Tortoise Fencing
Animex wildlife fencing is designed and tested to control tortoise movement and exclude them from unwanted or dangerous areas. It optimizes natural reptile behavior to encourage safe and fast movement away from the fence line and, unlike mesh fencing, inhibits climbing and entanglement.
Tortoise exclusion fencing
Threatened Mojave Desert Tortoises (Gopherus agassizii) and other Gopherus species face numerous threats, not least from collisions with vehicles as they attempt to cross highways traversing their territories and entrapment in trenches, pipework, and machinery on construction sites. Also, with the increase in solar power installations in desert habitats that are used by the tortoises, fencing is required to keep the animals out. An additional problem is that although exclusion fencing can successfully keep tortoises off construction sites and roads, some individuals have difficulties adjusting to new barriers and their body temperature rises – sometimes fatally – as they pace up and down the fencing in hot weather.
Fencing, along with other mitigation measures, such as underpasses, has been shown to reduce mortality without disrupting the animals’ life cycle too much, but it has to be the right kind of fencing, installed with consideration for the animals’ direction of movement. Otherwise, tortoises may be able to get through or over it – or they may perish trying to find a way through.
Evidence provided by biologists and contractors in Nevada revealed that previously specified mesh fencing designed to exclude Mohave Desert Tortoises had been found to corrode within a few years of installation and posed risks to a variety of animals. Additionally, installation methods often damaged large areas of surrounding habitat.
Fencing can also be used to aid population assessment before the development of new construction sites.
IMAGE: White Animex fencing used to control Desert Tortoise movements during population surveys in the Mojave desert USA.
Top 5 tortoise species Animex is commonly used for:
Texas tortoise
Desert tortoise
Gopher tortoise
Desert tortoise Gopherus agassizii
Gopher tortoise Gopherus polyphemus
Texas tortoise Gopherus berlandieri
Hermann’s tortoise Testudo hermanni
Marginated tortoise Testudo marginata
Bolson tortoise Gopherus flavomarginatus
Leopard tortoise Stigmochelys pardalis
Yellow-footed tortoise Chelonoidis denticulatus
and more…
Height
40in is the product height most commonly used with tortoises
Standard above-ground installed height 22in / 550mm (with anti-climb and anti-dig lips)
We have various fencing products suitable for tortoise
Temporary
Recommended for short-term projects between 1-5 years but has an anticipated lifespan of 25 years.
Guide Price: USD $4 per ft / CAD $18.50 per m
Semi-permanent
Recommended for long-term projects of approximately 15 years but has an anticipated lifespan of 50 years.
Guide Price: USD $7.50 per ft / CAD $37 per m
Permanent
Recommended for long-term projects of approximately 25 years but has an anticipated lifespan of 50 years.
Guide Price: USD $30.50 per ft / CAD $153.50 per m
Guide prices are based on Animex fencing material and standard fixings and fasteners. This does not include support posts or installation. AMX-48 or a smaller customized, unlisted product may be more appropriate for some projects. Please contact us if you have any concerns or questions about the height or type of fence that is best for your project.
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