Ibera Greek tortoises in tropical climates.

[Shelled Nomad]

Hi everyone!

I'm planning on getting a Ibera Greek tortoise hatchling soon, but suddenly I'm having doubts if I can provide a good life for it. I prepared the following:

• I started a small garden to provide for its food. Gardening is surprisingly fun lol.
• I prepared a 65L container, with a 6-inch deep substrate mix of 35:15:50 potting mix, sand, and top soil.
• 13W 10.0 UVB and a 50W basking light shining down on one side of the container.
• Thermo/Hygrometer.
• Cuttlebone, terracotta pots and saucers, flat stones, and maybe some fake plants for cover.

However, I worry that the climate here might be too much. I'm from the Philippines, and the daytime temperatures at my area range from 80F to 90F, and humidity levels at 66% to 83%.
Do I still need to create a closed chamber, with humidity levels being consistently high? Will the tort be able to adapt? Am I stressing too much? Sorry, but I really want to be fair to the tortoise.

Thank you

 

[The_Four_Toed_Edward]

Hello and welcome to the forum!

You have a good start, but I would change the substrate. Most potting mixes and top soils contain fertilizers pesticides and toxic plants (composted) that can be harmful for your tortoise. This is why we don't recommend them. Also, sand is a possible irritant and a blockage risk in captive conditions. For hatchlings we recommend either coco coir or orchird bark (fir bark).

For now that he is still a hatchling, I would keep him in a closed chamber, just to make sure his temperatures and humidity stay stable. He is also still vulnerable to any predators. How large is the floor space in your container?

Have you checked these out yet?

A thread for all new forum members:

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

A temperate species care sheet:

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

How to set up a plastic container for hatchlings:

How to make a closed-chamber baby habitat out of a 55gal Sterilite bin

Since several folks have asked about how to make a closed chamber baby enclosure out of a 55gal Sterilite tote, here are some pics and description of how I do. This is not the most beautiful option, but since the babies will only be in here for 9-12 months, I'm okay with that. My own Russian...

tortoiseforum.org