Space Constraints:
Many people desire to keep their pet tortoise indoors for most or
all of their lifetimes. This is very common, and can be done if a
few things are thought through first. Most tortoises eventually
reach sizes that would be difficult to keep properly indoors later
on in life. It is true that they generally grow slowly, but within a
tortoise’s first 5-10 years, they are many times larger than they
were as a cute baby hatchling. In your research, you should look for
the eventual adult sizes of the species you are considering. Many of
the Mediterranean tortoise species (Russians, Hermanns, Greeks,
Marginateds, Egyptians, etc) will remain a smaller, more manageable
size, and these would be a good choice for a long term, indoor
tortoise.
If you are in a warmer climate, and able to keep your tortoise
outdoors most or all year long, the options are much more open for
you to choose from essentially any of the species you are
considering. You obviously can keep all species of tortoises
outdoors if you are able to provide it a few “species specific”
things (including an appropriate, warm climate), but having the
space outdoor available is the first big step in the right
direction.
Many people want to raise a baby indoors with the eventual desire to
keep it outdoors, and this is fine. All of the larger species can be
kept indoors as a “cute little pet” until their size requires them
to be kept in more manageable outdoor pens. There are also people
that have large indoors spaces available in colder climates, and
have kept and successfully bred larger species indoors.
Typical sizes to expect from many common species are as follows.
These are average sizes of some of our adults. Bigger (or smaller)
is certainly possible:
Sulcata Tortoises: 20-26”
Leopard Tortoises: 14-16”
Redfoot Tortoises: 12-15”
Yellowfoot Tortoises: 15-17”
Greek, Russian, Hermanns Tortoises: 6-8”
Indian Star Tortoises: 6-8”
Leopard tortoises grow to be stunning
adults. They do best in warm, dry climates,
and love being out in the sun.
-Weather Constraints (for outdoor tortoises):
Keeping large tortoise species in cold climates is generally a
difficult thing to do. They tend to get restless when confined to
small spaces for cold weather, indoors or out. If you are keeping a
small species indoors, your climate will have little effect on this.
Few climates in the United States are too hot for tortoises, and
many climates are ideal (California, Florida, Texas, Arizona, and
other Southern states). Certain moderate climate species (redfoots,
yellowfoots, Asian or forest species) can have shade cloth put over
them in the hottest climates, as well as a small water or mud hole
to keep them cool in the hottest months. Desert types (sulcatas,
leopards, stars, Russians, etc) will do well in hot climates, and
little effort besides a shaded area is needed to keep them happy
during hot weather. Generally speaking, if you know you have cold,
hard winters, try to stick to a species that can be reasonably kept
indoors when needed. Hot summers are much easier to work around than
cold winters. See the outdoor housing information below for more
ideas.
Russian tortoise feeding frenzy!
Russians are small tortoises that are easy to keep in restricted
spaces. They have a unique, active personality and are always eager
to eat.
-Financial Constraints:
Your budget is another potentially limiting factor to consider when
looking for your new tortoise. Everyone loves the look of the star
tortoises, but their rarity makes them an expensive choice. As a
general rule, the lower the price of a baby tortoise, the more
available that species is in captivity. There are plenty of nice,
pretty, low priced species out there, so don’t feel like having a
limited budget means you’re going to get a less spectacular
tortoise.
Sulcatas are great starter tortoises,
but their eventual size can be difficult for some keepers with
limited space.
What Should I Expect?
When you have purchased a tortoise (or ideally, before you buy),
these are a few things you should expect.
-On Arrival:
Most new tortoises will have some stress simply because of the
transition to a new home. It will usually be a little “out of it”
for the first 12-24 hours, just because of the changes it has gone
through, whether it was purchased locally or through the mail. You
should give the tortoise a shallow soaking in warm water to give him
or her a little shot of hydration and warmth. This will usually get
them going. It’s not uncommon for the tortoise to avoid eating the
first day or two. Have the new home set up prior to the tortoise
getting there, and this will help the tortoise transition as easily
as possible into your new habitat.
Star tortoises are rare and amazingly
beautiful. Their somewhat specific needs, low reproductive rate and
high price make them a species best left to experienced tortoise
keepers. They are kept similar to leopard tortoises, and should be
maintained warm and dry.
