Tortoise Care

Thomas H. Boyer, DVM

Pet Hospital of Penasquitos

9888-F Carmel Mountain Road, SD, CA, 92129

858-484-3499

Taxonomy - The true tortoises are all members of the family Testudinidae, which encompasses 12 genera with 40 living species.  Common temperate species include desert tortoises (Gopherus agassizii), gopher tortoises (G. polyphemus), Hermann’s tortoises (Testudo hermanni), Russian tortoises (T. horsfieldi), and Greek tortoises (T. graeca).  Common tropical species include red-footed tortoises (Geochelone carbonaria), yellow-footed tortoises (G. denticulate), spurred tortoises (G. sulcata), leopard tortoises (G. pardalis), and hinged, or hinged-backed tortoises (Kinixys spp.).

 Outdoor housing - Whenever possible, tortoises should be kept outdoors, even if only for a small portion of the year. This allows them space to exercise, graze, and bask in the sun, which is important for vitamin D synthesis. Well acclimated adult tropical tortoises can be housed outdoors when morning temperatures are above 18º C (65º F) and midday temperatures exceed 24º (75º F). Bring them in at night when temperatures are below 18º C (65º F) or provide a heated outdoor enclosure. Adult temperate species tolerated temperatures  3ºC (5º F) less than those listed for tropical species. For small juveniles, temperatures should always be above 24º (75º F) ( see neonatal care later).

 Tethering a tortoise by a leg or through a hole in the shell is not an acceptable and is potentially harmful. Leg tethers can cut into flesh and result in severe infection. Drilling a hole through the shell should be considered inhumane.

 When planning outdoor enclosures, several factors should be considered. Desert species can tolerate higher temperatures and drier enclosures than tropical rainforest species. Outdoor enclosures can be modified to suit the needs of species. For tropical forest forms, such as Geochelone carbonaria, G. denticulate, Manouria emys, Kinixys homeana, K. erosa, K. belliana, and Indotestudo spp., densely planted enclosures are ideal. For grassland , or desert species, such as Gopherus and Testudo spp., Geochelone sulcata, and G. pardalis, enclosures can be more sparsely planted with shrubs and grasses. In either type of enclosure, shelters should be provided for retreat from the elements as well as shade. 

 Outdoor enclosures should have secure perimeters. Tortoises generally pace at the perimeters and constantly try to get through perimeters they can see though. Therefore, solid barriers, such as wooden fencing or smooth concrete, at tortoise eye level are preferable to open fencing. Chicken wire can entrap and cut tortoise legs and is not advisable. Ideally, one should bury 6 to 12 inches of perimeter fencing to prevent underground escape.

 Outdoor hazards - Predators, especially dogs, are fond of chewing on tortoise shells and appendages and can wreak havoc in a very short period of time. Small chelonians can be devoured without a trace. Be careful that a neighbor’s dog doesn’t dig under a fence to get at your tortoise. Raccoons and opossums enter yards at night to prey on tortoises.

In the southeastern United States fire ants (Solenopis ssp.) can attack and kill small tortoises. Another potential threat, especially in residential areas, is pesticide spraying. Do not spray tortoise enclosures with pesticides. Instruct owner to have their neighbors inform them when they apply pesticides so that their tortoises can be removed to a safer area.

 Tortoises will consume all the vegetation growing in their enclosure, toxic plants are rarely a concern (oleanders and rhododendrons are exceptions). Most grasses, clover, perennial legumes, and dandelions are excellent free forage. Tortoises will also eat a variety of nonfood items in their cage. Enclosures should be regularly examined for scraps of metal, nails, wire, pieces of plastic, and other trash that blows in. Tortoises also consume small rocks, gravel, pebbles and sand. Never house tortoises on small rocks, gravel, pebbles or sand gravel or life threatening intestinal impactions will occur.

Indoor Housing - Indoor housing is usually mandatory for a good portion of the year, except in subtropical areas such as San Diego. Tortoises require more space than most reptiles. The New York Turtle and Tortoise Society recommends that the combined shell size of all tortoises present should not exceed a quarter of the floor surface area available to the tortoises.

