Re: Indoor tortoise habitat

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Posted by Joe on February 21, 1999 at 13:30:34:

In Reply to: Re: Indoor tortoise habitat posted by Terry on February 21, 1999 at 12:26:32:

:
: : Ferdinand Galapagos Magellan (a.k.a. Magellan) is a Russian tortoise living in a ten gallon long aquariaum w/ alfalfa pellet substrate. he is bored w/ his environment. I tried to put a couple potted non-poisonous plants in but of course he walked over them. He has a bark enclosure to get away from the "sun" but I need help giving this guy something stimulating in his environment. I'd love to hear what others have done to their tort habitats.

: Hi, i'm sorry but no tortoise should live in a ten gallon tank. Even my hatchling box turtles rubbermaid is much bigger than that.You could build him an indoor enclosure and an outdoor pen for the summer.
: What about a kiddies wading pool for an indoor enclosure. They are quite big and cheap, I hope more people will respond with ideas.
: When you say that he has a bark to get out of the sun, I hope you dont mean that you are puting the tank in the sun. Not a good idea, as it will overheat very quickly killing him.
: I believe that no matter what kind of critters you keep, you should give them the biggest pen, enclosure, home, that you can possibly afford.
: I'm sure he is bored, in a large kiddies pool, there would be room for more hiding places, flat rocks to climb on. You could even plant a good size fern for him to hide under.
: You could use supersoil as a substrate, i'm sure he would love it.
: Terry.

I have raised russinas from hatchlings. I start them in a 10 gallon aquarium with newspaper on the bottom. When they start eating consistantly, I move them into large rubbermade containers. I've tried many substrates. The rabbit pellets wouk good for the adults, but, the young ones have trouble walking on it. Soil needs to be damp or it gets too dusty and the dampness can cause shell infections. What works best is newspaper on the bottom and alfalfa or timothy hay on top. The have provides alot of hiding spots and is easy to walk on if you flatten it out. When the weather permits I put the young ones outside in an escape proof area with alot of shaded areas.
Hope this helps
Joe

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: : : : : Ferdinand Galapagos Magellan (a.k.a. Magellan) is a Russian tortoise living in a ten gallon long aquariaum w/ alfalfa pellet substrate. he is bored w/ his environment. I tried to put a couple potted non-poisonous plants in but of course he walked over them. He has a bark enclosure to get away from the "sun" but I need help giving this guy something stimulating in his environment. I'd love to hear what others have done to their tort habitats. : : Hi, i'm sorry but no tortoise should live in a ten gallon tank. Even my hatchling box turtles rubbermaid is much bigger than that.You could build him an indoor enclosure and an outdoor pen for the summer. : : What about a kiddies wading pool for an indoor enclosure. They are quite big and cheap, I hope more people will respond with ideas. : : When you say that he has a bark to get out of the sun, I hope you dont mean that you are puting the tank in the sun. Not a good idea, as it will overheat very quickly killing him. : : I believe that no matter what kind of critters you keep, you should give them the biggest pen, enclosure, home, that you can possibly afford. : : I'm sure he is bored, in a large kiddies pool, there would be room for more hiding places, flat rocks to climb on. You could even plant a good size fern for him to hide under. : : You could use supersoil as a substrate, i'm sure he would love it. : : Terry. : I have raised russinas from hatchlings. I start them in a 10 gallon aquarium with newspaper on the bottom. When they start eating consistantly, I move them into large rubbermade containers. I've tried many substrates. The rabbit pellets wouk good for the adults, but, the young ones have trouble walking on it. Soil needs to be damp or it gets too dusty and the dampness can cause shell infections. What works best is newspaper on the bottom and alfalfa or timothy hay on top. The have provides alot of hiding spots and is easy to walk on if you flatten it out. When the weather permits I put the young ones outside in an escape proof area with alot of shaded areas. : Hope this helps : Joe

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