Safe plants for Homes Hingeback

[IggyBeans]

I apologize for creating a new thread. Im curious about plants in my table. Id like to ideally put plants that she can hide in and eat in her enclosure but im having a hard time finding a list if safe plants specifically for hingebacks, or would it be the same for any tort? Also, if live plants arent fesible, would silk plants do? I really would love some more cover for her as right now her place is quite bare.

 

[JoesMum]

Silk plants are not recommended. I'm afraid torts are not the brightest in the animal kingdom and they can eat them by mistake.

Any of the leafy plants recommended for other species will be fine to put in with yours.

Look plants up on The Tortoise Table Plant Database for suitability

Spider Plant is a good start. It's easy to grow and throws out runners with a constant supply of new plants. Grow one in a pot on the window sill and plant the baby plants in the enclosure for your tort to eat

 

[IggyBeans]

how do you suggest i plant those? In pots then put the pots in? I need something for her to use as a semi-hiding spot and to make her enclosure....more homey. I feel its too bare right now and adding plants would help her out a little and give her more things to explore. What else can i put in there to make it better? She has the basics. Food bowl, water/soaking pan(which by the way gets filled with substrate ALL THE TIME) lights, and a hiding spot. id like to give her a choice as to where she wants to hide and how she wants to do it. Just feel that her enclosure could be better, but not sure how to do it.

 

[Jacqui]

In some of my enclosures, I do use the fake plants, especially the vine types and they work well. Perhaps hingebacks are just smarter then other tortoises, because none of mine have ever had issues. For real plants my most common used ones are the airplane plant, hostas, potho vines, violets, pansies, ferns, melon/squash seeds planted and allowed to grow...atleast til they get stomped. The plants all tend to be stomped rather then eaten.

You can plant seeds in the substrate and/or the plants. You can plant the pots in the substrate and keep the actual plant roots higher up out of the tortoise's path, you can hang the plant above or have it sitting outside of the enclosure and just draping into the enclosure.

You might want to place flat rocks around the outside of the waterdish, it will help a little with keeping the water clean. I would suggest a leaf pile. Do you have things for her to climb on or over? A hide perhaps stuffed with leaves and one more open inside?

I was going to show you a few pictures, but it says photobucket's website is currently down.

 

[IggyBeans]

A bunch of great ideas. Thank you! I wanted to use some fake plants because, well, no matienence. I do have a hide box. We are in the process of building her a *safe* platform for basking and underneath she will have another hiding place. I wanted the plants to act as more places to hide out. Her enclosure is a wooden frame box, walls are alittle over two feet and the top is made of plexiglass. There is a three inch gap between the wood and the plexiglass so shes kinda open. I want her to feel as comfortable as she can be.