Tortoise Tables FAQ
Posted: Sunday, September 13, 2009
by Ellie Bear
http://www.tortoisetips.com
If you are thinking of obtaining a tortoise you will also need to think how to house and care for your pet. There are a number of alternatives available for you to consider, from commercially designed enclosures such as specially designed tortoise tables, to adapting another form of pet housing to suit your own needs.
Five very important factors to consider when you are thinking of how to house your pet?
2. Research the different types of tortoise and their needs in order to best choose an appropriate pet that will live happily in the space you have set aside for it to live in. If you want a specific species it may not easily adapt to an indoor enclosure in a cool climate whereas if you already live in a warm area of the world and are able to accommodate a desert tortoise for example, you will have more choice available to you. There a very few species of tortoise suited to life constantly in an indoor enclosure.
3. Size of an adult tortoise? You may fall in love with a little hatchling but you will have to think how large this creature will grow! Most have a very long life expectancy too so you have to factor this into the equation! The rule of thumb is tortoises should not be kept in an inside enclosure 100% of the time. You have to make some sort of secure enclosure outside that will also have enough room and adequate heat and light.
4. Your pet will need to be able to hide away at times and burrow. They also like to bask in the heat of the sun and have somewhere to shade when needs be. The type of substrate you use can be the difference between a healthy and an unhealthy tortoise. The micro climate you will have to artificially create will also require some thought and expense. Will the species of tortoise you choose need to have high or low humidity? Will it require a specific kind of food? How much light and dark periods (photo periods) will it require and how will you artificially provide these? If you do not do this correctly your pet may become ill and distressed.
5. Glass vivarium - many people new to keeping tortoises believe a glass vivarium is the perfect environment for their pet but in reality these tanks are very poor for them to live in happily for any length of time. The glass sides will distress it as they will often bang against the sides trying to get through to the other side. You could have a glass enclosure for your pet but have a more suitable home for it to live in for the majority of time. Watching your prized pet explore its environment is one of the most rewarding aspects of keeping and caring for a tortoise but if this means your pet becomes unhealthy you have to think of alternatives in order for it to remain healthy for its life span.
Do your research and choose the best species for your circumstances and allocate a percentage of your monthly income to care for it correctly. A tortoise table will provide the best of both worlds. If you choose a smaller species such as a Russian or Hingeback tortoise they will be happy to live in this type of enclosure for much of their time but always make sure you provide some outside space for them when the weather permits.
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