Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi everybody. I live in Tampa, FL and have a Florida box turtle that is about three years old. I am currently keeping him on my porch in a tuff stuff tub. I am trying to come up with some ideas for an outdoor enclosure that I am going to build during the winter months. I have a few but I keeping thinking about the problem of fire ants getting into the enclosure. He is about half the size of an adult so should even worry about ants at that size? Also, I've noticed that a lot of people have outdoor enclosures without anything covering the tops. I would love to do this but I am worried about predators getting in. Any suggestions would be a great help. Thanks.

I live in north Fl. and keep both T.c.bauri and T.c.major in outdoor enclosures year round. They are in a 12'x5'x6' enclosure split in half. I use concrete mixing tubs for soaking and during winter I simply bag my grass clippings a few weeks before and pile them in an area where the turtle will burrow into when its to cold for them. Usually a pile 12" thick, I've never had a problem even during night freezes. Nor have I had a problem with fire ants and I have adults and juveniles (4-5" outside. I definately recommend a top to keep turtles in and raccoons out, Ive lost turtles to raccoons before; not fun finding a headless turtle. Hope this helps

Thanks for the ideas guys. I've got some good ideas now on how to approach the enclosure. I'll definitely include a top tough. We do have a lot of raccoons in the area.

I keep several box turtles. Try building your enclosure out of landscape timbers. You can make the enclosure any length you want but keep it less that 8 feet wide. By keeping the width under 8 feet you can easily use a sheet of covered plywood or corrugated roofing to make a sheltered area on one end. Also by keeping your enclosure narrow you can come up with a barrier a material to keep the predators out (chicken wire) and let sunlight in. Don't forget a pool of some sort and plenty of compost piles, the box turtles will love you for those feature. The compost will also provide protection from sunlight and predators. If you had a pair, such a set up could result in more.

Mike
http://wildfloridareptiles.com/index.cfm

Here are a couple of mine.
You gotta have a lid or one day you'll end up with no turtle.
We don't have fire ants in Greater Cleveland.
I used landscaping timbers for the sides.

Tim

Third Eye

Well here's mine. I did mine with landscaping timbers. We have no problem with racoons or any other predators in Albuquerque so no need for a lid for my enclosure. I'm not sure it would be doable for my enclosure anyway seeing as I have Crepe Myrtle and a polmogranite bush in there. I also put in an Arbor so that some honeysuckle and grape vines can grow on it.

I have really piled on the fall leaves in there and planted quite a number of bulbs. I've only seen my two mature males up on the warmest days here lately. I cant wait until spring to see how well my 8 desert ornates have fared through their first winther in their new enclosure.

Here's how it started out early last spring.

And it was much more grown and lush than this by the end of the season.

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Vichris
"The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane"- Marcus Aurelius

You have a beautiful yard and pen. I am also in ABQ, and live off of Carlisle. There are raccoons periodically in the area. I had a raccoon chew off the back legs of a pair of spotted turtles I have in a stock tank in the backyard, and a coon also ate my neighbor's koi. I haven't had a problem yet with the yard box turtles and raccoons, however...

-ian

>>You have a beautiful yard and pen. I am also in ABQ, and live off of Carlisle. There are raccoons periodically in the area. I had a raccoon chew off the back legs of a pair of spotted turtles I have in a stock tank in the backyard, and a coon also ate my neighbor's koi. I haven't had a problem yet with the yard box turtles and raccoons, however...
>>
>>-ian

Thanks Ian. I've heard of coons in the south valley and in the foothills but never in town. I'm not doubting you though, just never seen or heard of them in the uptown area. Ian are you the guy who works at Sub Jung? I live near there. I have an occasional cat in the yard but never had them mess with the turtles.

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Vichris
"The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane"- Marcus Aurelius

No, that isn't me. I haven't been there since they changed locations.

-ian

Wow, that's a very nice enclosure. I don't think that I'll be able to get away with something without a lid though. Too many raccoons and gray foxes in the area. I plan to get started on my enclosure during winter break. I'll definitely post pics once it is completed. Thanks for all of the input everybody!

I know a lot of us, including myself, use two pens. One large, open enclosure, and another smaller, more secure pen. I use a
4 x 4 pen with a tough hardware cloth and two x four lid with a lock and two latches to keep my turtles in at night and during hibernation. I let them out each morning and put them up right before dusk (when racoons, oppossums and other predators are usually on the prowl). I know it's pretty hands-on, but it keeps them safe and allows me to check on them on a twice-daily basis and keep an eye out for any problems.

Two weeks ago we had some kind of hawk flying over the neighborhood, so the boxies stayed in their night pen for a few days. Now that hibernation is around the corner, I took the time last weekend to add organic compost and leaves to the pen.