Before you choose this build

The dimensions describe the above-ground wall and lid framing, excluding thin mesh clamps, hinges and below-ground barriers. The 22.5-inch walls and 1.5-inch lid frames total 24 inches. This is a small outdoor pen for an individually assessed animal or temporary seasonal use, not an adult tortoise size recommendation or an all-weather shelter.

Before you start

  • Confirm legal siting, underground utilities and drainage before digging. Reject a site that receives roof runoff, floods or cannot offer shade throughout the intended occupancy period.
  • Arrange secure indoor housing before building. Decide the usable season from the exact species, individual health and measured conditions, including overnight weather; the mesh cover does not control temperature.
  • Use measured 0.75-inch plywood and 1.5-inch-square timber. If plywood thickness is t rather than 0.75, the end-panel length becomes 48 minus 2t. Final substrate level reduces effective wall height.
  • Have the mesh supplier and an experienced local keeper assess aperture, wire diameter and attachment against the actual tortoise and local predators. This cut list supplies geometry, not a certified predator-resistance rating.

This is an original construction guide assembled from the references below. This exact project has not been physically built or independently load-tested by The Creature Corner. Follow the current instructions for the products you buy.

Tools

  • Tape, framing square and straightedge
  • Circular saw with guide
  • Drill, countersink and clamps
  • Mesh cutters and file
  • Spade and trenching tools after utility clearance
  • Level, eye protection, hearing protection and suitable gloves
  • Independent temperature loggers and inspection mirror

Materials and supplies

Exterior plywood
2 sheets
48 × 96 × 0.75 inches, sound faces and bonded for exterior exposure; verify the exact product and protect accessible edges.
Straight untreated framing timber
8 lengths
1.5 × 1.5 × 96 inches actual dimensions; reject splits and loose knots at joints.
Centre support timber
1 length
Actual 1.5 × 3.5 inches, at least 46.5 inches long.
Welded stainless mesh
2 lid blanks plus 24 linear feet of perimeter material
Lid blanks 35.875 × 48 inches; perimeter strip 39 inches wide: 3 above grade, 12 down and 24 outward. Specify clear aperture and wire diameter with the supplier, not just mesh count.
Mesh clamps and corners
65 linear feet of clamp strip; 8 corner plates
Smooth corrosion-compatible metal or hardwood clamping strips; all wire ends enclosed.
Lid hardware
4 hinges, 4 locking draw latches, 2 positive lid stays
Exterior-rated, matched to actual lid weight; two latches per lid. No friction-only stay.
Fasteners and coating
100 wood screws, 240 mesh-clamp screws with washers, one coating system
Corrosion-compatible fasteners sized for sound timber without protruding points; coating quantity sufficient for at least 100 square feet at its required film build.

Measured parts

Dimensions use inches unless stated otherwise. Confirm the actual material thickness, joint layout and delivered hardware before cutting. Allow for the saw kerf, the material removed by each cut.

Long wall
Quantity: 2 · 72 × 22.5 × 0.75 in
Full-length front and rear walls.
End wall
Quantity: 2 · 46.5 × 22.5 × 0.75 in
Fits between long walls: 46.5 + 0.75 + 0.75 = 48.
Inside corner post
Quantity: 4 · 22.5 × 1.5 × 1.5 in
Posts stay behind smooth wall faces and terminate level with their tops.
Lid side stile
Quantity: 4 · 48 × 1.5 × 1.5 in
Two per lid.
Lid end rail and middle rail
Quantity: 6 · 32.875 × 1.5 × 1.5 in
Three between each pair of stiles; lid width is 32.875 + 3 = 35.875.
Fixed centre support
Quantity: 1 · 46.5 × 3.5 × 1.5 in
Runs front to back beneath the quarter-inch seam between lids.
Lid mesh
Quantity: 2 · 35.875 × 48 in
Clamp the complete perimeter; two lids plus a 0.25-inch centre gap span 72 inches.

Step 1 of 14

Mark the site and service space

Mark the 72-by-48-inch outer rectangle with string. Leave working space along both long sides so you can reach the far corners without climbing into the pen. Observe sun and shade across a full day. Mark the shelter position, a separate shaded retreat and the direction in which surface water leaves the site.

Step 2 of 14

Specify the buried perimeter

Choose the anti-dig detail before assembly. This example uses a 39-inch-wide mesh strip: reserve 3 inches above grade for clamping, extend 12 inches down, then turn 24 inches outward underground. These are starting construction dimensions, not protection against every digger. Specify a deeper or different barrier where the species, predators or soil require it.

Step 3 of 14

Prepare the ground without creating a sump

After utility clearance, remove debris and establish a stable wall line. Excavate the barrier trench while leaving the central soil undisturbed where possible. Check that the finished surface drains away from shelters. Do not line the entire pen with an impermeable sheet, bury sharp demolition material or create a low pocket beneath a covered section.

