheaply by making a square frame slightly larger than the 4ft x 4ft pool made with 2"x4"s the staple chicken wire to the frame, then place it over the pool as a lid. This will be heavy enough using 2x4's to keep predators out, yet let sun and air in, and you can easily lift it off when you need to. You can also nail a wide board to the frame and use less chicken wire, the wide board will also provide some shade. hope this helps
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You got your regius's to the wall, man!
1.0 pastel Python regius
0.1 mojave Python regius
0.1 normal Python regius
0.2 Terrapene carolina thriunguis
2.3 Terrapene carolina carolina
4.1 Kinosternon baurii
1.1 Malaclemys terrapin terrapin
2.1 Ambystoma tigrinum
1.1 Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis
1.0 anerythristic Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis
1.1 Iowa snow Thamnophis radix
1.1 heterozygous for amelanistic,carmel, and stripe Pantherophis guttatus
0.1 anerythristic motley Pantherophis guttatus

Just use something heavier than chicken wire. Raccoons can chew through chicken wire no problem!
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0.1.0 ornate box turtle
1.0.0 eastern box turtle
1.0.0 Yellow belly slider
0.1.0 Red belly cooter
0.1.0 Australian shepard
1.11.0 chickens
1.0.0 Dutch(rabbit)
3.2.0 children (do I still count the married ones?)
1.0.0 husband

Yes good catch what wanted and really should have said and in fact what I personally actually use is: HARDWARE CLOTH, but most people don't know what that is. It's like chicken wire but square pattern usually 1/2 or 1" squares, and much thicker,stronger wire.
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You got your regius's to the wall, man!
1.0 pastel Python regius
0.1 mojave Python regius
0.1 normal Python regius
0.2 Terrapene carolina thriunguis
2.3 Terrapene carolina carolina
4.1 Kinosternon baurii
1.1 Malaclemys terrapin terrapin
2.1 Ambystoma tigrinum
1.1 Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis
1.0 anerythristic Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis
1.1 Iowa snow Thamnophis radix
1.1 heterozygous for amelanistic,carmel, and stripe Pantherophis guttatus
0.1 anerythristic motley Pantherophis guttatus

Thanks! That was very helpful.
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1:0 White's Tree Frog
0:1 Ball Python
0:2 Bearded Dragon
0:1 Texas Ornate Box Turtle
0:0:1 Tokay Gecko
1:0 Cat