# can i use 100% wood pellets as substrata



## susaniddon (Oct 2, 2018)

very new to all things tortoise so any help will be great. I live in the UK and have acquired 2 small tunisian tortoise. They are house in a tortoise table 36 ins in length. I am using a 80w D3 arcadia bulb, at the moment the table is filled with 100% natural wood pellets that are marked as suitable for reptiles, will the torts be ok ? Or can anyone suggest other substrata. They will be mainly in the house so any tips on feeding also welcome. I also believe these dont hibernate so does their diet change during the year. They are very tiny but have put on 3grams each in the last 10 days that I have had them,


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## JoesMum (Oct 2, 2018)

Hello and welcome from Kent UK

Firstly the bad news. Tortoises are not social creatures and they don't need or want company. In the wild they roam miles, meet up to mate and move on. Another tortoise is simply a rival for food and territory. Bullying is common, regardless of gender or whether they were hatch mates, and the subordinate tortoise fails to thrive and could become very sick. They will need to be separated and you should ideally do it before the bullying starts.

I recommend you read a couple of threads by TFO species experts that will answer many of your questions for you. There is a lot of outdated and inaccurate information out on the internet and from pet stores and, sadly, from some breeders and vets too.

Beginner Mistakes
https://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

Care of baby Testudo (written about Russians, but applies to yours as well) 
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/b...or-other-herbivorous-tortoise-species.107734/

While young, your torts need to be raised in a warm, humid environment to thrive and be healthy and to avoid pyramidding of the shell. This can only be achieved in a covered enclosure known as a closed chamber where the warmth and humidity will stay constant. The second thread above explains this.

Wood pellets are far too dry for substrate. You need an earthy substrate that you can mix with water so it is damp (not wet). Fine grade orchid bark and coco coir are both popular on TFO for this job. Buy it from a garden centre, DIY shop or Amazon as it will be cheaper than any pet store. Printing a tortoise on the packet seems to double the price. Avoid any substrate with added white bits like calcium; the last thing you want to do is encourage your tort to eat the substrate.

Tunisians are Greek tortoises and can be hibernated, but not until they are much bigger... at least 500g. 

If you post photos of your enclosure and lighting we will be happy to help you perfect it.


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## Yvonne G (Oct 2, 2018)

Hi, and welcome!

Here's a link to the Greek care sheet:

https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/greek-tortoise-testudo-graeca-care-sheet-overview.87146/


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