- Joined
- Jan 16, 2010
- Messages
- 25
DonaTello said:What a beauty you have. Thanks for sharing your pic with us!
spengleri said:Nice looking spider tortoise. Looking at your enclosure photos, it seems the substrate is not deep enough and is too dry. For spiders, you need deep substrate (so the tortoise can fully bury) and you need to keep the humidity up around 70% and the heat at about 75 in the cool end and 100 under the heat lamp. Spider tortoises burrow, if you don't allow them to do this they burn up far too much energy wandering the enclosure and do not retain appropriate humidity. Spider tortoises stay hidden for most of the day, or sometimes for many days in a row. You should not force them to stay exposed, it is not natural. You may not see them much, but they will be much happier and healthier.
The best substrates are cypress mulch and sphagnum moss mix, about 3 to 4 inches deep. Never use cedar or pine mulch, they can harm the tortoise (not sure, but the bark in your tank looks like pine). Sorry, not trying to sound pushy, but just want the best for your pretty little tortoise, and to ensure it lives for many decades to come![]()