Why a tortoise is a perfect pet: They don't need walking, children adore them and they'll be with you for generations, but before you shell out, read these tortoise tips :

courtesy to : www.dailymail.co.uk/home/gardening/article-3043805/Why-tortoise-perfect-pet-don-t-need-walking-children-adore-ll-generations-shell-read-tortoise-tips

- Tortoise Tables Vs Enclosed Vivariums :

courtesy to : www.reptilesplus.co.uk/blog/blog.php?id=tortoise-tables-vivarium

It is a debate that has been ongoing for many years – whether to keep a tortoise in a table-top style enclosure or a wooden vivarium? The fact of the matter is that both enclosures can be made to be suitable for housing most species of tortoise and if set up correctly, neither option is right or wrong. However, we far prefer the use of enclosed wooden vivaria for housing tortoises and we thought we would take the time to briefly explain why.

To start with, we’ll go over the different ways of setting up both a tortoise table and a wooden vivarium and briefly explain how each method works.

This is the month for apple blossom, tulips and, hopefully, some warm spring sunshine. And for a small but dedicated band of animal lovers there’s another reason to love April: their tortoises will finally come out of hibernation.

Although there are no tortoises native to the UK, we’ve always had a soft spot for these endearing reptiles and 40 years ago they were a common family pet.

More than 150,000 of them were imported from countries like Spain and Greece to the UK every year and, shamefully, it’s estimated that four-fifths of tortoises died in the first year of captivity, mostly during the winter because they weren’t looked after properly during hibernation.

Constance Craig-Smith shares her tips on keeping tortoises

Since 1984 there has been a ban on the import of tortoises caught in the wild in the Mediterranean, and in 1999 a further 18 species of tortoises from Africa and Asia were banned from import.

THEY'RE ENDLESSLY FASCINATING

However, it’s perfectly legal to buy captive-bred tortoises in the UK (see left for suitable breeds) and they remain highly desirable pets. They’re not particularly cuddly, you can’t teach them tricks, and they’re asleep for almost half the year, yet children find them endlessly fascinating.

They don’t come cheap though. You can expect to pay around £100 for a 5cm (2in) juvenile, and double that for their housing and equipment, but if it’s looked after properly, your tortoise will still be around in three generations’ time.

My introduction to tortoise-keeping came ten years ago when a friend gave me her two male Mediterranean spur-thighed tortoises, Amadeus and Eustace, who were then in their mid-60s (yes, that’s in human years!). At 18cm (7in) long they’re fully grown and summers now wouldn’t be complete without two tortoises tramping around the garden, crawling over small plants and knocking over the occasional pot.

YES, THEY CAN RUN OFF!

Tortoises are not particularly social animals, and most tortoise experts think they’re perfectly happy without a mate. In fact two tortoises who live in the same garden will quite often fight, particularly if they’re both males.

My two sometimes try to bite each other and can get quite aggressive, although no serious damage is done and they always end the day peaceably side by side in their hutch. Strangely, they seem to enjoy human contact and if I’m in the garden during daylight hours they’ll often plod around by my feet. Equally, they’re perfectly happy left to their own devices when I’m at work during the day.

During hot weather, Amadeus (the larger and more sweet-natured of the two) and Eustace (a bit of a grump) are surprisingly active.

As my garden is walled there’s no way they can escape, but tortoises are quite skilled at getting under fences or finding gaps in hedges, and unless your garden is totally secure you will have to construct an enclosed run, or risk your tortoise wandering off. You can buy a run (see panel, right) or construct your own wooden one, making sure the walls are at least twice as high as the length of the tortoise. They’ll need an outdoor shelter such as a small hutch, for shade in hot weather and warmth on chilly nights.

PROVIDE A SAFE HAVEN

While cats soon get bored with slow-moving tortoises, dogs, foxes and even birds can present a serious danger. Even the best-behaved dogs may see a tortoise as a toy and can maul it, damaging the shell or injuring its legs. Foxes have been known to steal small tortoises, which can also seem like juicy prey to birds like magpies. The answer is to have a run with a wire mesh over it, particularly if you own a small tortoise; the larger the tortoise, the less vulnerable it is.

