Posted by admin on April 9th, 2013 Rating 9.0 —Outstanding
PLike caring for any pet animal choosing the correct housing is vital for its long term health and well being./PPThe advice in this article is based on tortoises found in Southern Europe to the Mediterranean where the climate is hot and dry./PPLike all reptiles tortoises are cold blooded, in the wild they will move in and out of the sun during the day to regulate their body temperature, at night when temperatures drop they will dig into the soil which has been warmed by the sun./PPTortoises also need high levels of ultra violet light which they get from sun rays, it helps the tortoise produce its own Vitamin D3 which helps it absorb and distribute the correct levels of calcium. Without exposure to enough UVA and UVB tortoises will suffer from ill health and lack of appetite./PPTortoises are not a suitable pet for the garden in the UK unless a suitable enclosure is provided; this could be in the form of a greenhouse with an outside pen to give shelter from wind and rain and help provide the temperatures needed for the tortoise to thrive. You will need to provide a shaded area in case temperatures are too hot, provide fresh drinking water as well as a bathing area as tortoises like to bathe. The climate in the UK is too cold and not stable enough for tortoises to be kept outdoors all the time, even in the summer. You should have a suitable indoor enclosure where your tortoise can be kept when it is too cold and damp for them to be left outside./PPIt is not recommended to leave young tortoises outside at night; they should only be taken outside on warm sunny days and always returned to their indoor home at night./PPWe don’t recommend the use of glass enclosures for tortoises as they can become humid and cause the tortoise to suffer from respiratory problems. We recommend the use of a suitably sized tortoise table; you must provide suitable UV lighting for around 14 hours per day as well as heating, remember the tortoise like to move in and out of the warm areas to regulate its body temperature so the enclosure must have a temperature gradient. The hot spot or basking area needs to be around 90ºC with the cooler area around 80ºC. A hide will also need to be provided where your tortoise can shelter and feel safe./PPThere are many different substrates you can use for your tortoise. We use a mix of sand and compost and fill the table to a depth of around 3-4inches./PPYou can find out more about the tortoise accessories available by visiting the tortoise section of our website LittleBigPet | Tortoise Supplies/PPMark Huyton is a keen reptile keeper. Over the years he has accumulated many different reptiles and as such has a huge knowledge base gained by his personal experience. Read more about tortoise housing and find a wide range of food and accessories to help care for your much loved pet./P
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