Home Critter Care Index Page Baby Tortoise Indoor Housing Page (you are here)

     Housing your baby tortoises indoors is not difficult as long as several very important criteria are met.

     Basically, don't let them get too cold, keep them well fed on the proper diet, and keep them well hydrated. Below are details and suggestions.

• The cage must be designed so that it provides zones of different temperatures. This means that it must be large enough for the baby to be able to get away from the heat source. Baby tortoises must be allowed to adjust their own body temperature based on their instinct. A temperature range of 75° F (24° C) to 90° F (32° C) across the cage works well.
  • To see photos of what we consider to be an ideal enclosure click here.

• The cage must not be so large that it is difficult for the babies to find food and water or the heat source.

• All food and water should be kept at the cool end of the cage.

• The substrate in the cage should be something that will not harm them should it be accidentally eaten. Plain old newspaper on the bottom is also OK. We recommend clean garden soil. Rabbit pellets (the stuff that rabbits haven't eaten yet) may also be used since it will be nutritious if they eat some. However if they eat more than just a little then it may adversely affect shell growth resulting in bumpy shells. Rabbit pellets must also be changed often to ensure that it does not become moldy. We do not recommend carpet, sand, crushed walnut, or wood shavings.

• Baby tortoises like to soak in water. Make sure their water dish is not too deep. The water level should not be above their nostrils when their head is pulled in. Also, be sure it is not only easy for them to climb in but also to climb out of the water dish. If your tortoise does not climb into the water dish then it should be soaked in a separate container occasionally. Very young tortoises should be soaked in room temperature water every few days. The water level should be low enough that it does not cover their nostrils when their head is pulled into the shell. It is OK to soak several at once in the same container. Soak them for 30 to 60 minutes. As you will see they have an instinct to drink whenever they find water. As they get older they need this less and less. After a year or so it is not really as important (but they would still appreciate it). Soaking any tortoise that has been stressed is generally a good thing. Don't underestimate how important how important it is to get a big drink of water.

• Always use an overhead heat source. Do not use under tank heaters. Tortoises have evolved to be exposed to heat from above. Their lungs are a buffer area between the heat and the rest of their organs. Heat from below defeats this safeguard and can overheat and damage a tortoise very quickly.

• Tortoises require UV exposure (especially UVB) in order to synthesize vitamin D. If they cannot do this then they cannot properly metabolize the calcium in their diet. This is very important. If they cannot synthesize vitamin D then they cannot grow and their bones and shell will become soft.
  • The best source of this UV exposure is of course being outside in the sun (sunlight through windows does little good). Whenever the temperature is above 70° F (21° C) and sunny or above 80° F (27° C) and cloudy they should be allowed to romp in an outside enclosure. Never put the baby outside in it's cage. It is too easy to overheat and not likely to find shade if it gets too hot (remember that we must allow them to regulate their own temperature).

  • If you cannot put them outside then the use of a UVB emitting fluorescent lamp is required. There are several brands of lamps available, just remember that they will all be fluorescent. There are no incandescent bulbs that emit the proper spectrum. Since the amount of UV exposure decreases with distance it is best to have the lamps close to the babies. As you can see in our photos, we use two lamps per enclosure. Even this does not come close to the exposure intensity that they would get from the sun. Remember that when ever you use a fluorescent lamp that is spectrum specific it should be changed every 8 months.

• Should baby tortoises get chilled, stressed, or otherwise ill then narrow the temperature range in their cage to 85° F (29° C) in the cool end and 90° F (32° C) at the warm end. Keep this range for several days until you are sure that the babies are OK. Any symptoms such as runny nose or a whistling sound when they breath can indicate a respiratory infection. This can be easily treated with antibiotics which can be obtained from a veterinarian.

• We will be updating this page shortly, look for more tips soon.

     To see photos of what we consider to be an ideal enclosure click here. These are photos of one of our indoor enclosures. Of course whenever possible we put the babies outside. When we have to keep them in this is what we use.

This page last updated November 16, 2002

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