How to Design Outdoor Enclosures for Turtles

Design a turtle enclosure in your backyard for the most natural lifestyle for your pet turtles. Turtles like to be able to dig, hide, rest in water, and in some cases even swim. Keeping a turtle in a tiny aquarium is not fair to the turtle and will not result in a happy pet. You can design your own backyard turtle enclosure with simple building materials found at your local hardware store.

Things You'll Need

  • 24 or more square feet of sunny area
  • Treated wooden planks
  • Bricks
  • Spade
  • Water dish
  • Various plants, rocks, lumber, and other landscaping elements
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Plot out the area you'll use for your turtle enclosure. At minimum you'll need four feet by six feet for one turtle, but larger is better. Choose an area that receives a lot of sun but also provides some shade.

    • 2

      Construct walls with treated wooden planks. Planks should measure 16 inches wide (the height when laid on their longest edge), or wider for larger species of turtles. If a turtle can reach the top of the wall with his front claws, he'll be able to pull himself over.

    • 3

      Dig a trench six inches deep around the interior of the wall with the garden spade. Fill this trench with tightly packed bricks and cover over with dirt to discourage the turtles from digging their way out.

    • 4

      Build a variety of hiding places for the turtles. Consider halved ceramic pots laid on their side, wooden boxes or dog houses. Add plants and rocks to make the enclosure more like the turtle's natural habitat.

    • 5

      Use a wide, shallow dish as a water dish for the turtles to lie in. Provide easy access with a rock or wooden plank.