Background on enclosure

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Terrysmum
Posts: 11
Joined: 25 Aug 2021, 15:41

Background on enclosure

Post by Terrysmum » 30 Jan 2022, 10:45

We have recently got a new table for Terry which was just plain wood. We decided to put a background on 2 sides to make it more interesting for him. Since we have put the background on, it is a forest scene, he has spent most of his time trying to go through it. Scratching at the wall etc. I am not sure if I should take it off as it is upsetting him or leave it and he will get used to it. Any advice would be very much appreciated. Thank you.

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Nina
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Re: Background on enclosure

Post by Nina » 30 Jan 2022, 12:04

Hi Terrysmum, and lovely to hear from you.

That is great that you got Terry a new table, and I'm sure he'll be happy in it. I have a feeling that it isn't the nice forest background that is making him scratch away at the walls, because tortoises tend to do this with bare walls too. We might be able to suggest some little tweaks to distract him from climbing the walls.

Tortoises get bored fairly quickly, and one thing that helps is to have some nice 'furniture' in the table -- objects that he can climb over, walk under or have to walk around to get from one place to the other (rocks, plants, bendy log thingys that they can climb over or walk under). And a second level with a ramp leading up to it (easy to make if sides of the table are high enough) can help to distract him too. Also, a nice deep substrate that he can dig into is good. Could you send along some photos? We might be able to suggest some really small changes that might help.

Best,
Nina

Terrysmum
Posts: 11
Joined: 25 Aug 2021, 15:41

Re: Background on enclosure

Post by Terrysmum » 30 Jan 2022, 18:49

Hi Nina, hope you are well. I attach some photos, as you can see he does have 2 levels and logs, small rocks and even a little base to climb on for his food. He was fine in there and did not scratch and bash about until I put the wallpaper up last week. I feel I have frustrated him by putting it up as he was happy without it, it just looked bare.

I am happy to try anything you suggest. Thank you.
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Terrysmum
Posts: 11
Joined: 25 Aug 2021, 15:41

Re: Background on enclosure

Post by Terrysmum » 30 Jan 2022, 18:52

Last photo for you
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Nina
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Joined: 16 Mar 2017, 11:22

Re: Background on enclosure

Post by Nina » 30 Jan 2022, 21:22

Oh dear! The reason I say 'oh dear' is that I can't think of any suggestions to help you improve the situation because you've created a really lovely table for him!

Thanks so much for the photos. There is only one thing I can't quite figure out (and it doesn't really have any bearing on him scratching at the walls), and this is the upper level. From the photos it looks like the ramp goes up, and then the platform with the upside-down V-shaped roof on it is raised up a bit from the ramp, so how does he get up into it? I looks like he could only go underneath that plantform and not up onto it. Maybe I'm just not seeing the photo properly.

Actually, because the area under the ramp and under the second level look like they are both in shade, that is probably too much shade, and it would be better if the V-shaped roof were taken off, and he could climb up onto that platform (you could nail a piece of wood or put a flat stone as a step up). You could then tack a little piece of wood around the edge to stop him falling off (my experience is that tortoises tend to be careful of edges anyway, but better to be safe than sorry). That would give him a second level that would be in the light that he could walk around and explore. I put little treats up on my second level, so the tortoises are always running up and down the ramp to see if there is a snack up there for them (have attached a couple of photos).

I've probably just completely misinterpreted the photos, so please forgive me if that is the case. If I'm right, and you can open up that second level to the light then it might distract him and stop; the scratching at the walls, but if not then I guess you could remove the background -- which is a shame, as it looks very nice!

Nina
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Terrysmum
Posts: 11
Joined: 25 Aug 2021, 15:41

Re: Background on enclosure

Post by Terrysmum » 31 Jan 2022, 11:47

Thank you. The top tier has a little house which I can take out. I thought he would sleep in it so I put lots of substrate in there. He tends to sleep under the platform. He does, however like to use the top tier to try and climb out. I only take the lid off if I am there as he quite often ends up on his back! I watched a tv programme last week “secret life of pets” which showed how intelligent tortoises are and how they remember things. Shame he never remembers that if he climbs on the sides he also falls backwards! He seems a bit better with the scratching today so I will take the “house” out and see how that works. Perhaps I will put his food and water up there to give him more room downstairs.
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Nina
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Re: Background on enclosure

Post by Nina » 02 Feb 2022, 20:00

Hi Terrysmum,

So sorry that I have only now seen your latest post! Something went wrong with our notification systme and we didn't get notified about lots of posts over the last week. Yes, I saw 'The Secret Life of Pets' too -- aren't they amazing creatures!

I think I would take the little house off, temporarily, just as an experiment and see if he makes more use of exploring that top level.

Aww, he looks so sweet, trying to make the Great Escape! There is an easy solution for that problem. If you get a long piece of flat wood (like a quarter of an inch deep but one or two inches wide), and nail it to the top of the wall where he is trying to get out -- so that there is a little rim projecting inwards into the table, then when he tries to climb out he will come up against that little rim and can't get over it. Tortoises are great climbers, and when he is a little bigger, if he can get his claws on top of the side of his table, he will be able to climb out. It's amazing what super climbers they are. I've posted two photos of torts in action.

Nina
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Terrysmum
Posts: 11
Joined: 25 Aug 2021, 15:41

Re: Background on enclosure

Post by Terrysmum » 02 Mar 2022, 13:09

Thank you. There is a ledge which is about 1/2 inch there which the lids sits on but I think I will have to make it a bit wider as I do not like the lid being on really.

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Nina
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Joined: 16 Mar 2017, 11:22

Re: Background on enclosure

Post by Nina » 02 Mar 2022, 15:40

All you need is the tiniest of lips projecting inwards from the ledge -- even just a quarter or half an inch -- and that will stop him climbing out. Not sure if I'm explaining it well, but i have a couple of pictures from when my table was being built, and I think you can see the rim of the walls that projects inwards just a bit. So you can just tack a thin piece of wood onto the top of the walls that make a little lip inside the table and that should be sufficient.

Nina
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CritterMama
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Joined: 21 Mar 2021, 13:43

Re: Background on enclosure

Post by CritterMama » 02 Mar 2022, 18:53

Nina wrote:
> So you can just tack a thin piece of wood onto the top of the walls that make a little lip inside the table and that should be sufficient.
>
> Nina
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PLUS, then you have a little ledge for your cookies or whatever you enjoy while watching your little guy(s) doing their tortoise thing! 😇
Critter Mama

One Husband, one Bearded Dragon, one Panther Chameleon, one Labrador Retriever, and now a baby Hermann's Tortoise!

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Nina
Posts: 2003
Joined: 16 Mar 2017, 11:22

Re: Background on enclosure

Post by Nina » 02 Mar 2022, 20:10

Ha, ha -- so true!
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