Tortoise Care Guide: Housing, Diet and Hibernation

Quick answer

A tortoise needs a large, secure space, a temperature gradient with a hot basking spot, and UVB light (or real sunshine). Feed it a high-fibre diet of weeds and leafy plants, not fruit or supermarket lettuce on its own. Only species from cold-winter regions hibernate, and only when they are healthy. Before you buy, check that the species is legal to keep and trade where you live.

Before you buy: legality and species

Many tortoise species are threatened in the wild, and international trade in tortoises is controlled under CITES. On top of that, many countries have their own national or regional wildlife laws. Some species cannot legally be kept, bought or sold without paperwork, and some not at all. Rules vary by country, so check your local wildlife authority's requirements before buying. Ask the seller for proof of legal origin (such as captive-bred documentation), and never buy wild-caught animals.

Different species have very different needs. Know exactly which one you have before you set up.

Sulcatas grow very large and very strong, and an adult needs a garden-sized enclosure. For most homes they are a poor choice.

Housing

Outdoors

Where the climate suits, most species are best off in an outdoor enclosure for much of the year.

• Secure walls at least twice the tortoise's length in height and buried below ground, because tortoises dig and climb. Watch the corners; that is where they escape.
• Predator protection: a mesh top if dogs, cats, birds of prey or foxes are around.
• Varied ground: grass, weeds, rocks, slopes and plants for grazing, exercise and natural claw wear.
• Shade and shelter: a weatherproof house and shaded areas so the tortoise can cool down.
• Shallow water dish sunk into the ground, easy to climb in and out of.
• Safe plants only: remove toxic garden plants and do not use pesticides or slug pellets.

Indoors

Glass vivariums tend to trap heat and humidity badly, and most keepers advise against them for Mediterranean species. An open-topped "tortoise table" or a large indoor pen is the usual alternative.

• Size: as big as you can manage. A small adult Mediterranean tortoise needs at least around 120 cm × 60 cm (4 ft × 2 ft) indoors, and bigger is better.
• Basking spot: a heat lamp making a local hotspot of around 30–35 °C (86–95 °F) for most species, with a cooler end in the low 20s °C (70s °F). Measure with a thermometer at tortoise height.
• UVB lighting: a must indoors. Tortoises need UVB to make vitamin D3 and use calcium properly. Use a reptile UVB tube or a combined heat-and-UVB lamp, and replace it on the manufacturer's schedule. UVB output fades before the light looks any dimmer.
• Substrate: a mix of topsoil and play sand, or similar, deep enough to dig in. Avoid fine dusty sand on its own, wood shavings that can be swallowed, and calcium sand.
• Hide: somewhere to retreat.
• Night temperatures: let them fall naturally. In a normal heated home most species need no night heat, though tropical species may need it kept warmer.

Tropical species such as red-footed tortoises also need higher humidity, so check what your species needs.

Diet

Most land tortoises are grazers. Their bodies are built for plants that are high in fibre and calcium and low in protein.

Good staples for most dry-climate species

• Dandelion leaves and flowers, plantain, clover, sow thistle, hawkbit and other safe broadleaf weeds.
• Hay or dried grass for grazing species such as sulcatas.
• Some leafy greens such as romaine, rocket (arugula), or watercress as part of a varied mix.

Supplements

• A light dusting of a reptile calcium supplement on food is commonly recommended, especially for indoor tortoises. Ask an exotics vet what suits your tortoise and setup.
• A cuttlefish bone left in the enclosure lets many tortoises self-regulate calcium.

Avoid

• Fruit for Mediterranean and grassland species.
• Bread, cereals, meat, pet food, dairy and processed human food.
• Large amounts of high-oxalate or very watery foods (spinach, iceberg lettuce) as staples.
• Toxic plants such as foxglove, buttercups, daffodils and many ornamental bulbs.

Soak hatchlings and young tortoises in shallow lukewarm water regularly to help keep them hydrated. Fresh water should always be on offer.

Hibernation (brumation)

Only healthy adults of species that hibernate naturally should be hibernated. Never hibernate a tropical species.

For species that do hibernate:

• Vet check first: book an exotics vet health check a few weeks before hibernation. Underweight, sick or recently ill tortoises should not hibernate.
• Wind down gradually: tortoises have to stop eating for a while before hibernation so the gut empties, but they still need baths to stay hydrated. How long the fast should be depends on size, so ask your vet.
• Stable, cold temperature: hibernation works best at a steady temperature of around 5 °C (41 °F). Too warm and the tortoise burns through its reserves. Near freezing, it risks eye damage or death. That is why many keepers use a dedicated fridge with a thermometer, checked daily.
• Weigh regularly: at least once a week during hibernation. Significant weight loss, urination or signs of waking mean it is time to wake it up.
• Duration: depends on species, age and health; ask your vet. Young tortoises usually hibernate for less time, if at all.
• Waking up: warm the tortoise gradually, give it a lukewarm bath to rehydrate, and check that it starts eating within a week or so. A tortoise that won't eat after hibernation needs a vet.

If you're not confident, keep the tortoise awake over winter under proper indoor heat and UVB. That is safer than a badly managed hibernation.

Health warning signs

See an exotics vet if your tortoise shows:

• Runny nose, bubbles from the nostrils, swollen eyes or open-mouth breathing.
• Not eating for an extended period outside of hibernation, or after waking.
• Soft shell, or a lumpy "pyramiding" shell in a young tortoise.
• Swellings, discharge, or a smell from the shell or skin.
• Diarrhoea, blood in urine or straining.
• Weight loss or lethargy.

In Pakistan

Local pet markets often sell tortoises and freshwater turtles, but many are wild-caught, and some of the species found in the region are protected. Check the current federal and provincial wildlife rules before buying, and pick captive-bred animals with documentation. In hot summers an outdoor tortoise needs deep shade, a burrow or cool shelter, and water at all times. Heat above roughly 35 °C (95 °F) with nowhere to shelter is dangerous. Most species kept in the warmer parts of the country do not need to hibernate, and you should get an exotics vet's advice before trying it.

For turtles and a wider overview, read Tortoises and Turtles as Pets. You can browse reptiles from verified sellers on Paalo.