Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm almost ready to build, but I have one more thing I need some advice on...

How worried should I be about rats and mice? I'm not too worried about my little russian from digging out, but I still want a screen of some sort for at least minimal protection.

So I've found two products and I'm not sure which to use:

1) First is your basic hardware cloth with 1/2 inch holes. This will obviously keep out rodents, but I'm very concerned about it rusting, and especially deteriorating into pointy bits and possibly causing injury if my tort does decide to dig down...

2) Second is an orange plastic safety fence, with about 1 inch holes. It will last pretty much forever, but the holes are large enough to allow mice to get through and it wouldn't be hard for a rat to chew through it. My guess however is a tortoise would have some real trouble digging through it...practically impossible in fact. Plus she's not likely to hurt herself if she does get that deep.

Cost will be about the same for each...although more work will be involved putting the hardware cloth together as one large sheet...

So folks, any thoughts? Should I just be concerned with escapes and not as much with digging rodents? Or should I go with the fort knox hardware cloth and just hope it doesnt deteriorate for a long time (or hope she avoids digging)?

Thanks for the help!

I would think rodents are going to find their way in no matter what on an outdoor enclosure. They haven't bothered any of my guys in all the years I've been able to keep tortoises outdoors.
I'd suggest going with the plastic for the very reasons you mentioned in your concerns.
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Ed
Tortoise_Keepers-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Trying to keep the fun in Chelonian care

I am very new to Tortoises, but I had a thought. You could dig a little deeper (easier said than done I know) and lay the hardware cloth layer to deter the rodents, then add a layer of dirt/sand/rocks, whatever you wish, then do the plastic layer, so even if the hardware cloth breaks down the Tort can't get to it cuz of the plastic. Just a though.

They also sell screening that is made of Nylon or some such non metal fabric. Not sure how bad that would effect drainage though. But would be hard to dig through and might deter rodents.
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Lyns Lair
Frogwatch USA
WNY Herpetological Society

0.1 Cat (Mia)
4.2 Ferrets (Wolf, Shadow, Verdell, Sullivan, Boo, Peach)
1.0 Carpet Python (Bear)
1.0 Malagasy Blonde Hognose Snake (Wilbur)
1.0 Yellow / Everglades Rat Snake (Pumpkin)
1.0 Russian Sand Boa (Fang)
0.1 Normal Corn Snake (Mysty)
1.0 Banded Water Snake (Ripley) coming soon!
0.1 Golden Greek Tortoise (Sunshine)
1.0 Whites Tree Frog (Trevor)
2.0 Solomon Island Eyelash Frogs (Chompy & Gimli)
1.0 AFT Gecko (Cocoa)
5.6 Leopard Geckos (Trouble, Scooter, Simba, Firenze, Teddy, Nala, Mystique, Freckles, Dotty, Zipper, Twister)

(i thought those fort knox things were for the top of your tort's pen)... anyway, here's another for your bottom part which you might be able to get it for FREE (mine is !) so next time you get to know (and be nice) to someone at the local nursery and asked them if they let you take a couple dozens of those BLACK SQUARE PLASTIC (turf/flowers) FLATS or TRAYS which they often send them back to their suppliers for recycle/reuse, they are quite tough and comes in1/4" or 2" holes, Just treat them as floor tiles for your torts and filled up with a decent layer of large size river rocks so they becomes "rock trays" for your foundation. Some people event went further and put glass shards underneath to prevent rodents....ouchhhhhhhh