-Guarantees:
A
guarantee on a new tortoise will vary depending on where and who you
got it from, anywhere from no guarantee at all, up to a few days
with some of the better breeders/dealers. Most online dealers
guarantee live delivery only and nothing more, but you can research
them or just ask and see what they offer. Some local pet stores will
guarantee them for a longer amount of time if you buy an entire
setup with the tortoise, so that they know you’re housing it
properly. In all fairness, the seller can not control how you are
keeping the tortoise and someone that keeps it in a cardboard box
with no lights is just asking for trouble, and shouldn’t expect
someone else to back up their mistake.
Greek tortoises are very similar in
care to a Russian tortoise. They are a small species that can do
well in a limited space. They have different colorations depending
on what area the specific tortoise is native to.
-Seller Commitment:
Some tortoise vendors pride themselves on customer service, and
others will be impossible to get in contact with after the sale.
Buying tortoises at reptile shows present this risk, since many of them are
not open for contact afterwards (and many of them have very little
tortoise knowledge to begin with). Pet stores will typically stick
by their guarantee (whatever it is), and their tortoise know-how can
be limited depending on the employee you’re talking to at the
moment. If a seller is easy to contact and helps you with your
questions prior to sale, it’s a safe bet that they will be there
after the sale also.
Keeping Your Tortoise
Indoors
This is a commercial tortoise table
with coconut coir substrate, natural sandstone rocks and food items
in a shallow bowl. This is a good basic setup for a baby redfoot
tortoise. A small heat light should be placed in one end of the
enclosure with a UV-B strip light over the main area of the cage. A
hidebox is provided in the end for added high humidity as well as a
retreat the tortoise can escape to.
-Housing:
Keeping a tortoise indoors can be done in many ways, but
the first thing to be considered should be the enclosure itself.
Depending on the amount of “display” you’re looking for, you may
have an enclosure in mind already. Many people use simple glass
aquariums or terrariums for their tortoises. While these will work,
there are a few drawbacks to them. Mainly, the size is usually too
small. A 10-20 gallon tank will work for a while for a new hatchling
tortoise, but it won’t be long at all until the tortoise has
outgrown this area, and is pacing the sides trying to get out. As a
general rule, I like to have about 3 square feet for any baby
tortoise, and you can keep small groups in this size area also. If
you are keeping larger than a hatchling tortoise, or a larger group
of them, you will want to use something larger. Another reason I
don’t particularly care for glass is the glass itself. Tortoises are
unable to figure out why they can’t walk through the glass, and will
often spend hours a day trying to get through it. This is especially
true if the enclosure is too small to begin with. Some keepers use a
3-4” strip of paper taped to the outside bottom of the tank to
eliminate this problem. While not particularly attractive, this is a
functional way to remedy the problem.
We have had the best success by using plastic sweater
boxes or cement mixing tubs for baby tortoises. These are available
at a low price in many different sizes, almost all with “foggy” or
colored sides that the tortoises do not attempt to get through. We
prefer low sidewalls for easy access and easy cleaning. Baby
tortoises don’t need much height in walls to contain them, so almost
any of these boxes will be tall enough to keep them in. While not
particularly attractive, this is an easy, functional way to do it.
Other keepers have had success with wooden “tortoise tables,” or
enclosures handmade with other materials. What you do will depend on
your needs and the area you have available to keep them in.
Coconut coir (left) and timothy hay
(right) are two commonly used substrates for tortoises housed
indoors.
-Substrates:
The substrate or bedding you use will largely be
dependent on the tortoise species you choose, as well as what your
priorities are (ease of use, cost, attractiveness, etc). There are
as many substrate options as there are species of tortoise, but some
simple research can be done to figure out what is best for your
situation. If your tortoise is a species that requires mid to high
humidity levels, you should go with a substrate that is capable of
holding moisture well to help maintain the humidity. Some common
substrates in this category are coconut coir, spaghnum moss, and
peat moss. If it is a desert or dry climate type tortoise, you can
use something simple, such as dry hay, dry coconut coir, grass
clippings or shredded paper. Many people use flat newspaper for its
low cost and ease of cleaning. It’s a pretty bland way to do things
and offers zero stimulation to the tortoises, but could be used.
Shredded paper would be a better alternative because it would
provide the tortoises some climbing and burrowing options that flat
paper would not. We avoid using any types of sand in our indoor
enclosures because of the potential for the tortoises eating it,
whether intentional or not. Sand sticks to food, and indoor
tortoises are almost always eating from the ground level. Small
amounts of sand eaten will usually not cause a problem, but it’s a
risk that is better eliminated than left to chance. Feeding
tortoises from an accessible bowl will help, but not eliminate this
problem completely.