 Aquariums, plastic or metal livestock troughs, concrete mixing containers, or plastic sweater boxes can be used for small tortoises. Cages can be constructed for larger tortoises with ½ - to ¾- inch plywood on the bottom and 2 by 12 inch planks stacked on one another or plywood along the sides. The inner cage surfaces should be calked and sealed with an undercoat of water sealant and two to three coats of polyurethane, or one can use melamine. Melamine tends to warp if it gets wet. Sealing exposed wood surfaces facilitates cleaning and disinfecting. Allowing the cage to air out thoroughly (usually about a week) before placing any tortoises in it.

 To prevent chilling, the cage bottom should not be in direct contact with cold concrete; a gap of 4 to 6 inches is advisable. An alternative to building a cage is to convert a garage or unfinished room into a tortoise pen.

 Ambient indoor temperature should be 24 to 32° (75 to 90° F), depending on the species. Rooms can be heated with thermostatically controlled space heaters. A thermogradiant should be provided with basking lights and/or heating pads.

Substrates - Juveniles are often maintained indoors on alfalfa pellets and as they graduate to larger cages, a mixture of medium to large conifer bark nuggets and peat moss. Acceptable alternative substrates include newspaper, indoor-outdoor carpeting (be sure to avoid frayed degrees), or corrugated cardboard. Remove fecal material from the enclosure several times per week and replace the substrate several times per year. For very large enclosures and large species, smooth cement, clean soil (baseball infield soil or soil with a high clay content), or hay can be used, provided the room stays warm. Avoid sand, gravel, clay cat litter, and crushed corncob or walnut shells. Many tortoises are reclusive animals. As with outdoor enclosures, a shelter or hide box should be provided.

 Water - Water should be regularly available for indoor and outdoor tortoises. Shallow plastic plant saucers work well for small tortoises. Make sure the water is no more than chin deep or the tortoise may accidentally overturn and drown. Larger plastic containers or cooking pans work well for medium-sized tortoises. For large tortoises, one can notch the side of a plastic shoe box or sink pan and tortoises will use it.

Tortoises often defecate in their water; thus, water bowls should be changed daily, every other day, or whenever dirty. Tortoises outdoors will also drink from standing water.

An alternative to water bowls is to soak the tortoises in chin-deep water three times per week. This option is less desirable in that invariably one occasionally forgets to soak tortoises. The resulting intermittent dehydration may contribute to formation of bladder stones or gout.

 Feeding - Diets for captive tortoises are an area of considerable uncertainty and variability. Wild tortoises often utilize forage of a relatively low nutritional value. In captivity, diets tend to have a much higher nutritional value, which may not be beneficial in the long run. Empirically, the author has had success with a diet that includes 95% or more vegetables, and little or no fruit (never more than 5% fruit). Foods listed in bold print are richer in calcium and should provide the bulk of the diet.

 95% or more vegetables – Grasses and seasonal weeds are excellent forage for tortoises, especially Bermuda grass. The majority of vegetables should be dark leafy greens (mustard, collard, radish, and turnip greens or tops, kale, cabbage, dandelions {leaves, stems, and flowers}, bok choy, pak choi, broccoli rabe (the leaves from the broccoli plant not the florets humans are fond of) and back yard grasses, clovers, legumes, and weeds (freshly cut or as browse). Feed less spinach, Swiss chard, beet greens, and red leaf or romaine lettuce. Mulberry, hibiscus and grape leaves, roses, nasturtiums, carnations, hibiscus and squash flowers are good, as are soaked alfalfa pellets, thawed frozen mixed vegetables (peas, corn, carrots, green beans, lima beans), peas in the pod, cauliflower, green beans, alfalfa, clover, radish or soy bean sprouts, jicama, green peppers, radishes, summer and winter squashes, and prickly pear cactus pads ( shave off spines).

 Cured alfalfa, timothy, or Bermuda grass works well for large tortoises if one can get them used to eating it. Soaking hay in water for an hour prior to offering it may increase palatability, especially if it is mixed with salad. Fresh green grasses are always preferable. Green, uncured alfalfa is a major cause of bloat in cattle and should never be fed in large amounts to tortoises.

