Bio active red foot tortoise pics

[Dinosaur_Owner]

Here are a few pictures of Onyx's set up and all the other critters he shares his home with in their little micro ecosystem. It's a 90 gallon tank with approximately six inches of soil.

*Species Manifesto*

Red foot tortoise, quantity 1, where in the world? South America

Hermit crabs, quantity 10, where in the world? The Americas

Nightcrawlers, quantity 48, where in the world? Europe

Pill bugs, quantity unknown, perhaps 50ish, where in the world? Europe

Wood lice, quantity 2 (trying to get more) where in the world? Europe

Elephant bush, quantity 1, where in the world? Africa

Cranberry Cotoneaster, quantity 1, where in the world? Asia

 

[Emily Deshar]

That is cool. I am planning on doing a bioactive enclosure too once my hubby builds her a bigger enclosure. She is only 5 months right now.

 

[AmberD]

With the hermit crabs are you not worried they may pinch the tortoise? I used to have them and have been pinched a few times.. I wouldn't like to think what would happen if they took a go at the tortoise's face for example.
Or cross contaminants?
Just a thought! Very cool though!

 

[Dinosaur_Owner]

With the hermit crabs are you not worried they may pinch the tortoise? I used to have them and have been pinched a few times.. I wouldn't like to think what would happen if they took a go at the tortoise's face for example.
Or cross contaminants?
Just a thought! Very cool though!

The Tortoise and the crabs mostly ignore each other. They really don't have that much interest in one another. The only time they are every really close to one another is when they are feeding. Even then if Onyx the red foot gets to close to the crabs, the crabs just back off and come back later after he's left. Most diseases (but not all) evolve to infect specific species or groups of closely related species. The more distantly related two animals are the less of a chance there is for interspecies disease exchange. The chances of a disease being capable of infecting hermit crabs (a crustacean) and a tortoise (a reptile) animals that have been genetically separated for hundreds of millions of years is quiet remote.

 

[MPRC]

Your redfoot will benefit from a water dish that it can climb inside of to soak. My babies all loved having terracotta saucers to soak in.