# Desert Tortoise Indoor Enclosure Help



## dmarshall1991 (Nov 30, 2014)

Hi everyone, so I got this desert tortoise yesterday. He's in terrible shape and I'm struggling. I have heard several different mixed advice on what kind of indoor habitat o should be keeping him in until he's healthy enough next spring to be housed outdoors. (I live in Tucson Arizona in case that matters) anyways, right now as a quick temporary set up to get him by until I figure out something better for him I've got him in a tortoise table made out of a bookshelf on its back. I've got cypress mulch in there, some hides, a water bowl, and his basking light.. my question is this.. he is 5 years old. He hatched in 09'. But he's super tiny. His entire body fits in one hand. I have a spare 40 gallon breeder sized enclosure.. should I switch him into that so that I can better regulate his temp and provide him with higher humidity?? I guess my question is how much humidity should he have??? In nature here in AZ they have such low humidity, but I think babies stay in burrows that have higher levels of it much like sulcatas. But he's 5 years old.. so I'm confused. Any advice would be apprecuated. Thanks!


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## stojanovski92113 (Nov 30, 2014)

Congrats on your new tortoise...I hope someone can help you out as I don't know anything on desert tortoises.


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## bouaboua (Nov 30, 2014)

How big is he??

I just adopted one each of CDT and Texas Desert Tortoise baby also. This is what I do for them this winter....Sorry for unit of measure are in millimeter, because I first shared with a torts friend in China.

This is a top, finishing view.



The plastic container is about 31 inches long.


18 inches wide.


I use coco coil and tree bark mix. And pat it down by hand to make it firm.


Good humidity and temperature (I open the lid to taking measurement a photo, so the temperature drop to about 75F. If I close the lid. if will be in around 90~100F)




With sight barrier.................


This container is about 12 inches deep.


I put in couple inches of substrate .......for them to dig and burrow.


I use a old blanket, folded and warp around the container to cover about 1/2 of the surfaces so the enclosure will not loss heat too fast.



I use a single 40 W light bulb for the day time lighting and heat. I use an 100 W CHE bulb for night, linked to a temperature controller.


100 W CHE is under the hood.



This is the view with both lids are covered. elastic band and few home made hooks keep the blanket in place.


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## dmarshall1991 (Dec 1, 2014)

bouaboua said:


> How big is he??
> 
> I just adopted one each of CDT and Texas Desert Tortoise baby also. This is what I do for them this winter....Sorry for unit of measure are in millimeter, because I first shared with a torts friend in China.
> 
> ...


Wow thank you so much for this!!!! This really helped. I weighed him yesterday and he is 360 grams and about 5 inches. I am going to set up a better little area for him today now thanks to your helpful information and pictures.


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