Emma Colville, a charity fundraiser and mother-of-four from London, bought a female Horsfield tortoise eight years ago. ‘Mojo was tiny, barely a couple of inches long, and she’s now about 5in. We didn’t realise dogs and tortoises don’t mix until we saw our dog “playing” with Mojo by tossing her around the lawn. Now we keep Mojo in a secure run in the garden. It also means she can’t escape: we’re always nervous about losing her as sometimes our garden gate is left open and a tortoise can move surprisingly fast.’

Another potential danger comes from water. Tortoises quite like wading in shallow water but they’re not good swimmers and are also very sensitive to cold water temperatures, so if you have a pond, cover it with netting to stop a tortoise tumbling in. Few garden plants are fatally toxic to tortoises in very small quantities, but the weed ragwort can kill them, so clear any traces of it from your garden.

WHICH TYPE OF TORTOISE :

There are still many illegally imported tortoises around so be careful who you buy from. Avoid getting a tortoise from a garden centre, over the internet, or from any pet shop that isn’t very reputable.

The Tortoise Protection Group (tortoise-protection-group. org.uk) has a list of recommended breeders and also offers rescue tortoises available for rehoming. Tortoises needing new homes can also be found via tortoisetrust.org.

There are four species suited to British gardens. The first three below can’t be imported from the wild, and if you buy one you must get an Article 10 sales certificate from the seller to prove it’s been legally acquired.

MEDITERRANEAN SPUR-THIGHED

So-called due to the swellings or spurs on each side of the tail. The shell varies from pure black to orange, yellow and black. Males reach a maximum 18cm (7in), females 22cm (8.5in).

HERMANN’S :

The Hermann’s tortoise has a bony tip at the end of its tail and no spurs. Its shell can vary from yellow to olive green with black markings. The male grows to 18cm (7in); the female is about ten per cent larger.

MARGINATED

The largest European tortoise takes its name from the flared area around the base of its shell, which is mainly black/brown with yellow or orange markings. Adults typically reach 30cm (12in).

HORSFIELD

The Horsfield, also called the Russian tortoise, has a rounded body and is more tolerant of our cold than Mediterranean varieties, but hates damp so requires a well-drained enclosure. They love tunnelling, so you’ll need to take extra care to prevent them from escaping. Males can grow to 16cm (6in) in length, while the females may reach 20cm (8in).

HIBERNATION HINTS :

The most demanding part of having a tortoise is the hibernation process. Over the summer they need to gain plenty of weight and be completely healthy in order to safely hibernate. In autumn my tortoises go through a ‘winding down’ process lasting four or five weeks, when they stop eating and hang about looking miserable.

As temperatures drop in November, they settle down in their insulated box inside their hutch, which I then put in the shed, and finally go into hibernation. You can buy hibernation boxes, or make your own, making sure it’s at least 30cm (12in) deep by 40cm (16in) wide, ventilated with air holes and well lined with polystyrene chips or tightly packed shredded paper.

Then place the box in an unheated shed, garage or greenhouse and use a digital thermometer to make sure the temperature stays between 3°C and 7°C. If it drops below this, move the box to a garage or cellar but not into the main house, which will be too warm.

You’ll need to check your tortoise weekly to make sure it hasn’t woken up. If it has, it cannot rehibernate, so you’ll need to bring it indoors and warm it up under a heat lamp placed over a tortoise table (see panel, left).

The ideal temperature under the lamp is 30°C, with 20°C for the rest of the table. You’ll need to provide some bedding – I use a layer of newspaper and then straw bought from a pet shop – and plenty of food and water.

They’ll also need a carefully positioned UV lamp (not shining into their eyes) to provide daylight conditions until they can go outside. You can also buy combined heat and light lamps, although natural light is always preferable.

In spring, when the weather warms up significantly and I can hear my pair creaking inside their box, I open the hutch and they stagger out, looking rather stunned (as you would after a five-month nap). I put them in a shallow bowl of lukewarm water for 20 minutes so they can have a drink, then dry them and put them somewhere warm to reacclimatise.

WHAT YOU'LL NEED TO BUY

Before you bring your new pet home, make sure you have these essentials...

Tortoise table A wooden enclosure like the one on the left is essential after hibernation – used with a lamp, it allows you to keep your pet in a temperature-controlled environment indoors. Basic ones start at £50. Try happytortoise habitat.co.uk or thetortoiseshop.com.

Basking lamp A UVA/UVB lamp will keep your pet warm after hibernation and provide artificial daylight. The D3 UV
160W Basking Lamp from tortoisecentre.co.uk is £49.95.