Baby tortoises should be fed from a
shallow bowl or saucer to help prevent them from eating the
substrate. Diets will vary species to species, but should always be
varied and kept fresh. Yellowfoot and elongated tortoises.
-Lighting & Heating:
One of the most common mistakes new keepers make is with
the lighting and heating. Almost all reptiles require a source of
UV-B in order to properly process and absorb the calcium that they
get in their diet. In nature, the sun takes care of these needs. In
an indoor enclosure, the tortoises need to be provided with a source
of UV-B from their lighting.
There are a few different ways to achieve this lighting, the most
common is in a fluorescent strip light, as well as in a mercury
vapor bulb. Fluorescent lights are usually the easier to find and
slightly lower in cost as a UV-B source. They produce a nice full
spectrum of light and add essentially no heat into the enclosure.
When used, you need to also provide the tortoise with a regular
“spot bulb” to give them a warm area of the enclosure that they can
achieve the higher temperatures of their preferred range (these
temperatures will vary species to species), as well as allowing them
to get away from the warm spot if they get too warm. The wattage of
the heat bulb that you use will vary depending on the size of the
enclosure, the ambient room temperature, the species you’re keeping,
and the height that the bulb will be above the enclosure. In most of
our smaller indoor enclosures (3-4 square feet) we use between a 40W
and 60W light bulb for heat, rarely more.
The other good option for indoor UV-B lighting is by using a mercury
vapor bulb, which provides excellent full spectrum lighting, UV-B
and heat all in a single bulb. These bulbs are expensive, currently
hovering in the $35-50 range for the bulb itself, but being able to
use a single bulb and a single fixture is often cheaper than using a
separate UV-B bulb and heat bulb, and the fixtures they would both
need. Because of the intensity of these bulbs and the heat produced
(they are difficult to find in a wattage less than 100W), we use
them with our hot climate desert species more than the forest type
tortoises. They are usually too warm for smaller enclosures.
The day/night cycle is best kept on a timer in order to maintain
some amount of a pattern for your tortoise. We generally maintain a
13-14 hour daytime cycle in the warmer months indoors, and use a
slightly shorter 11-12 hour daytime cycle in the colder months. If
the tortoises are in a room that receives natural lighting through a
window, it’s a good idea to somewhat mimic the timing of the natural
light coming in the window. The tortoises will not need a heat
source at night unless the room temperature is dropping below 60
degrees or so. Many reptile experts think that a cooler temperature
at night is even preferred over a constant temperature.
Sphagnum moss is another good
substrate for indoor tortoises requiring higher levels of humidity,
such as this 2 month old Burmese brown mountain tortoise.
-Cage Furniture:
The amount of “furniture” you add to your tortoise’s habitat are
really up to you. They don’t need a big rock to climb on or a tunnel
to run through in order to survive, but it is a way to stimulate the
tortoise, and entertain it while exploring its cage from day to day.
Tortoises kept in a bare enclosure with nothing to walk around,
climb over or go under quickly become bored, and will begin to focus
their efforts into escaping the enclosure instead of living a happy
life. Make sure that any heavy items (rocks, hides) are sturdy and
not able to fall and crush a tortoise that digs underneath them. We
always set these items on the bare floor with the substrate added
afterwards in order to give the object a firm foundation that can’t
be “dug up” by the tortoises. You should avoid fake plants as a
general rule, as the tortoises are attracted to the green color of
their leaves and will attempt to nibble at them over and over again.
If they were able to bite off and eat part of it, there can be
potential problems. It’s just another risk not worth taking. Using
flat rocks in an indoor enclosure will help keep toenails filed down
naturally.
-Hidebox:
A
hidebox should be provided to all tortoises; babies to adults,
indoors or out. They need a secure place they can “get away from it
all” and a hidebox gives them this opportunity. It is also now known
that access to a “humid hidebox” is key in preventing pyramiding in
young tortoises, and keeps their shells growing nice and smooth and
uniform. This can be done simply by using a small plastic shoebox
with a door cut into it, flipped over on its side to give the
tortoises a quiet, humid area to sleep. A moisture retaining
substrate should be used in this hidebox (such as coconut coir, peat
moss, etc) and water will probably need to be added to it once or
twice a week.
