Why does my tortoise eat his bedding?
Why is my tortoise eating dirt? Your tortoise is eating dirt because he is not receiving the appropriate amount of vitamins and minerals, such as calcium, in his diet. When tortoises are deficient in minerals such as calcium, they will deliberately seek calcium-rich items in their environment to make up for it.
What is Brumation in tortoises?
Brumation is the appropriate term used for the period of dormancy that most commonly occurs in reptiles in the colder months. During brumation, many animals will stop eating, bury themselves and may or may not intermittently wake to drink.
Do tortoises eat soil?
Eating small amounts of soil is perfectly normal. Tortoises do this when they lack some minerals and get them out of the soil. Also when they get used to a new substrate or area. But eating large amounts of soil is not so good.
Can you use newspaper for tortoise bedding?
Substrate – Newspaper/paper towels are the safest substrate to use for tortoises, especially hatchlings. As the tortoise grows, you can switch to a particulate substrate such as a recycled newspaper product like Carefresh, or to damp cypress mulch for humid species. Keep in mind that tortoises are great diggers.
Can you own a captive desert tortoise in Arizona?
In Utah, the rules for possessing a captive desert tortoise are more restrictive (see below). In Arizona, lawfully obtained desert tortoises may be privately adopted.
What’s the best way to handle a desert tortoise?
Tortoises fare best when handled or disturbed as little as possible, although much enjoyment and understanding of the nature of the desert tortoise can be gained simply by observation of natural behavior.
What foods can you not feed a tortoise?
All legumes and grains are prohibited food for turtles such as beans, corn, rice, pea pods, lentils, chickpeas and others. They should not be offered to tortoises in any form. They should not be offered to tortoises in any form.
Is it OK to use tortoise hide as bedding?
Instead I recommend only using it as the bedding in your tortoise hide/retreat space. This will also help retain the moisture in this particular area, as the hide serves to contain the evaporating moisture, forming a humid ‘microclimate’ in the process.
In Utah, the rules for possessing a captive desert tortoise are more restrictive (see below). In Arizona, lawfully obtained desert tortoises may be privately adopted.
Tortoises fare best when handled or disturbed as little as possible, although much enjoyment and understanding of the nature of the desert tortoise can be gained simply by observation of natural behavior.
Are there any products that are not good for tortoises?
There are some products that are not suitable for any tortoise regardless of the age or species. The biggest culprit is anything large or sharp enough to cause physical injury such as wood chips, bark, nut shells, stones, and building sand, also known as ‘sharp’ sand.
Instead I recommend only using it as the bedding in your tortoise hide/retreat space. This will also help retain the moisture in this particular area, as the hide serves to contain the evaporating moisture, forming a humid ‘microclimate’ in the process.
