Newspaper as substrate?

[ditzyangeluk]

The people I got my Hermann Tortoise from (who is gorgeous and fabulous by the way!! ) have been keeping/breeding tortoises for 40+ years. For substrate, they use newspaper laid flat on the base and advocate doing the same. Thoughts please?

 

[dmmj]

I don't recommend, can't really hold moisture well, not when there are better alternatives available. My 2 cents.

 

[THBfriend]

I don't recommend it either. In my opinion, good soil is the best choice (with added rocks and plants). Or at least something similar, like coco coir.

Good substrate should have these properties: hold moisture well, not get moldy too easily, a non-acidic pH value, harmless when ingested, not too dusty when dry, firm enough for good footing, soft enough for easy burrowing (well, at least inside the hides, tortoises don't have to be able to burrow everywhere).

 

[wellington]

What was done years ago, well, we know better now. Never seen a tortoise living on paper in the wild. Dirt, coconut coir, cypress mulch, orchid bark, all much better.

 

[Yvonne G]

Aw...I love that picture. Save it in its full-size for our calendar contest that we usually start in September. Its a winner for sure.

As to newspaper...

Baby tortoise legs are tender and growing. You want the baby to have as much traction as possible, and slipping out from under him on newspaper is not an ideal practice. It might cause the legs to splay out and grow splayed.

You need a substrate that you can keep fairly moist, and you can't accomplish that with newspaper.

And just because someone has been having success breeding tortoises and getting babies, does not mean they have the best knowledge about raising those babies.

 

[THBfriend]

Aw...I love that picture. Save it in its full-size for our calendar contest that we usually start in September. Its a winner for sure.

Thanks! Here's an album with a few related pictures.

 

[ditzyangeluk]

To be honest, I thought so but they were adamant so thought I would ask. I have never seen anywhere that recommends newspaper so will stick with my topsoil. Thank you