| If you are thinking of obtaining a tortoise you will also | | | | 4. Your pet will need to be able to hide away at |
| need to think how to house and care for your pet. | | | | times and burrow. They also like to bask in the heat |
| There are a number of alternatives available for you | | | | of the sun and have somewhere to shade when |
| to consider, from commercially designed enclosures | | | | needs be. The type of substrate you use can be the |
| such as specially designed tortoise tables, to adapting | | | | difference between a healthy and an unhealthy |
| another form of pet housing to suit your own needs. | | | | tortoise. The micro climate you will have to artificially |
| Five very important factors to consider when you | | | | create will also require some thought and expense. |
| are thinking of how to house your pet? | | | | Will the species of tortoise you choose need to have |
| 1. Pet tortoises do not necessarily suit living in an | | | | high or low humidity? Will it require a specific kind of |
| indoor vivarium or enclosure. Their natural habitat is of | | | | food? How much light and dark periods (photo |
| course varied and you must try to mimic this as far | | | | periods) will it require and how will you artificially |
| as you are able in order for your pet to remain | | | | provide these? If you do not do this correctly your |
| happy and healthy. One of the main factors to | | | | pet may become ill and distressed. |
| consider is if you have enough space available to you | | | | 5. Glass vivarium - many people new to keeping |
| at home to house your pet? This will be larger than | | | | tortoises believe a glass vivarium is the perfect |
| you may imagine! | | | | environment for their pet but in reality these tanks |
| 2. Research the different types of tortoise and their | | | | are very poor for them to live in happily for any |
| needs in order to best choose an appropriate pet | | | | length of time. The glass sides will distress it as they |
| that will live happily in the space you have set aside | | | | will often bang against the sides trying to get through |
| for it to live in. If you want a specific species it may | | | | to the other side. You could have a glass enclosure |
| not easily adapt to an indoor enclosure in a cool | | | | for your pet but have a more suitable home for it to |
| climate whereas if you already live in a warm area of | | | | live in for the majority of time. Watching your prized |
| the world and are able to accommodate a desert | | | | pet explore its environment is one of the most |
| tortoise for example, you will have more choice | | | | rewarding aspects of keeping and caring for a |
| available to you. There a very few species of | | | | tortoise but if this means your pet becomes |
| tortoise suited to life constantly in an indoor | | | | unhealthy you have to think of alternatives in order |
| enclosure. | | | | for it to remain healthy for its life span. |
| 3. Size of an adult tortoise? You may fall in love with | | | | Do your research and choose the best species for |
| a little hatchling but you will have to think how large | | | | your circumstances and allocate a percentage of |
| this creature will grow! Most have a very long life | | | | your monthly income to care for it correctly. A |
| expectancy too so you have to factor this into the | | | | tortoise table will provide the best of both worlds. If |
| equation! The rule of thumb is tortoises should not be | | | | you choose a smaller species such as a Russian or |
| kept in an inside enclosure 100% of the time. You | | | | Hingeback tortoise they will be happy to live in this |
| have to make some sort of secure enclosure outside | | | | type of enclosure for much of their time but always |
| that will also have enough room and adequate heat | | | | make sure you provide some outside space for them |
| and light. | | | | when the weather permits. |