HELP (home's hingeback tortoise) care

[FLINTUS]

Hi
I would focus on getting plants in there. They themselves should take up some of the ground water, and large leaves such as banana plants would also provide cover. That said, as long as the temperatures are warm enough, a part swamp like area in your enclosure would probably be liked.
If you could get a proper ecosystem going, with plants, he'll only need feeding twice a week IMO, but obviously check him more often.
Substrate wise, get moss and dried leaves, again this should absorb some of the water. I wouldn't worry too much about burrows, but more climbing, although your fences sound adequate.

 

[Anyfoot]

We are planting Philippine grass, and it is growing slowly, so should the substrate be grass? Or should I leave some spots clay soil?

Where the clay patches are you could do with making this look like a forest floor with cyprus mulch for example. As for plants, I'm not really up on this, there are some on this forum with more knowledge. I should start another thread asking about plant life to grow. Mine love to hide in Boston fern and Heather.

 

[Anyfoot]

We are planting Philippine grass, and it is growing slowly, so should the substrate be grass? Or should I leave some spots clay soil?

Keep pictures coming

 

[Anyfoot]

I wouldn't provide a mud pool, it may get too messy. Water pool for hydration is more important.
I feed kale, romaine lettuce, spinach, blackberry leaves, rasberry leaves and weeds(dandilions and plantain). I've noticed they eat dried leaves too.
For fruit I feed papaya, mango, melon, apple,pear,kiwi,banana and strawberries.

Forgot, we also feed plums. To give you an idea of the amount, 1 plum between 6 tortoises. So fruit is not the main part of the diet.
Bananas and strawberries are fed very rare, like once a month. Can't remember the last time we fed strawberries.

 

[hingeback]

Keep pictures coming

 

[hingeback]

We are done with the fence

 

[hingeback]

So is grass only okay for substrate?

 

[tortadise]

Thanks, I need to mix worms with it every time?

It helps. Natural diet consist of 80% protein and 20% veggies/fruit. But in captivity limit the fruit a lot. Maybe once every 10 days or so. Most fruits they consume in the wild cannot be purchased in stores in Asia or the Americas or Europe. If your going to feed fruits use paw paw, guanabana, papaya, mango, jackfruit and bananas. But small slivers mixed in a salad with worms, crickets, snails, mushrooms and different weeds and broadleaf greens.

 

[tortadise]

We are done with the fenceView attachment 153946

Looks great. But this species will no thrive well in a very well lit or heavy sun exposed enclosure. For sure heavily planted is going to allow a good thriving tortoise. Lots of large ferns (which they consume too) bird of paradise, pathos, hostas, and large grasses like mondo or blue tip lirope. Anything that heavily shelters and shades almost 75-80% of the enclosure is best.

 

[hingeback]

Thanks

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Hello, and a very warm welcome to Tortoise Forum .
Good luck with your enclosure and continue asking all the right questions!

 

[hingeback]

Thanks

 

[hingeback]

Hi, is only grass okay for substrate?

 

[hingeback]

@Anyfoot, is it okay if I just use grass as substrate and is money plant suitable for her shade?

 

[Anyfoot]

@Anyfoot, is it okay if I just use grass as substrate and is money plant suitable for her shade?

Money plant is OK, but may get eaten.
Can you put some moss in with the grass.
My enclosure is a thick layer of coir then scattered over the surface are dried leaves, bark off of trees,cyprus wood,small twigs broken up and some moss. This is to try and copy the natural forest floor.
So if yours is just going to be nice and neat grass, its not really ideal. It needs to look like there is debris from trees.
If you did an area with grass and an area with forest floor look you would be able to see for yourself where the Tortoise wants to be. But they like to camaflauge, this is why homes hingebacks look like a pile of leaves in pattern.
Dense plant life is good to, need to block out bright sunlight on clear sky days.
As for the hides, I was thinking this would act as a safe place for them to run to in fear of predators. ( I would have hides with rose bushes outside the hide entrance to stop predators getting in past the thorns.)
If your worried about your clay earth holding water to much, then grass it all but put dried leaves,moss,bark etc onto some areas of the grass.

 

[hingeback]

No problem, thanks. If I made a small section with chicken wire or hardware cloth covering the top and put her at night, is it fine?

 

[Anyfoot]

No problem, thanks. If I made a small section with chicken wire or hardware cloth covering the top and put her at night, is it fine?

I'm not 100% sure of your climate. I'm thinking 20 to 30° year round with a 5 month rain season. If that is correct it sounds ideal for this species.
From a predators point of view. I don't know. Over hear in the uk I only have to worry about Fox and rats.
What predators do you get in your area?

 

[hingeback]

I don't really know what are their predators, but I have seen two snakes, a monkey, and maybe there are hawks in our area because just behind our house there is a jungle, so I am not very sure what predators there are.

 

[Anyfoot]

I don't really know what are their predators, but I have seen two snakes, a monkey, and maybe there are hawks in our area because just behind our house there is a jungle, so I am not very sure what predators there are.

Be careful, its a jungle out there lol

I think you maybe safer assuming you have quite a few predators in the area.
Make some of the enclosure grass, some like a forest floor, plant it out heavily for cover and have a safe place at night to lock your tort away.
Could you use anything from the jungle to put in your enclosure?

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, is only grass okay for substrate?

I don't keep that type of tortoise, but my gut feeling is - no, grass is not ok to use as substrate. No one has come right out and answered your grass question with a yes or a no, but they have always come back with the types of plants you should plant. This tells me that no, grass wouldn't be good.