Indoor enclosure/tortoise flipping

[kmloughran]

We have a heated 8x10 enclosure for our 15lb leopard tortoise to live in in our garage during the colder winter months. I used a laminate/waterproof flooring with coco bark scattered atop it to soak up any waste/make cleanup easier. The problem is that during ghost more active days, he will occasionally flip himself over. We’ve found him on his side/back several times now. I’m afraid that the smooth floor with the easily movable bark is making it difficult for him to flip himself back over. Do you have any recommendations for additions to the enclosure that could aid him in righting himself when he flips?

We’ve recently installed a motion camera in his enclosure so that we can check in on him more often. Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you.

 

[Maggie3fan]

In my experience that's a fairly big tort to be flipping...I have kept bigger Sulcata over the winter in a tort shed and they pace and did try to climb the walls...in your case with a camera what is making him flip over in the first place...at 15t pounds that shouldn't happen...My shed has a plywood floor with no substrate

 

[Tom]

We have a heated 8x10 enclosure for our 15lb leopard tortoise to live in in our garage during the colder winter months. I used a laminate/waterproof flooring with coco bark scattered atop it to soak up any waste/make cleanup easier. The problem is that during ghost more active days, he will occasionally flip himself over. We’ve found him on his side/back several times now. I’m afraid that the smooth floor with the easily movable bark is making it difficult for him to flip himself back over. Do you have any recommendations for additions to the enclosure that could aid him in righting himself when he flips?

We’ve recently installed a motion camera in his enclosure so that we can check in on him more often. Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you.

The first thing is add more substrate so that it is not slick. There should be 3-4 inches of orchid bark.

But the main problem is that 8x10 is too small an area for a tortoise this size. This flipping problem doesn't happen when they are housed outside in a large enclosure. Make your tortoise a proper insulated 4x8 foot night box and let it live outside full time. Close it in every night, and open the door every morning. Let it experience the seasons and weather, but with the shelter for protection and warmth. Heat the box to 80 with a mini radiant oil heater set on a thermostat. Add in a bright LED light over near the door side and put it on a timer. Have a RHP right next to the LED, and a Kane mat under the RHP, and plug these into the LED light timer whenever day time high temps are below 80. Don't plug them into a thermostat. Plug them into a timer. You want it "on" and heating the whole box up during the day. Its an area where the tortoise can "bask" on cold overcast days and get their body up to operating temperatures. This will raise the box temp above 80 during the day, and kick off at night, where the mini oil heater will maintain ambient at 80.

Your climate is warm and sunny enough for this. The time to do this is NOW! Spring time. Start building now and hopefully be able to move the tortoise outside full time in June. It can acclimate to the weather and its new box during the hotter months, and transition into fall and winter more easily. Here are two examples, and you'll need the heating strategies of both:

Single Tortoise Night Box

I like my larger tortoises to live outside full time. My climate permits this year round with a little help. For people who live where it snows all winter, this type of box is still good for warmer weather, getting them out earlier in Spring, and keeping them out a bit later into fall. You'll...

tortoiseforum.org

Double Door Night Box

As the years have gone by and I build more of these boxes, I learn more and more each time. This one is the latest and I incorporated everything I've learned over the years. I also tried to take lots of pics so I can explain in more detail some of what is going on. It will take multiple posts to...

tortoiseforum.org

Questions are welcome!