# News paper as substrate?



## Sulcata Tortoise (Aug 9, 2019)

I have seen many enclosures with newspaper in them 

Is newspaper an ok substrate?


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## Maro2Bear (Aug 9, 2019)

I would say no, unless you have a tortoise that is being treated for a wound, or fungus or some other ailment and you don’t want it exposed to dirt/mulch/coir etc in order to keep the wound clean.

If thats not the case, high humidity and newspaper = mold, mildew, etc. so, id say no.


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## Madkins007 (Oct 13, 2019)

One issue with newspaper is lack of traction. In the old days of the hobby (70's), there were lots of horror stories of tortoises that had splayed limbs and were functionally crippled due to the lack of traction.


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## TammyJ (Oct 14, 2019)

Sulcata Tortoise said:


> I have seen many enclosures with newspaper in them
> 
> Is newspaper an ok substrate?


I agree that it may be OK temporarily when treating a sick or injured tortoise, but not for any permanent situation.
What kind of enclosures have you seen with newspaper and where were they?
I do use newspaper for my snakes but not tortoises. And it's not just newspaper alone in their enclosures.
Unfortunately, at the zoo here in Jamaica, the poor little baby redfoot tortoises are put into open cardboard boxes with newspaper. You can guess how they turn out!


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## Yvonne G (Oct 14, 2019)

1. no traction
2. most tortoise require a bit of humidity in their environment - newspaper = no humidity
3. tortoises like to dig and most will end up UNDER the newspaper
4. you have to change newspaper frequently, while substrate only requires changes in 6 months to a year
5. Newspaper gets wet, then crumbly, then moldy
6. tortoises can't read


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## TammyJ (Oct 14, 2019)

Yvonne G said:


> 1. no traction
> 2. most tortoise require a bit of humidity in their environment - newspaper = no humidity
> 3. tortoises like to dig and most will end up UNDER the newspaper
> 4. you have to change newspaper frequently, while substrate only requires changes in 6 months to a year
> ...


Snakes cannot read either but I try to leave the cartoon side up for them.


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## Tortoise MasterMan (Dec 18, 2019)

> 6. tortoises can't read



After many years of research, I have found no conclusive evidence that tortoises can't read. This should be it's own debatable post!


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## TammyJ (Dec 19, 2019)

Tortoise MasterMan said:


> After many years of research, I have found no conclusive evidence that tortoises can't read. This should be it's own debatable post!


Quite. We humans are the most self-centered, presumptuous animals on this planet.


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