Outdoor run This will stop your pet escaping and protect it from predators. They range from 1m (3ft) square for a juvenile to 2.5m (8ft) square for an adult. The 1.2m (4ft) square Lazy Bones Hutch With Run has a removable mesh roof and wooden sides, £59.99, shedsworld.co.uk.

Outdoor shelter Once your tortoise is living outside in spring, a shelter provides warmth at night and shade during the day. This one (above) is £99 from thetortoiseshop.com.

Water bowl Tortoises need a supply of fresh water to drink – a small, shallow bowl is ideal.

Hibernation box A special insulated box will help keep your pet at the right temperature in winter. The 40cm x 35cm x 32cm (16in x 14in x 13in) box from pet andtortoiseworld.co.uk is £80.

Thermometer This will help you keep the hibernation box or tortoise table at the correct temperature (see main copy). Exo Terra Dial Thermometer, £3.09, bluelizardreptiles.co.uk.

WHAT SHOULD I FEED MY TORTOISE?

As tortoises are only awake and feeding for half of the year, it’s important to make sure they get plenty of food during the hot summer months, so you can’t just rely on them eating garden plants and weeds.
They can be fussy eaters but most tortoises will eat all types of salad leaves (they especially like rocket), cabbages, cauliflowers, spring greens, carrots (best grated for ease of eating) and courgettes, plus tomatoes and cucumbers in small quantities.

Avocados and aubergines are poisonous for them.

A less-than-immaculate lawn is a distinct advantage as tortoises will seek out weeds like chickweed, dandelions and clover, which are especially nutritious. You can also try growing your own tortoise food – try the

Mediterranean Tortoise Mixture, £12 from herbiseed.com. As an occasional treat they can be given small amounts of fruit like strawberries, peaches and plums.

Tortoises need a calcium and vitamin supplement added to their food once a week – this is available from pet shops and vets. They may nibble on a few garden plants such as forget-me-nots and aubrieta, but will do minimal damage. They should also have a shallow sunken tray of fresh water in the garden, though you’ll rarely see them drink.

For more information visit britishtortoise society.com.

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Indoor Vivarium Set - Up

Understanding Indoor Housing and Vivarium Design for Tortoises :

courtesy to : www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/vivarium by Andy C. Highfield

One of the most frequent issues that we are asked about is the best type of indoor accommodation for terrestrial tortoises. This question also crops up regularly on the Tortoise Trust Discussion List. I have prepared this article in order to explain why the answer is not quite as straightforward as many people seem to assume. In order to provide genuinely safe, healthy and practical housing a number of fairly complex (and often conflicting) factors need to be considered, and where necessary, acceptable compromises arrived at.

The first thing to point out is that as a general rule, tortoises of all kinds are not well-suited to indoor, vivarium-style maintenance. If you want an animal that will be happy, and do well, in a vivarium environment – don’t get a tortoise. Get a gecko or other small lizard.

Tortoises are best suited to well-designed outdoor accommodation, in secure, predator-proof pens located within the correct bio-climatic zone. In other words, if you want to keep African Spurred tortoises (Geochelone sulcata), you would be best advised to live in a warm, dry climate, and be prepared to devote a lot of space to the animal. If you live in a small apartment in Northern Europe or anywhere else with a similar climate, you should avoid species like this. Conversely, if your interest is in keeping tropical, high humidity species such as Redfoot tortoises (Geochelone carbonaria), you need to understand that no matter what efforts you make, you will never achieve truly optimum housing unless you live in a semi-tropical environment and can devote space out of doors to creating a secure pen. Everything else will be just a compromise. This point does need to be stressed, because some sellers will certainly try to convince you otherwise. Don’t fall for it.

We hear it so often: “they definitely assured us that the tortoise would be fine in a 30 Gallon tank”. Take it from us. It won’t.

There are very, very few terrestrial tortoises that are suited to indoor accommodation for most of the time. All of these are relatively small species. Testudo kleinmanni (the Egyptian tortoise, for example). Even these need a more space than most people imagine, and to provide an optimum environment, some secure outdoor accommodation is certainly advisable in addition for use in fine weather. The larger species, Leopard tortoises (Geochelone pardalis), African Spurred tortoises (Geochelone sulcata), Redfoot and Yellowfoot tortoises (Geochelone carbonaria and G. denticulata), will all require a lot more indoor (and outdoor) space than most people are prepared, or able, to provide. So, the first rule is to do adequate research before obtaining a tortoise, and satisfy yourself that not only will you be able to provide adequate space now (for that 2-inch hatchling) but that you will be able to provide adequate space and facilities in 10 years time when it is over 2 feet long and weighs 70 pounds.

