Well today I finished my Box Turtle enclosure and I though I would share some pics of it. It's basically made from 2x4's and some garden wire fence. It is 8'x8' and after being sunk into the earth is a little over 2 feet high. I'm not sure how to put text in between photos so bear with me.
The first pic shows a close up of a corner so you can see how it is constructed, not much to it. I choose large spaced wire because for most species of turtles, if they come to a barrier, they will try to climb it. Tight, 1/2 inch spaced wire for rabbit and chicken cages is not a good choice. Large spaced wire tricks the turtles into thinking they're not enclosed because they can see right through it. The color green helps as well!
The second shows the entire cage before I sank into a five inch depth trench. The reason for this was incase my turtles started digging along the fence. They never have before but I don't want to take any chance of them escaping.
Pic number three shows the cage placed into the trench.
The final two pics are my finished cage. I filled the trench with the remaining dirt so the top of the 2x4's are flush with the ground. I constructed a house out of cinderblocks and some 2x10's. I sank a small tub for the turtles to soak in and I have a Chicken Water Dispensor for drinking out of. I gave them some sand to dig in and lots of untreated mulch to bury into and hibernate. I plan on planting some more ferns and a couple of strawberry plants in there as well.
This pen is bigger then their last one and they seem to really enjoy it. My friends dad is trading me a male box turtle for some pond lining so hopefully I will be able to breed them again!
The first pic shows a close up of a corner so you can see how it is constructed, not much to it. I choose large spaced wire because for most species of turtles, if they come to a barrier, they will try to climb it. Tight, 1/2 inch spaced wire for rabbit and chicken cages is not a good choice. Large spaced wire tricks the turtles into thinking they're not enclosed because they can see right through it. The color green helps as well!
The second shows the entire cage before I sank into a five inch depth trench. The reason for this was incase my turtles started digging along the fence. They never have before but I don't want to take any chance of them escaping.
Pic number three shows the cage placed into the trench.
The final two pics are my finished cage. I filled the trench with the remaining dirt so the top of the 2x4's are flush with the ground. I constructed a house out of cinderblocks and some 2x10's. I sank a small tub for the turtles to soak in and I have a Chicken Water Dispensor for drinking out of. I gave them some sand to dig in and lots of untreated mulch to bury into and hibernate. I plan on planting some more ferns and a couple of strawberry plants in there as well.
This pen is bigger then their last one and they seem to really enjoy it. My friends dad is trading me a male box turtle for some pond lining so hopefully I will be able to breed them again!