Step 4 of 14

Cut and label the wall panels

Cut the two long walls and two ends from measured sheet stock, allowing for saw kerf. Dry-fit the ends between the long walls and check the outer dimensions. Label the inside face and upper edge of each panel. Round exposed corners and sand every accessible edge before fitting hardware or applying a finish.

Step 5 of 14

Assemble the fixed box

Clamp a corner post behind each wall junction and drill pilot holes through the plywood into side grain. Place screws at three separated heights on each joined face, using lengths that cannot emerge inside. Add the external corner plates with their specified fasteners. Compare both diagonals and correct any twist before tightening the final connections.

Step 6 of 14

Install and join the barrier

Fit the perimeter mesh continuously against the outer wall base, with the cut edge enclosed beneath a clamp strip. Overlap separate lengths by at least six inches and mechanically join both edges; overlap alone leaves a movable opening. Wrap corners without gaps. Backfill and compact in layers so no wire is accessible at the finished soil surface.

Step 7 of 14

Secure the wall line

Seat the box on its prepared perimeter and check for daylight under the walls. Use ground fixings selected for the actual soil and wind exposure, positioned outside the animal area. This guide does not assign them a pullout rating. Recheck the box after watering the surrounding ground, because newly disturbed soil may settle unevenly.

Step 8 of 14

Build the two lid frames

Place two end rails and one middle rail between each pair of 48-inch stiles, producing a 35.875 x 48-inch lid. Clamp square and fasten these butt joints with external joint plates and their specified screws. The listed cuts do not include overlap for lap joints. Keep each frame flat during fastening.

Step 9 of 14

Capture the mesh securely

Lay each mesh blank on its frame and clamp it around all four edges and along the middle rail. Predrill the clamping strips and use closely spaced mechanical fasteners appropriate to the chosen mesh system. Staples may hold material during assembly but are not the final retention method. File and cover every cut wire, including the underside.

Step 10 of 14

Bridge the lid seam

Install the 46.5-inch centre support between the front and rear walls with its broad face horizontal and its top flush with the walls. It closes the route beneath the quarter-inch lid gap. Secure both ends with suitable brackets. This beam supports the lid edges only; it does not turn the mesh top into a standing platform.

Step 11 of 14

Hang, latch and restrain the lids

Mount two hinges per lid along the rear wall, following the hinge maker’s hole pattern. Fit two locking latches to each front edge so a corner cannot be lifted independently. Add positive mechanical stays that prevent an open lid from dropping. Test the entire motion with fingers clear and ensure neither lid fouls its neighbour.

Step 12 of 14

Protect the timber and allow full cure

Disassemble removable hardware where needed for complete coating coverage. Choose a finish whose manufacturer approves the plywood, outdoor exposure and intended contact conditions; obtain compatibility confirmation for accessible surfaces. Coat edges and drilled holes as directed. Keep animals elsewhere for the complete documented cure period, including any temperature-dependent extension, and rinse only when permitted.

Step 13 of 14

Fit shade and removable furnishings

Add stable shelters and planting that suit the selected animal, keeping climbable objects away from perimeter corners. Provide dependable shade even if the sun moves beyond the main shelter. Any weather cover must have an independently assessed fixing and drainage arrangement. Do not stretch a tarp over the flat mesh and let water, snow or wind load accumulate.

Step 14 of 14

Commission the empty pen

Run the pen without an animal through representative sunny and wet conditions. Log conditions in exposed and shaded positions, inspect runoff, and check beneath every shelter. Pull gently at each mesh edge and lid corner to find movement. Repeat the inspection after rain and repair the underlying joint whenever a latch or seam changes alignment.

Final construction checks

  • Confirm a complete perimeter, closed lid corners, protected mesh edges and secure stays. Never use a person or live animal to test lid strength.
  • Check that cleaning, emergency retrieval and shelter removal are possible while the second lid stays closed.

Before introducing an animal

  • Document the intended species, individual and occupancy season separately from this cut list. Compare measured conditions with that care plan before use.
  • Have the secure indoor fallback ready before outdoor occupancy.
  • Use the exact animal’s care guide to select the heating, lighting and furnishings. Run the complete setup, record measurements at the places the animal will use and resolve any unmet requirements before move-in.

Review your preparation checklist

Maintain and inspect the enclosure

  • Inspect locks, mesh attachments and the wall base before each occupancy period and after storms; look for digging, settling, rust and softened plywood.
  • Remove the animal before disturbing buried barriers, recoating wood or replacing hardware. Keep shade and drainage working as plants grow and surrounding ground changes.

Limitations and decisions to resolve

  • The roof is an exclusion cover, not a snow roof, seat or load-rated platform. Severe wind, predators or deep-burrowing species may require a different structure.
  • No heating, mains wiring, hibernation arrangement or species-specific suitability claim is included.

Sources and product instructions

These references support the specific methods and limitations listed. They do not certify this combined project or its suitability for a particular animal.

Writing is original; follow the linked source for its complete instructions.

Report a construction correction

Before you call it finished

Review the project’s final checks and compare the finished setup with the needs identified during your care research. Return to your preparation checklist and resolve anything that remains before introducing an animal.

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