Desert Tortoise Indoor Enclosure Help

[dmarshall1991]

Hi everyone, so I got this desert tortoise yesterday. He's in terrible shape and I'm struggling. I have heard several different mixed advice on what kind of indoor habitat o should be keeping him in until he's healthy enough next spring to be housed outdoors. (I live in Tucson Arizona in case that matters) anyways, right now as a quick temporary set up to get him by until I figure out something better for him I've got him in a tortoise table made out of a bookshelf on its back. I've got cypress mulch in there, some hides, a water bowl, and his basking light.. my question is this.. he is 5 years old. He hatched in 09'. But he's super tiny. His entire body fits in one hand. I have a spare 40 gallon breeder sized enclosure.. should I switch him into that so that I can better regulate his temp and provide him with higher humidity?? I guess my question is how much humidity should he have??? In nature here in AZ they have such low humidity, but I think babies stay in burrows that have higher levels of it much like sulcatas. But he's 5 years old.. so I'm confused. Any advice would be apprecuated. Thanks!

 

[stojanovski92113]

Congrats on your new tortoise...I hope someone can help you out as I don't know anything on desert tortoises.

 

[bouaboua]

How big is he??

I just adopted one each of CDT and Texas Desert Tortoise baby also. This is what I do for them this winter....Sorry for unit of measure are in millimeter, because I first shared with a torts friend in China.

This is a top, finishing view.


The plastic container is about 31 inches long.

18 inches wide.

I use coco coil and tree bark mix. And pat it down by hand to make it firm.

Good humidity and temperature (I open the lid to taking measurement a photo, so the temperature drop to about 75F. If I close the lid. if will be in around 90~100F)


With sight barrier.................

This container is about 12 inches deep.

I put in couple inches of substrate .......for them to dig and burrow.

I use a old blanket, folded and warp around the container to cover about 1/2 of the surfaces so the enclosure will not loss heat too fast.


I use a single 40 W light bulb for the day time lighting and heat. I use an 100 W CHE bulb for night, linked to a temperature controller.

100 W CHE is under the hood.

This is the view with both lids are covered. elastic band and few home made hooks keep the blanket in place.

 

[dmarshall1991]

How big is he??

I just adopted one each of CDT and Texas Desert Tortoise baby also. This is what I do for them this winter....Sorry for unit of measure are in millimeter, because I first shared with a torts friend in China.

This is a top, finishing view.

View attachment 107276
The plastic container is about 31 inches long.
View attachment 107277
18 inches wide.
View attachment 107278
I use coco coil and tree bark mix. And pat it down by hand to make it firm.
View attachment 107279
Good humidity and temperature (I open the lid to taking measurement a photo, so the temperature drop to about 75F. If I close the lid. if will be in around 90~100F)
View attachment 107280 View attachment 107281

With sight barrier.................
View attachment 107282
This container is about 12 inches deep.
View attachment 107283
I put in couple inches of substrate .......for them to dig and burrow.
View attachment 107284
I use a old blanket, folded and warp around the container to cover about 1/2 of the surfaces so the enclosure will not loss heat too fast.

View attachment 107285
I use a single 40 W light bulb for the day time lighting and heat. I use an 100 W CHE bulb for night, linked to a temperature controller.
View attachment 107286
100 W CHE is under the hood.
View attachment 107287 View attachment 107288
This is the view with both lids are covered. elastic band and few home made hooks keep the blanket in place.
View attachment 107289

Wow thank you so much for this!!!! This really helped. I weighed him yesterday and he is 360 grams and about 5 inches. I am going to set up a better little area for him today now thanks to your helpful information and pictures.