Thinking of getting a Tortoise

[andy20]

i am selling my snake but am keeping all of the tank and stuff so was thinking of getting a tortoise to go in there instead. i have a friend who keeps a tortoise in a 3-foot tank but am not sure what species it is, any help would be great.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Andy: Keeping a tortoise in an aquarium isn't a real good idea. The sides are too high and the see-through causes the tortoise stress because he can't understand why he can't walk through the glass. If you put a little tortoise in a plastic tub, similar to those under-the-bed storage containers, or Christmas tree storage containers, its a better deal. The sides are lower and you can make a warm side/cool side much easier. With an aquarium, the whole floor of the habitat is usually the same temp and what you strive for with a baby tortoise is a warm side at about 80-85 degrees and a cooler side around 75-80 degrees. Once the baby is bigger the very best thing is to keep it outdoors. Tortoises are wild animals (not domesticated) and are much better off outside where they can get the sun. Its better for their mental as well as physical well-being.

Yvonne

 

[egyptiandan]

Welcome to the forum Andy

Yvonne has given you some great advice.

Andy is in Ireland

Danny

 

[andy20]

ok thanks for that. the tank i have which my snake is in is not a glass tank, it is a wooden vivarium with sliding glass doors. and is there no species of tortoise that i dont have to put outside.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Welcome to the forum Andy

Yvonne has given you some great advice.

Andy is in Ireland

Danny

show off!

 

[andy20]

or another thing i could do would be to leave him in the tank and then during the summer months put him in the garden and just stand out there with it for like an hour