Hermanns tortoise substrate.

[Hainsy]

I've heard it's safe to use children's play sand mixed with topsoil as a substrate for Hermanns tortoises. Is this true?

It would be a much cheaper alternative to desert sand but I don't want to put the tortoises at risk.

Please help.

 

[Yvonne G]

I don't like to use sand of any kind. There's too much of a risk of impaction when they eat it. I know, I know...you're not going to feed it to your tortoise. But they walk through their food and track sand all over it...the sand sticks to the food...the tortoise eats the sand. Even the so-called calci-sand. None of it is worth the risk.

Lots of people use aspen bedding for their mediterranean tortoise species. Then, if its a baby, you can have a moist hiding place. Moisture helps them to grow smoothly.

 

[Hainsy]

When I bought the tortoises they were in hemp bedding but one of them got a splinter in his eye so I wanted to try and avoid wood products. Any suggestions?

 

[Yvonne G]

Lots of folks use coco coir. It's sold in pet stores as Bed-A-Beast. Its packaged in a compressed square brick. You put it in a 5 gallon bucket of hot water and it absorbs and falls apart. Many folks swear by it.

 

[Hainsy]

That sounds good. Will that be too wet/humid for Hermanns tortoises?

 

[Yvonne G]

You squeeze all the water out before you put it into your habitat. Then the lights finish the drying out process. You can keep it as wet or as dry as you like.

 

[Hainsy]

That's brilliant.
Thanks for your help

 

[Hainsy]

Hi,
I was worried that the desert sand substrate I was using for my two 7 month old hermanns tortoises was too dry so to try and avoid the dreaded pyramiding I mixed it with some coco coir.

Now the humidity is around 80%. I squeezed out as much water as I could before mixing it with the sand. The temperatures are 30°c under the basking lamp and 20°c down the cool end. They have a hide down either end and seem to prefer the warmer one.

Is this environment too humid and not warm enough? I'm going on the readings of a non digital dial thermometer and hygrometer.

Any suggestions/thoughts?

 

[Courtney Cavender]

No! Don't use sand of any kind! My Hermann had sand in his enclosure and he was constantly eating it! After researching it I found out that it tears up their guts... So instead I use a mixture of top soil and shredded coconut fibers, it's easy to clean and my tortoise loves it!
Hope I helped!!
-Courtney Cavender