All baby tortoises
should be soaked in shallow water a few times a week to help
maintain their hydration. They will typically drink almost
immediately after being put in the shallow water.
-Water Source & Soakings:
Indoor enclosures may or may not need a water source provided daily,
depending on the species of tortoise you’re keeping. Fresh water can
be provided in shallow dishes that are easy for the tortoise to get
in and out of. If they are too deep, they present a drowning hazard
if a tortoise was to flip over in it, they use their heads to right
themselves, and their head would often be underwater if this was to
happen. Deep dishes also are difficult for a baby tortoise to reach
into and drink from. Whether a water dish is provided or not, baby
tortoises should be soaked in shallow, warm water at least twice a
week (more often for the higher humidity or forest type species).
The water should be shallow enough that it doesn’t go above the
tortoise’s chin (with head in the shell). Larger species such as
baby Aldabras can handle deeper water since their heads are much
higher than a baby redfoot’s head would be.
Keeping Your Tortoise
Outdoors
Keeping your tortoises outdoors ideal, and eliminates many of the
difficulties of keeping a tortoise indoors. As long as your
temperatures are somewhat ideal, you do not need to worry about UV-B
lights, and the tortoises just seem more happy and active than
tortoises kept indoors.
Wood and stone are two different
types of barriers that can be used to house tortoises outdoors.
-Barriers:
The perimeter of your enclosure should be lined with an escape proof
barrier of some sort. This can be done in many ways, depending on
the species, the size and even your climate. Stacked and lined up
concrete masonry blocks (CMU) are an often used barrier for
tortoises, but species that tend to burrow can often burrow enough
underneath them that they will fall over. Many tortoises tend to
sleep in the corners of their enclosures and will often “dig in” in
those corners. Also, nesting females will usually dig up against a
barrier or object, and this will lead to the blocks falling also.
Blocks are much more secure if they are mortared together and set on
a solid footing. Wood walls work well, particularly if they’re
painted or sealed to protect them from the weather.
Thick grasses and heavy plant cover
help tortoises feel secure in their enclosures.
-Substrates:
Outdoor substrates are generally not as big of an issue as they are
indoors. Many areas have suitable substrates naturally, or you can
add some preferred substrate to help the soil be more useable. Many
people add peat moss or sand to their natural soils for tortoise
enclosures. Be sure that any substrate that the tortoise is kept on
is free of any pesticides and chemicals that might irritate or even
kill the tortoise.
Food items planted directly in the
tortoise's enclosure greatly reduce the amount of maintenance
required by the owners.
Large sulcata tortoises (right) will
usually keep their grasses neatly trimmed.
-Plants / Furniture:
Outdoor enclosures should be decorated with plants that are
non-toxic, whether or not you think the tortoise will eat them.
There are many lists of toxic and non toxic plants done by
universities and plant groups, and a simple search will turn up some
results. Nurseries will usually also know which plants are or aren’t
toxic. Depending on the species you’re keeping, you should research
what plants would be part of a natural diet. Most tortoises will eat
any broadleaf weeds that are found in its enclosure (dandelions are
a favorite). Grasses are a natural diet for many species, and any
common lawn grass is safe for your tortoise to eat. Clover or other
seeds can be added to the grassed areas to add some more variety in
their diet. We like to add clump grasses (any variety) for our
tortoises to burrow into (particularly star and leopard tortoises)
and sit behind for some afternoon shade. We also use boulders in
many of our enclosures to help break up the line of sight so that a
tortoise that wants privacy (for nesting, etc) can be out of view of
the other tortoises. Many tortoises will climb boulders for no
apparent reason, so make an effort to select boulders that aren’t
too steep that a tortoise falls or slides off and can be flipped
over. Alternatively, you could use boulders that are steep enough
that a tortoise won’t attempt to climb it. We like to add small
trees to the enclosures also for some additional shade and just to
“pretty things up.”
Glazed water bowls are easy to keep
clean and provide the tortoise a constant water supply, should he
want it.
Cactus and tree trunks can be wrapped
in burlap to protect them from the tortoises rubbing on or eating
them.
Water bowls can be added to any tortoise enclosure. Some species
will use these more than others, but there’s no major drawback to
having a bowl of clean water available at all times (provided it
stays clean). Use a bowl that has a glossy finish for easy cleaning
since tortoises will often sit in their bowls, and they can quickly
become dirty (use your imagination here). Smooth bowls are easy to
clean with a simple spray of the hose to rinse them out every few
days, or more often as needed.
