Horsfield tortoise enclosure

[niamh275560]

Hi, we’re supposed to get a horsfield tortoise in a few days along with a complete set up however I have a few questions. We live in a very old house that’s quite cold so we were thinking a Viv would be better for them however after reading up online loads of people have said it’s bad for them cause of the glass so we’re confused as to what to do as we want it to be warm enough but also don’t want it to hurt itself...

Another question is what is the best bedding and substrate for them please?

[lin]

Hi niamh275560

Congratulations on getting your new tortoise and also for doing some research first. You are absolutely correct in saying that viv's are not good and in adition to the reason you gave there is also the air exchange isnt good and it gets very hot.

Its easy enough to heat a tabletop enclosure with heat lamps like a spot light will do the trick, but not the eco bulbs that don't throw out any heat. and have seperate UV strip light as shown here. Its also better to buy the length to almost cover the length of the enclosure. https://www.reptiles.swelluk.com/arcadi ... desert-12/.

The best substrate is what mother nature would offer these little beautys in their natural habitat...Steralised topsoil (from garden centers) and playsand, the childrens playsand you can buy for kiddies sandpits. Mix to around 50/50 and spray daily to keep dust down and have it very very slightly moist.
They dont need bedding or a bedding area, they will do fine in a pot or half a log that you can buy from pet stores for hamsters. They really are not fussy but in my opinion, if they have a bedding area it takes up legroon and tortoises love excersize.

Oh, and here is a caresheet for Horsfields if you need one. https://www.tortoise-protection-group.o ... 014New.pdf

Hope that is helpful and if there is anything else we can do just get back to us.

Would love to see a photo when he arives if thats possible.

Lin

[Nina]

In addition to Lin’s good advice you might find the information on this page helpful ( and click on the links to indoor and outdoor enclosures).
https://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/tor ... 0kKgcp4Wf0

Nina

[Nina]

And just to add also about a cold house, unless the temperature in the room drops below about 13C or 14C at night, there should be no problem. If it does drop lower you can get a ceramic heat emitter on a thermostat that comes on when the temps drop too low. Otherwise you just get a higher wattage bulb and/or just raise or lower your bulb to decrease or increase the temperature.

Hope that helps,
Nina

[niamh275560]

Terrence has arrived and seems to love climbing up people...

[Nina]

Hi Niamh,

Oh my goodness, isn't Terrence a gorgeous little Horsfield, and thanks so much for the photos!. Actually you probably won't know if he is a Terrence or a Theresa for a little while, because it's very difficult to sex tortoises until they are about 5 or 6 years old.

Did you find the care sheet for Horsfields useful?

I can see you're already in love with Terrence and I'm sure he is going to have a very happy home with you. Please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any more questions or problems.

Best,
Nina

[niamh275560]

Yeah, he’s very fun to watch he’s my partners 21st birthday present from his parents and he’s decided even if he ends up being a girl he’s still gonna be Terrence he’s just getting used to his new home. It was very useful thanks we’re just a little unsure as I’ve seen people say to limit handling when they’re young but the breeder we got him from used to handle him a decent amount and he stays out of his shell when he’s picked up so seems quite confident... he was hatched September 2019 so is about a year old