Basic Young Tortoise Requirements

Housing

Young tortoises need some form of indoor accommodation in the form of a vivarium or a simple wooden pen with a UVB fluorescent light & a basking lamp or a Powersun 100/160W heat and light bulb suspended to give an area at approx. 30c. Irish moss peat at a depth of 2" makes a good substrate for the floor. In summer they can go outside in a predator proof pen ( see photo's ) and will benefit from natural sunlight. Be prepared to supply extra heat and light if summer days are not very warm.

Diet

Tortoises eat a wide variety of naturally found wild plants & flowers i.e.. Dandelion, Plantain, Birdsfoot Trefoil, Daises, Clover, Sowthistle, Nipplewort, Primrose, Vetch, etc. Cultivated plants such as cabbage, broccoli, spinach, lettuce (only occasionally), can be fed if no natural food is available. Succulents such as Tomatoes, Apple, Cucumber, peaches & Melon, can be fed as a treat. Calcium should be added to all meals to aid good shell growth and bone structure.

Hibernation

It is not necessary to hibernate young tortoises for the first few years, but a short hibernation will do a healthy young tortoise no harm.

P.S. All Tortoises should come with full CITES papers, if they have not got the right papers please do not buy them.

Edible Plants