The factors that need to be considered are:

Adult size of the animal

If you are going to keep the larger species even partially indoors, you should be aware that heating costs are likely to be very high, and that larger tortoises also make large amounts of mess. This can result in a less-than-pleasant aroma permeating your house. Ideally, for the larger tortoises, consider a separate, heated building. This is discussed in another article on this website (click to follow underlined links).

The smaller species, members of the genus Testudo (includingMediterranean and Russian tortoises), and the smaller tropical species such as Hingeback tortoises (Kinixys), can be housed satisfactorily indoors in bad weather. We would never advise, however, 100% indoor housing for any tortoise.

Vivarium ‘tanks’

These are often what most people think of first when considering an indoor habitat. Their disadvantages include the fact that:

All but the very largest will have an inadequate floor area even for a small tortoise

In addition: :

Poor ventilation. There is a high incidence of tortoises developing ‘Runny Nose Syndrome’, other respiratory diseases, and shell infections if kept in small fully enclosed type glass or wooden vivarium-style housing. Specifically, the lack of ventilation can result in mould, fungus and similar problems arising. There are ways to improve this situation, including forced-air ventilation, but this does add to complexity and cost.
Lack of temperature gradients. A small enclosed vivarium is likely to be unsuitable for any species that requires a temperature gradient, or differential, to enable self-selection of body temperature. Failure to provide this will have very serious long-term consequences for health. Again, this can be overcome if very large units are employed.
Lack of microclimates. All but the very largest ‘tank’ systems will have inadequate space and temperature gradients (see above) to permit the tortoise to self-select a suitable microclimate. Again, this has important consequences for long-term health and in addition such deprivation will result in unavoidable stress
Lack of “interest” and boredom. Tortoises that are kept in small enclosed "tanks" tend to exhibit lethargy (inactivity) and other unnatural behaviour patterns. By contrast, tortoises in suitable outdoor enclosures, or suitably large and well-designed indoor enclosures, will be much more alert and active.
Hygiene. Enclosed vivarium-style enclosures tend to be difficult to maintain, and pathogens can build up rapidly. This is one of the reasons we see so many sick animals that have a history of being kept in such accommodation.
Cost. Vivarium and glass “fish tank” enclosures are extremely costly per square inch of usable space for a tortoise. Tortoises only need sides that are high enough to prevent escape. Fish tanks in particular are designed to provide maximum cubiccapacity, not maximum floor area (which is what really matters to a tortoise). Spend the available budget creating as much FLOOR AREA as possible. Don't waste it on other things.
Poor ventilation. There is a high incidence of tortoises developing ‘Runny Nose Syndrome’, other respiratory diseases, and shell infections if kept in small fully enclosed type glass or wooden vivarium-style housing. Specifically, the lack of ventilation can result in mould, fungus and similar problems arising. There are ways to improve this situation, including forced-air ventilation, but this does add to complexity and cost.
Lack of temperature gradients. A small enclosed vivarium is likely to be unsuitable for any species that requires a temperature gradient, or differential, to enable self-selection of body temperature. Failure to provide this will have very serious long-term consequences for health. Again, this can be overcome if very large units are employed.
Lack of microclimates. All but the very largest ‘tank’ systems will have inadequate space and temperature gradients (see above) to permit the tortoise to self-select a suitable microclimate. Again, this has important consequences for long-term health and in addition such deprivation will result in unavoidable stress
Lack of “interest” and boredom. Tortoises that are kept in small enclosed "tanks" tend to exhibit lethargy (inactivity) and other unnatural behaviour patterns. By contrast, tortoises in suitable outdoor enclosures, or suitably large and well-designed indoor enclosures, will be much more alert and active.
Hygiene. Enclosed vivarium-style enclosures tend to be difficult to maintain, and pathogens can build up rapidly. This is one of the reasons we see so many sick animals that have a history of being kept in such accommodation.
Cost. Vivarium and glass “fish tank” enclosures are extremely costly per square inch of usable space for a tortoise. Tortoises only need sides that are high enough to prevent escape. Fish tanks in particular are designed to provide maximum cubiccapacity, not maximum floor area (which is what really matters to a tortoise). Spend the available budget creating as much FLOOR AREA as possible. Don't waste it on other things.

