Reptile & Amphibian Forums

the truss work is better than the construction on our house,
thanks to new materials and techniques. Shingled and almost
finished with the hardiplank - a concrete mixture (not siding),
which will be painted like our house. Rock ramps will lead to
the door and "window door" for dual access. Yes it will be
heated and the intent is for Teddy to stay outdoors 365.
(unless maybe there's a major hurricane - then I think I'll
get in there with him and watch our house blow away! lol)
If it looks anything less than perfectly straight it's because
of the size change in the photo.
No it's not a two-story, and yes I know sulcatas do not get
THAT tall! But it's nice to walk into - more like a barn for
a mini-horse.
Teddy has his 4th birthday Friday. This thing will be insulated
and the floor and walls to 2 ft. will be melamine.

Hi Nikki,

A Q for you,
Is his entrance/exit via the door or the window?
Remember that if a tort can see thru it (window) he's gonna try & get thru it.

Don't you think you put the lock a little high for him to reach with his key!!

Nice job.

graham(UK)

the entrance will be either door or window, but the window
will have a 2 foot melamine door inside in front of it when he is
to stay inside and not use it, otherwise the window will
be open. There will be no time that he is held back just
by the glass. Purpose was to have a door that was low like
a dog door but sealable in the winter against drafts.
The people door can also stay open and he can go in or out
that way when it is.

actually the more I see it, the more I'm tempted to move
out there myself. I think the window thing will work - was
my husbands idea of how to keep a low door that was easy
to close off. I know he'd go through the glass or try to,
he flipped over the piano bench last week, out he goes.

Just one further suggestion, & also for anyone considering similar venture regarding doors.
Does the door/window open inward or outward?

Most "outward opening" doors will be hinged on one side leaving the "opening" side only secured (usually) in the centre of the side by the locking/handle mechanism.
The "stops" on a door is "inward" not "outward" as really is needed.
Therfore the lower "side", from the inner side has no strength (unless) bolted at ground level. A the tort will push & strain the door/window at this point.
Better is a sliding door which has full strength top & bottom, & unless your tort has mastered the technique of opening one of these types of door will remain securely indoors.

Niki, I think your hubby will understand what I'm trying to explain for you.

graham(UK)

you're right. will have to reinforce with bolts. Wonder
what that's gonna look like - a strange "house" surrounded
by an electric fence, bolted everywhere (no dog in sight though),
wonder what's going on in there!??? Probably a secret
passage to an underground nuclear control site. geeze!

np

What region are you in? Any plans for electrical or heating in the house?

I am thinking of building a similar structure but I will be relocating to a very cold region (Southern Connecticut).

I will need to house both Redfoots and Florida Boxies so I will be constructing a large greenhouse and likely installing oil heating.

I know it sounds extravagant but what else can you do when you keep 26 animals? I am looking forward to having a turtle workshop as opposed to a home with turtles everywhere

Cheers.

Paul

Yes it will have electricity and heat. Teddy's little house now
has power going to it but it's too low to have any real heat
lamps going without roasting him in there. I've got one light
bulb in a dome that I use for light to check him. The new
cottage will have dome lamps sitting on screens - basically we're
putting his current indoor enclosure inside that new shed.
Once the old house is taken away we can rerun the electric
lines to the new one, they are already dug in underground in
a pipe and it's a short distance to the new shed. It'll be
insulated same as a house. The indoor ceiling will have an
"attic access" point to allow heat to escape in the summer
but it'll be insulated for winter and maybe allow for some
storage - big lightweight things like pool floats or something.
I'm planning on keeping cleaning tools - shovel, broom things
like that inside the shed on double secure hooks.
We're in the south and don't have long winters, but we can get
an ice storm of so (if power goes out we have gas and he'll
have to come in and hang out in front of the fireplace like he
did last winter for a few days! lol!) and a few weeks of nasty
weather. We always manage to get a few nice days even in
December/Feb. so he won't be in a dungeon as long as it's in
the 60's he can go out if he can go back in to bask. That's the
problem now, he couldn't go to a basking area to warm back up
so his outside times were limited to how often I would carry him
in and out during the winter.

yeah, bad joke, I know. . . .