 Spinach, beet, and Swiss chard have a high content of oxalate, which may bind calcium in the gastrointestinal tract, but they are nutritious as part of a balanced diet. All types of lettuces have a low mineral content; red leaf and romaine are the best of the lettuces but should still be fed less than other dark leafy greens. Again, if fed in moderation as part of a balanced diet, these vegetables are a nutritious and will not cause problems.

 Less than 5 % Fruits - Fruits tend to be mineral and protein poor but are a good source of carbohydrates and fiber, too much can cause liver problems. Tortoises readily consume fruits over other foods, so they need to be limited. Red and yellow foot tortoises are more frugivorous than other tortoises and should be offered more fruit, up to 20% of the entire ration. Tortoises eat figs, grapes, apples, oranges, pears, prickly pear fruit, peaches, plums, papayas, nectarines, dated, all types of melons, strawberries, raspberries, bananas, mangos, and tomatoes.

 To make salad  rinse, chop, and mix two or three types of dark leafy green, some thawed frozen mixed vegetables, sprouts, and whatever other vegetables are available. This mixture can be fed directly or stored in a large sealable container and refrigerated for up to 6 days. Put the salad on a flat board, piece of newspaper, or paper plate, or use plastic or metal plates or trays. Disposable feeding trays cut down on cleaning. Salad mixture that has been refrigerated should be allowed to come to room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes before feeding. Feed as much variety as possible!

 Adults should be fed a minimum of three times per week and hatchlings daily. Every feeding, for juveniles, lightly dust food with calcium lactate, carbonate, citrate, or gluconate. Adults only need calcium several times per month. Once or twice a month lightly dust food with multivitamins (if vitamin-fortified foods are not present). If the tortoises are exposed to unfiltered sunlight, vitamin D supplements are not needed or desired.

 Reproduction - Female tortoises must be in prime condition prior to egg production. This includes a well-balanced diet with adequate calcium. Small tortoises can be palpated in the inguinal fossa for eggs, but his is much more difficult in larger tortoises. A large female tortoise can cause excruciating pain to the forefinger foolhardy enough to be caught between her shell and rear leg. Eggs show up well on x-rays.

 Gravid females feel heavier than normal and tend to be more active, often pacing in the cage. For nesting, areas are often selected that get the most sun or late afternoon sun. If the keeper is not present during egg laying, the nest can be easily missed. A definite sign that a female has been digging is dirt packed on her hind feet and rear margins of shell. Some females may excavate several nests before actually laying eggs. Indoors one must provide a nesting substrate at least as deep as the female's carapace length.

 Neonatal care - Once the neonate has pipped the eggshell with its caruncle, or eggtooth, it will emerge from the shell within 1 to 4 days. During this time, the neonate's shell begins to unfold, facilitating yolk absorption. As the neonate's shell straightens and the tortoise begins to move, the eggshell breaks further.

 Once out of the egg, the neonate may still have considerable yolk sac. The hatchling should be transferred to a container, such as a plastic shoe or sweater box, with clean moist paper towels. The yolk sac will be slowly absorbed over the next few days.

 Once the yolk sac is fully absorbed and the umbilicus sealed, the hatchling can be transferred to a cage with previously mentioned substrates. Hatchlings usually begin feeding within  1 to 14 days of leaving the egg. Hatchlings are prone to dehydration; therefore shallow water bowls should constantly be available. Make sure the water bowl is shallow or the hatchling may overturn and drown. Plastic plant saucers work admirably for water bowls. An alternative is to soak neonates in shallow water three times a week. This option is less desirable in that invariably one forgets to soak tortoises.

 Ultraviolet lights should be provided for 12 hours per day for all tortoises not housed outdoors. A thermal gradient should be provided. Ambient temperature should not get colder than 24 C (75 F) at night and gradually warm to 30 C (85 F) during the day. Temperatures cooler than this are devastating to hatchling tortoises and can quickly lead to respiratory problems, anorexia, and death. Temperate young tortoises should be given a carefully controlled, shorter hibernation period or not hibernated at all for the first several years.

 Hatchlings can be fed the previously described ration daily, finely chopped in a food processor. Hatchlings should develop a firm shell well within the first year. It is common for a clutch of siblings to have different growth rates. Smaller timid individuals may eventually need to be separated to ensure adequate nutrition.