Yes!! Thank you!!
Get him out of there ASAP! You have used soil with perlite. They eat the perlite and it will slowly kill them. This is one of the many reasons we say don't use soil for tortoise substrate.
Oh no ok!!! Thank god he was only in there for a few minutes today. What do you recommend I use as the substrate? The cover over my patio is a mesh cover so sun does come through, but I will move it to more of a sunny area
I usually make my outdoor enclosures on the ground and use whatever native dirt is there. With an enclosure like yours, I'd stick with whatever substrate you are using indoors. Alternatively, you can simply use some safe yard dirt from your yard. Just make sure there is no perlite, store bought soil, fertilizers, toxic leaves or plants, etc... in whatever area you dig up the soil from.
Oh gosh will he be okay ?? I’m nervous now!!!!
I’m just so worried about the ants in the dirt in our natural dirt- that’s why I have him in a raised bed right now while we try to treat it
Those fire ants are some nasty business, so I totally understand your concern. The safest way to go is to just use the same substrate that you are using indoors then. Keep your plants in pots. It is fine to use that soil with perlite in the pots, as long as the tortoise doesn't have access to it and can't reach it. I always worry that a pot will accidentally get knocked over somehow or other, so I prefer to use soil with no perlite in it, even if the plant is potted and the tortoise can't reach it with the pot upright.