Food bowls can be used to help keep their food off of the dirt or
soil. Foods should never be eaten directly off of sand or soil, as
much of the food will usually have some amount of sand stuck to it
and be eaten by the tortoise. You can also just feed the tortoise in
a grass area, so that the food items are on grass (and are safe to
eat). Small amounts of sand occasionally eaten usually won’t cause a
problem in tortoises, but make an effort where you can to prevent it
from happening.
Above-ground hideboxes are easy to
use for larger tortoises to keep them warm during cold weather.
Underground hideboxes are better for
hot weather, as they provide some cooling below ground.
Hideboxes:
Nearly all tortoises will appreciate access to a hidebox in their
enclosure. They will typically sleep in it and use it to get out of
the weather, heat, or cold. The type of hide you build for them will
vary somewhat depending on what they need it for – rain, heat, cold,
etc.
The type of hidebox that we prefer to use is an underground hide
with a few inches of sand over it, as well as some type of heating
element installed in it for the colder months. We build these by
first digging a large hole. Sides can be formed of blocks, wood or
almost anything that will hold a good shape. We lay a plywood
barrier inside the floor of the hide to prevent digging (and
undermining the blocks). A top can be added, and should be
reinforced enough to hold some amount of sand over the top. This can
all be covered with dirt or soil, which will provide excellent
insulation during weather extremes. Being in a hot climate, the
hides we have here stay 15 to 20 degrees cooler inside than the
shaded areas at ground level (such as behind a clump grass). Housing
like this for large species can be difficult, since building these
hideboxes at large proportions becomes considerably harder to do.
Clump grasses provide good shade
sources for tortoises during warm weather, as used by these redfoot
and greek tortoises.
Colder times of the year present their own problems for tortoises.
When possible, it is preferred to keep tortoises outdoors in their
normal enclosures with access to a heated hidebox that they can use
at their own will to maintain warmth. Something as simple as a
doghouse with a screw-in ceramic heater can keep a tortoise warm
enough in mild winters. You can also use in-ground hideboxes as
described above. Our larger tortoises will generally do a 1 hour,
quick lap around the yard during the coldest parts of the year, with
high temperatures in the 40’s. Larger animals kept warm are able to
maintain enough body heat to do this, where smaller tortoises may go
out for a very short amount of time or not at all. Activity levels
will be greatly reduced during cold weather as well as food intake,
so don’t be too concerned if your tortoises aren’t eating much
during this time. You will want to limit the amount of air exchange
that can take place in the tortoise’s hidebox to maintain some heat
in there. We use thick, black rubber sheets (made for garden pond
liners) with vertical slits in it as a basic “doggy-door” and the
tortoises quickly recognize this as an access in and out of their
heated box. During cold weather, you should always do a quick lap
around the enclosure in the late evening to make sure that the
tortoises got back to the heated area before temperatures get too
cold. Tortoises will sometimes fall asleep in a bush or in a corner,
and once their body temperature is too low, it’s impossible for them
to get back to the heat on their own.
If outdoor temperatures are too cold to maintain a tortoise
outdoors, they can be brought inside a garage or unused room for the
coldest months of the year. Some keepers use large stock tanks (made
for livestock food/water), or build plywood boxes to keep their
tortoises in the garage during cold weather. These areas will need
to be kept moderately warm to keep the tortoise healthy during this
time. They don’t need to be kept hot, and tortoises seem somewhat
understanding of the cold weather (they will be less active and eat
much less). We prefer to keep the lights on for only about 8-10
hours a day when doing this, just so the tortoises don’t become too
alert and active when in a confined space. Warmer days can be used
to give the tortoise some time in the sun.
Feeding & Nutrition
Opuntia cactus pads make good staple
diets for tortoises if it is available in your area. Although
commonly called "spineless," they usually do have a small amount of
needles on them. Effort should be made to remove the majority of the
spines in these pads, but they will not usually create a problem for
most tortoises.
