A Basic Guide on Keeping Tortoises

A basic guide on keeping tortoises
by tortoisenut on Tue May 18 2010, 01:12

What follows is a basic guide to keeping Mediterranean species which include, Hermann, Marginated, Ibera and though not strictly Meds, Horsfield tortoises.

I advise anyone thinking of purchasing any of the above species to research it throughly first as tortoises live a very long time and are not an easy pet to care for properly.
Consider especially the following, can I provide enough space indoors and outdoors, can I afford the electricity to run basking and UVB lighting, am I prepared to either grow or go for weed walks almost everyday and do I have the space for hatchlings and in time adults. Finally am I prepared to hibernate these tortoises in the winter.
If you feel you can then read on:

Because of the climate here in the UK and Ireland, some of the year will be spent indoors, therefore a tortoise table is the most humane method of keeping these species, vivs are just not suitable due to humidity levels, and the inability to provide a temperature gradient.
I use for young tortoises, tables that are at least 4ft long and 3 ft wide.
Tortoises need to thermoregulate, control their body temp and stop dehydration, therefore the best substrate to use is sterilised top soil 70% and Playsand 30%. Its cheap and quite easy to clean out. A depth of 2 inches for hatchlings and at least 3 inches for adults is needed. All tortoises need exercise so the bigger the table the better. Its not humane to keep them on anything smaller considering the vast distances they can travel in the wild to get food.
UVB is either a combined Mercury vapour lamp, mine are 120W or you can go for separate basking with an ordinary household spotlight and a 10% uvb striplight. it is important to have a warm end and a cool end so the tortoise has a choice of where to go to achieve the correct temp to metabolise food and heat.
The temp under the basking are should be around 32C and at the cool end around 23C.
Lights need to be on for around 12 hours per day, if a tortoise is quite inactive check temps and keep lights on for 16 hours per day, keep an eye on temps using digital probe themometers.

Provide hides, water bowls with fresh water everyday, tortoises do drink quite a bit and cuttlefish bone to help with calcium levels and a dish of limestone flour. Also a flat piece of slate to feed on to keep beaks trim. You can include a few plants as well for decoration.

Diet for these should be mostly garden weeds and flowers, no vegetables at all they are just too high in Oxolates and can give tortoises high levels of uric acid which combined with dehydration causes stones to form in the bladder and if left untreated will kill a tortoise.
Suitable weeds include Plaintain, Vetch, Dandelions, Clover, Sticky bud, Dead nettle, and Speedwell to name a few, variety is the key, not too much of anything and try to vary it everyday.
Flowers are very good as well in the diet, Pansy, Petunia, some varieties of Sedum, Campanula, Nastursium, Honeysuckle vary the diet and they love the colours being especially drawn to yellow and red flowers.
A little cucumber is a treat, fed no more than once a week.
Food should be dusted everyday for hatchlings with Nutrobal and around 3 times a week for adults.
If a total weed diet is provided it provides a good high fibre, low protein, low fat, low carbohydrate and calcium rich diet which is suitable for these tortoises.

In the summer these tortoises require an outside enclosure if keeping different species of tortoises then separate enclosures are needed at all times indoor and outside.
The bigger the better, although hatchling are sometimes happier in smaller enclosures until they get used to outside and also its easier to make them predator proof.
Tortoises are great escape artists, especially Horsfields so the boundry must be at least 15 inches high with no plants near the edge or they will climb over. underneath must have at least 2 ft of chicken wire buried into the soil or they will dig out.
Provide water bowls, hides and plants for cover from predators and to provide shade. Also a small patio type area is useful for basking and feeding. Plants can be used for food as well as decoration. Try and provide a well drained area with gravel areas as well, large areas of grass are not suitable as they are too damp, Also if possible provide little hilly areas for basking and for exercise.
If tortoises are to be kept out overnight, then suitable enclosures should be provided that have doors or a lid over the whole enclosure.
Hatchings must be covered at all times as many a tiny tortoise has been lifted by a magpie or a dog has gotten in.
I have often seen quite inactive tortoises come to life outdoors, no uv lamp matches the sun for excellent health benefits.
If you feel comfortable wearing a t shirt outside then its warm enough for a tortoise to go out, even cloudy days provide enough uv. Dont worry about the odd rain shower they don't mind and it does rain in the wild.

Bath your tortoise regularly, in luke warm water, the level should be to where the carapace, upper shell meets the plastron, lower shell. I bath small tortoises every second day, and larger tortoises about twice a week, even if outside. They will drink and often do their business in the bath, keep an eye for the consistency of their urates which is a white creamy substance a bit like toothpaste.
This should not be gritty, if it is then the tortoise is becoming dehydrated, so keep them longer in the bath. and bath everyday.
Many worry about weight gain, when you lift your tortoise it should feel like a little rock, not hollow, then you know its fine, a giain of around 4g a month for hatchling is fine and the larger the tortoise the more weight gain is acceptable.
Let them grow slowly, don't rush it, they live a long time so can take their time, just slow and steady just like them.

Finally hibernation, its a big subject, which I will not cover here, but will do a separate sheet on nearer winter. I as a keeper do hibernate mine from 30g upwards, very successfully, I do believe its good for tortoises of these species to take a rest and it revitalises them for the following year.


I hope this has helped, any questions just ask and enjoy your tortoises as I do mine.
Shortly I will do out a care sheet on Geochelone Elegans, the Indian Star tortoise which I keep as well.

Bev :)

Moved to this section on behalf of Bev.......

Sorry i didn't read the whole article, but do Hermanns need UV lighting? i ask because my local petshop has a very big tub with 9 torts in and no heat bulb or UV lighting....

Below an exerpt from Bevs guide...indicating lighting and heating requirements....

UVB is either a combined Mercury vapour lamp, mine are 120W or you can go for separate basking with an ordinary household spotlight and a 10% uvb striplight. it is important to have a warm end and a cool end so the tortoise has a choice of where to go to achieve the correct temp to metabolise food and heat.
The temp under the basking are should be around 32C and at the cool end around 23C.
Lights need to be on for around 12 hours per day, if a tortoise is quite inactive check temps and keep lights on for 16 hours per day, keep an eye on temps using digital probe themometers.

I'll have to inform them then because none of the above is used for them....

Joe,

Not a bad idea, however, mind how you approach the pet shop owner, some can be critical and ultra defensive when it comes to outside advice...also don't forget they may be temporarily containing these guys before rehousing....so don't jump in with two feet...

Thanks Tony I know the managers very well....but i know for a fact they know nothing about torts, it will be the person who is in charge of the upstairs floor (the person in charge of the reps and torts) who i will be talking to, and they are there full time, i asked when i was doing ork experience there, they have been there for 3months now...

Looks like you have it covered Joe...good man!

I'll keep you posted but i will make a new thread....don't want to hijack this one!

I'll keep an eye out...cheers Joe...