- Joined
- Jul 16, 2014
- Messages
- 28,939
- Location (City and/or State)
- South Eastern Florida (U.S.A.)/Rock Hill S.C.
Many keepers use or have used or will in the future some sort of glass or partially glass enclosure for your tortoise. They are very easy to purchase or construct. Etc. But there are a few things to keep in mind about the way that the sun and UV in general interact with glass.
UV can not penetrate glass. So having your tortoise near a window with sunlight streaming through will not provide any real levels of UV. Also, if you have a glass topped enclosure. UV will not pass into the enclosure.
If you allow the sunlight to shine on a glass enclosure, such as a fish tank or a terrarium, the sunlight can do a refraction inside the glass and turn the enclosure into an oven.
I'm posting a warning because I've met a well meaning keeper that placed a juvenile tortoise outside in an aquarium to get some Florida sunlight and within an hour, the animal had pretty much cooked to death.
Please know that there are many reasons why glass is a poor choice for an enclosure.
These are two of them.
UV can not penetrate glass. So having your tortoise near a window with sunlight streaming through will not provide any real levels of UV. Also, if you have a glass topped enclosure. UV will not pass into the enclosure.
If you allow the sunlight to shine on a glass enclosure, such as a fish tank or a terrarium, the sunlight can do a refraction inside the glass and turn the enclosure into an oven.
I'm posting a warning because I've met a well meaning keeper that placed a juvenile tortoise outside in an aquarium to get some Florida sunlight and within an hour, the animal had pretty much cooked to death.
Please know that there are many reasons why glass is a poor choice for an enclosure.
These are two of them.