SEE OUR REPORT ON A TYPICAL VIVARIUM

In our experience, most beginners fail to realise the importance of the issues described above, or simply believe the “expert” who promises that a 20/30/40 (take your pick) gallon aquarium, plus a heat pad, heat rock and basking lamp is “all you’ll ever need”. This is simply wrong, and as a result, many newly acquired tortoises rapidly become ill and require costly veterinary treatment or die. ”

For hatchling tortoises, there are much better (and much lower cost) options available. HERE IS ONE BASIC, BUT EFFECTIVE HATCHLING HOUSING system.

For larger juveniles and adults, they keyword once again is “space”. The more space you can provide, the better. No tortoise is going to be happy and healthy in a cramped environment.

For smaller animals, we highly recommend the TABLE TOP TERRARIUM method. This is most suitable for arid and semi-arid habitat species, but can be used with high humidity tropical species provided you adequately humidify the room containing the unit. For ideas on how to provide humidity for rainforest and tropical tortoises, we recommend you take a look at THIS ARTICLE.

For larger animals, you may have to consider converting part (or all) of a room of your house into a suitable habitat. We warned that this could begin to get extremely costly, so before taking on any of the larger species, investigate the implications carefully!

All indoor housing systems will require (click links):

ADEQUATE LIGHT

ADEQUATE HEAT

All enclosures will also require:

CORRECT CHOICE OF SUBSTRATE

By now, hopefully it should be clear that you certainly will need much more than “a tank and a heat pad” to provide a safe and healthy indoor habitat for any tortoise, and that when designing your accommodation,you must take into account the specific needs of that particular animal. It is no use providing housing suitable for a high humidity tropical species to a semi-arid habitat species such as a Russian tortoise (Testudo horsfieldii). Mixing of species is also not advisable. Different tortoises not only have very different (often incompatible) environmental and dietary needs, but can also carry disease organisms that they themselves have developed some tolerance to, but which can prove rapidly fatal in other species.

Summary:

Do not just accept what you are told without independent unbiased verification. Unfortunately, many people who sell tortoises are not experienced enough to give accurate husbandry advice. There are good pet stores with enthusiastic and knowledgable staff, but do make absolutely certain that anyone you take advice from really does understand the animal's needs.
Fish-tanks are fine for fish. Not tortoises.
Investigate the care requirements of all animals well in advance of purchase.
Juvenile tortoises will eventually reach adult proportions. Be sure to familiarise yourself with what keeping a large tortoise really means. Do you really have the space to give it a high quality of life? Can you afford the lighting and heating or humidification/de-humidification costs?

The Tortoise Table :

Tortoise tables, being open topped, mean that it is impossible to set a precise ambient air temperature as this is dictated by the surrounding room temperature. Therefore, tortoise tables work best in a warm room where the temperature doesn’t drop below 72-75OF day or night. Night time temperatures in most homes drop 10 or 20 degrees at night due to the turning off of your central heating.

Setting up a Tortoise Table :

There are two main ways of setting up an open top style tortoise table. The first is to use a Mercury Vapour (M.V) UV bulb and a secondary heat source via an Infra-red ceramic bulb or Dark Night spot bulb. The MV bulb provides your tortoise with the essential UVB radiation that it needs to absorb and utilise the calcium in its diet to avoid MBD. This bulb should be left switched on during the daytime for approximately 12-14 hours a day. MV bulbs also pump out a great deal of heat and double up as a daytime spot lamp too. Therefore, at night after your MV bulb is switched off, it is usually necessary to switch on a night-time heat source such as an Infra-Red ceramic or Dark night spot bulb, so that your tortoise can access warmth throughout the night. Without this night-time heat lamp, most UK households get too cold for tortoises to function properly, and this can have a negative impact on the digestion of food, among several other problems.

The downside to using MV UV lighting and Infra-red lighting is primarily the cost. MV bulbs are relatively expensive (£50-60 for a good one, for example Arcadia), and will need replacing at least once if not twice a year, as the UVB producing capability of the bulb is diminished after 6-12 months in most MV bulbs, with the exception of Arcadia (12 months). MV bulbs can also not be thermostatically controlled and there is also the additional hassle of having to switch heat sources each night, or having the added expense of a second fitting.

