We've recently finished the outdoor enclosure for my hermann, but everytime we put him out (I still bring him in at night as I'm waiting for hubby to sort out the heating for his inside part of the enclosure) he just either goes and hides - and then sleeps - in the inside part, or he'll bury himself down inside the klosh!

He's 2 years old and I have only had him 7mnths.  Am I doing something wrong? or will he eventually get used to it?

Asny help or guidance appreciated as I'm getting worried that he's not going to remain healthy if he just keeps hiding in dark places.

Can you post a photo(s) of the enclosure please so that I can see how the cloche is positioned.

Regards,

Tom

I hope I've actually loaded the picture.  Please accept my apologises for the photo but it gives you a rough idea of where everything is.  There is also a big run that we will attach to it which triples the size of the enclosure but we haven't attached it yet.

Any pointers would be great.  I just want him out where he needs to be but he just seems to hide and sleep.

Jo

A very great deal of work has gone into the enclosure, which I guess is about 1.5m long (?).

Frankly something more simple would be ok for a 2yr old, such as that which I describe in the post "Tortoise from Hamm" above, Polycarbonate can be put in part on the wire in poor weather. These pens can be put direct onto a lawn, ideally full of wild flowers.

Anyway, your questions - 

A tort which has lived indoors can take time to adapt to outside. All torts seek shade after being in the sun for a while, as they have no cooling mechanism. Lay some bits of wood on the top of the encl. to produce dappled shade.

A heated house isn't necessary, Hermann's tolerate night temperatures in summer. Though most keepers with just one small tort tend to take them in at night.

In full sun the temp. in the cloche is likely to go dangerously high, hence it buries. I'd remove it.

Save your"big run" 'til your tort is a bit bigger.

Members of the crow family (e.g. magpies) can attack small torts., so wire over the uncovered central area.

Full marks for effort & for having the good sense to put it out, thousands of torts languish indoors in mid-summer, when kept by idiots.

Let us know how it gets on please.

Best wishes,

Tom

ps I hope it came from a British breeder.  

T.