grass or hay/ light bedding for movable tortoise "playpen"

mylittlecholla

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Oct 25, 2020
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230
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Fillmore, California
Howdy, all!

We intend to use a plastic wading pool as an occasional playpen for our 3 1/2-year-old Desert Tortoise. We want her to able to amble around safely while inside our house in chilly weather.

Cholla already has an outdoor enclosure with the necessary furnishings, but she has long since outgrown her indoor enclosure. But we want to be able to hang out with her indoors too, as she appears quite jolly when she's near us: comes over to us; sticks out her neck to be rubbed under the chin, etc. (My husband is increasingly besotted with her; I've been besotted all along. :tort::<3:;)

The "pool" is 8' in circumference and 10" deep. The substrate must be light enough that we can easily move it around. We've already got a bag of cypress-bark substrate, but we're wondering if Timothy hay would be more pleasant for her.

Or what about that green indoor/outdoor carpet stuff. The advantage is that it's washable--but I'm concerned about possible unhealthy chemicals.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts y'all may have about the above.


:tort::<3:;)
 

mylittlecholla

Active Member
Joined
Oct 25, 2020
Messages
230
Location (City and/or State)
Fillmore, California
I would nix the idea of the hay and the fake grass and select cypress mulch if i was doing this. Ps - love that you used besotted not once, but twice! Have fun, happy Desert Tortoising

Thanks, Maro2Bear! Sounds like a good mix of lightweight material.
Happy tortoising to you too! :D
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
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I would use orchid bark for that. Keep it damp, and hang a heat lamp for basking when she is indoors.
 
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