The second method of setting up a tortoise table is to use a separate UVB and heat source by way of a UVB tube and an Infra-red ceramic heat bulb or Dark night spot bulb. The UVB tube – like the MV bulbs should be switched on for approximately 12-14 hours during the daytime and switched off at night. As with the MV bulbs, UVB tubes also stop producing UV after a time, but some tubes (Arcadia D3+) last a full 12 months and are approximately £30-40. These UV tubes are low wattage and produce very little heat, so an Infra-red bulb should be set up to provide the heating. This infra-red bulb should be left switched on 24/7 to provide a constant hot spot day and night where your tortoise can warm itself up whenever it feels the need.

The Downsides to Tortoise Tables

The main downside to using Tortoise tables is that you can’t create an ambient air temperature. This means that you can only realistically aim to produce a hot basking spot and a cool end. This does work to some extent, but unless your room temperature stays around 72-75F, this forces the tortoise to choose between being hot – by basking, or being cool (room temp).

In addition, because the air temperature is the same as the rest of the room, it will fluctuate as and when central heating goes on/off, when windows are open or closed and it will be affected by the seasons. Temperature fluctuations can often cause stress/confusion in reptiles and may have a negative effect on the wellbeing of your tortoise.

Many of you reading this will probably be thinking ‘where the tortoise comes from gets colder at night’ or ‘these animals contend with fluctuating temperatures in the wild’. This is true, but. Firstly no sensible, healthy Tortoise will sit out at night. It just wouldn’t be safe. Secondly we have all probably seen news articles describing how bad weather, or odd seasonal temperatures have caused a bumper year for one species while another species has suffered. It is important to remember that reptiles depend on the weather to maintain a healthy life and bad weather/odd seasons are just some of the ways natural selection works to remove some of the less fit animals from the gene pool.

Thirdly and finally the sun bakes the ground throughout the day and stores a lot of residual infra-red energy in rocks and the earth. Once the sun has set, this residual energy is released as heat. A wild tortoise will usually find somewhere warm to go at night, such as a burrow under rocks where it will be considerably warmer than the air temperature outside. This is virtually impossible to simulate in captivity as you would need an extremely powerful heat source and a very large rock to store the heat in for it to maintain its warmth for more than an hour or two.

Seasonal changes in this country can have a large impact on your animal. A European/Russian tortoise doesn’t hibernate at the same time every year based on a body clock. African, South American, Indian and any other tropical tortoise will not hibernate at all and will be very bad for its health.

Setting up a wooden vivarium for a tortoise is relatively straight forward, but will depend to some extent on the size of enclosure and the type of tortoise you plan to house in it. For a more in depth description of how to set up a wooden vivarium for your particular tortoise, take a look at the relevant care sheet on our website.

The wild hibernation process is triggered by shortening daytime (photo) periods and lower night-time temperatures. When the tortoise picks up on these it will begin to eat less to empty its stomach ready for a period of inactivity and/or eventual hibernation. (For more information on how to hibernate correctly or why we advise against it, please contact us at our Bournemouth branch). Hibernation/cooling period for a Spur thigh tortoise in the wild will start a couple months later than in the UK and will finish much earlier. In the event of a warm winter for them they may only cut back on feeding for a couple months and not hibernate fully at all. The Problem is, in the UK, this process will likely start Sept/Oct and last through a possible 6 months in our country. During this time your tortoise will not be eating and your animal will probably become inactive and naturally try to cool itself. This will leave its immune system vulnerable due to the requirement of heat to maintain it. The problem is further compounded by your animal not being able to fully hibernate due to the temperature failing to drop any further

because of the central heating going on and off. Often the outcome is a tortoise with respiratory issues as well as being malnourished. In a table set-up your animal will be very aware of the shortening of our UK daytime. It will also be very aware that the room temperature is dropping. If you do decide to keep your tortoise in a Table type enclosure it is worth thinking of a way you could tent up your table to reduce the air flow and contain some of the heat your equipment produces. Remember a thermostat might be a good idea if you decide to do this.

Tortoise tables have become very popular primarily due to the American market, where the climate is generally a lot warmer than in the UK. Therefore the typical room temperature will be closer to the ideal 72-75F that most tortoises prefer. This makes it a lot easier to make a table-top enclosure a suitable home for a tortoise. It is also a popular choice in Europe and the UK with the experts, Breeders and those with a lot of animals. These people often recommend tortoise table set ups but fail to explain that the room the table is in is unusually warm due to the large number of animals being kept in the same room with lots of heat sources.

