Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Finished building a new larger pen for the easterns, it's 4ftx8ft floor 1ft deep with 6-8 inches soil , with heavy duty cage wire lid and paddle locked latch to keep all but the most detirmed out. The soil is a mix of top soil, sand and hardwood mulch, with a gradient from more sandy on one end to more mulch on the other end, this should create a good moisture and texture gradient. I still plan to add some hides and plant some dandeliens, also I increased the size of their water dish from the 12" in the 3rd picture to a 20", but I had to add a sloping rock for them to climb out and I still will change water everyday and clean. It's on the northeast facing part from my house so it get's all morning sun, a few hours early afternoon shade and the sun in the late afternoon too. I hope the 5 easterns will be happy here. My 2-three toes are in a simular set-up but its only 2ft x 8ft, I might make them a 4ft x 8ft this summer too. Any suggestions of things to add or improve on are always welcome.

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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

I'm guessing that's only a spring through fall pen?
I prefer my pens bottomless so I plant stuff in them and let the turtles stay out year round.

How heavy is the lid?

You are a skilled woodworker! Very creative with the lid prop.

For feedback, I was thinking along the same lines...deeper substrate is usually a good idea for an outdoor setup.

Yes this is only spring thru fall pen, we live in Iowa and there is no way they would consistantly survive our winters outside, that is probably why the are not native to this area. I bring them inside in the winter in the basement next to a walk out sliding glass door where the soil stays about 40-50 F all winter.
Outside it's -30 sometimes, nasty.
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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

Nice pen-add leaf litter to the top soil and make an area with rounded river rock and flat slate. You want all types of surfaces for the turtles to walk on.

Are there drainage holes in the pen? You made it so strong I would imagine a downpour could fill the thing up with water. Tess

Yes, good ideas,I think I will put some leaf litter in one corner and I was thinking the river rock would be good around the water dish so that it wouldn't get so dirty with dirt tracked in. Yes, when I built it I did drill many 1/2" holes in the bottom for drainage, which were inportant and have been put to the test lately, because we have had a lot of rain this last week, it seems to drain very well. Thanks for the input.
-----
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