Staple Diets:
The “staple diet” of a species is the diet that the species should
be eating day in & day out. This would be different than a “treat”
that you give to the tortoise occasionally. Each species will have
slightly different diets based on their natural range and
environment, and you should ask the source of the tortoise (whether
you bought it from a pet store, breeder, etc) what the tortoise was
eating and should be eating. It would be impossible for this basic
tortoise caresheet to go through each of the species, but as a
general rule, many baby tortoises will do well on a “staple diet” of
mixed leafy greens, such as a commercial “Spring Mix” available at
many grocery stores. Baby tortoises usually need to be offered
softer foods such as leafy greens that are easy for their small jaws
to tear apart. Most vegetables are good diets for tortoises,
particularly if they are mixed with other foods to cover the many
different nutritional needs of the tortoises.
Supplementation:
Tortoises should be given supplements in their diet to cover the
nutritional needs that the diet may or may not be covering. Babies
in particular need calcium added to their diet to aid in the growth
of their shells and bones, as well as to keep energy levels up. The
amount given will depend on the species and other factors, but it is
probably best to err on the “less is more” side of things, and avoid
overdoing it with supplements. As a general rule, we give our baby
tortoises a calcium supplement twice a week and a multivitamin
supplement two to three times a month. If the tortoise is being kept
indoors, we will use a calcium supplement with D3, which helps make
up for the lack of natural sunlight that the tortoise would be
getting if it was housed outdoors.
Health Issues
Keep in mind, baby tortoises sleep through much of the day like most
baby animals, including humans. It is not uncommon for a baby
tortoise to only be active a small part of the day – usually
mornings and evenings. This is not a health problem, just a part of
life. This section will offer some help on some of the more common
problems that people have with baby tortoises.
Dry or Closed Eyes:
People often assume that a tortoise (or other reptile) with its eyes
shut has an eye problem. Reptiles in general, when something is “not
quite right” will keep their eyes shut. Very often, a tortoise that
doesn’t keep its eyes open during the day is simply not humid
enough. This is particularly true in high humidity species such as
yellowfoots, Burmese mountain tortoises, forstens, etc. Usually,
after a good soaking the eyes are open and look fine. Assuming
you’re already keeping them on a moist substrate, you can raise the
humidity levels of the tortoise by covering part of the top of the
enclosure to raise the humidity levels.
Some species, sulcatas and leopards in particular, do not do well in
high humidity enclosures, and long periods with too much humidity
can make them sick. These dry climate tortoises typically do not
have problems keeping their eyes open in low humidity.
If your tortoise really does have an eye problem (which is pretty
rare), there’s a product called “Terramycin” available at many feed
stores which works miracles on many common eye problems in reptiles.
It is made for cattle, but was given to me by a vet several years
ago, and is a great product for eye problems. More extreme eye
problems will need the assistance of a vet.
Inactivity:
A
lack of activity in a baby tortoise (aside from the normal sleeping
all day pattern) can be caused by many things. You should start by
going through a checklist of all the items your tortoise needs (most
of which is explained in thie sheet).
Probably most common would be that the temperatures aren’t warm
enough. Make sure that your tortoise has access to an area of the
enclosure that is at the higher end of their temperature range.
Another common reason is a lack of proper lighting (no UV-B lights)
or just not enough light in general. Most tortoises like bright
lights, and having bright lights will help keep them active when
they want to be.
Tortoises that haven’t been getting their regular soakings will
become dehydrated, and will be inactive. All baby tortoises should
be getting the soakings as described above. More is not always
better – once every other day is plenty.
Overhandling is another common problem. Baby tortoises are easily
stressed, and “passing it around the classroom” is not something
that a baby tortoise will hold up well to. Gentle handling in a
quiet, relaxed setting isn’t too hard on a tortoise, but be very
careful not to drop or spook it, and if you feel like it is inactive
or that there’s some other problem, it’s best not to handle them at
all.
Reevaluate the diet you are feeding your tortoise. Do you have a
good mix of foods? Are you using supplements properly?
Soft Shell:
A
soft feeling to the shell of a tortoise is most commonly caused by a
lack of UV-B and/or calcium. This rarely happens with tortoises that
are housed outdoors in natural sunlight, but can be quite common in
captivity. Assuming that you are properly supplementing, be sure
that your UV-B lights aren’t too far above the tortoise. Most
fluorescent UV-B bulbs only work properly at close ranges; from
about 8-10” away from the bulb itself. These bulbs, at a distance of
12”, produce almost no functional UV-B for the tortoises to benefit
from. They also have a useable life of about 9-12 months. Lower or
replace your bulb if you think these might be a problem.
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