In short, the table enclosure can be relatively simple but you just need to remember that there are many factors that affect the outcome. They can be difficult to manage and become more expensive than a vivarium.

The Wooden Vivarium :

Wooden vivaria are in our opinion a great way of housing a tortoise. They offer all the benefits of a tortoise table and more. One of the key reasons that wooden vivaria are sometimes advised against for housing tortoises is to do with an apparent lack of ventilation. Whilst it is true that enclosed vivaria are not going to offer the same level of ventilation that an open top style tortoise table will, the ventilation they do provide (particularly with our ND vivaria) is more than adequate. Our 4ft x 2ft wooden vivarium (recommended size for an adult Hermann’s or Horsfield’s) has 3 air vents situated at the top of the enclosure and convection of air ensures that there is a good supply of fresh clean air in the tank. As the enclosure is heated, warm air rises and exits via the vent at the hot end of the tank. As this air leaves, it drags in cool fresh air through the vent at the cool end of the tank. This airflow ensures that stagnant air doesn’t form and this helps to reduce the risk of bacteria build up in the tank and the risk of respiratory infections. In addition the large volume of air inside helps and if you still feel your animal requires more ventilation you can always ask to have more vents put in. That said, the doors will be opened at least once a day and we are sure your animal will be out and about your house and garden regularly.

Setting up a Wooden Vivarium

The Best You tube Channel :

- www.youtube.com/channel/UCpKXTEQJDiOtfeLa23_U5hg

A typical set up for a wooden vivarium goes as follows… Heating should be provided by a spot bulb (pref dark or ceramic), in a similar way to the tortoise table. It should be suspended from the roof of the tank at one end, to provide a hot spot and a cooler end. The easiest way to ensure a stable ambient air temperature is through the use of a thermostat. For more info on thermostats click here. For the majority of tortoises, an ambient air temperature in the middle of the tank of 82F is ideal (call us for more precise temps). The hot end will then be invariably hotter – usually around 90-100F, and the cooler end is usually around 75F – though matching these end temperatures is not essential provided the middle is set and the vivarium is the correct size, the two end temperatures will sort themselves out. Never use heat mats with tortoises as they can scratch off the protective plastic coating and risk electrocution. Heating should be left on 24hrs a day unless your room temperature stays at 75F all night or you are using a programmable Habistat digital stat (Controlled night time drop to no less than 75F for most species).

The UVB lighting should be provided by a UV tube positioned 1-2ft off of the floor of the enclosure and should run approximately 2/3 the length of the enclosure (depending on the brand). As with the MV bulbs mentioned in the table top set up, the UV tube should be switched on for 12-14 hours a day, though these timings don’t need to be exact.

Using an enclosed vivarium like this and heating it, means that you can produce an optimum ambient air temperature, so that your tortoise can properly thermoregulate to make itself comfortable. The wooden vivarium also helps insulate from external factors that may influence the temperature such as central heating and windows – and if you’re using a thermostat, the temperature won’t change at all! This all makes for a very stable enclosure which produces a reliable and predictable environment in which a tortoise will be completely comfortable and safe.

Additional benefits also include lower energy costs in comparison to tables.

Finally :

Some of you reading this may not be keeping your tortoise the way we have described. That is fine, we are aware that there are many ways of keeping a tortoise, so long as the fundamental needs are met (UVB lighting and adequate heating). We know that new discoveries are made all the time.

However, it is worth pointing out that just because a tortoise appears to be healthy, it doesn’t mean that it is being kept in an ideal environment. It may just mean that the Tortoise/reptile has adapted to cope with its environment somehow. Take a look at the handful of tortoises that found a way to survive in our friends’ and neighbours’ gardens even now. Despite this ability to adapt, it’s important to realise that of the thousands of tortoises imported around 40 years ago and kept in this way, many did not reach anywhere near their 80-100 year life expectancy and those that are still alive today are unlikely to reach their life expectancy.

To conclude, both ways of housing tortoises can be made to work, but in our experience housing a tortoise in an enclosed wooden vivarium is easier to get right, and is more effective in more circumstances. Wooden vivaria offer the same benefits as a tortoise table but also provide a better ambient air temperature and more security, which is why we prefer and recommend the use of wooden vivaria over tortoise tables.

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