Radiated Tortoise Ideal Substrate

[Radiated]

Hi,
I have two radiated tortoises at home wondering what the best substrate for is for a terrarium. I have Alluaudia plants inside...Currently have this red colored sand/dirt. Wondering what is similar to the natural habitat?

Thanks for the help

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Radiated:

Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!

May we know your name and where you are?

I don't know anything about the Radiata, but my substrate of choice is either cypress mulch or orchid bark. We like to use a substrate that we can moisten because the extra humidity in the habitat helps the tortoise grow smoothly. But this is for sulcatas, leopards, etc. I don't know if the radiata requires the same amount of humidity to grow smoothly.

 

[N2TORTS]

Hi Radiated:

Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!

May we know your name and where you are?

I don't know anything about the Radiata, but my substrate of choice is either cypress mulch or orchid bark. We like to use a substrate that we can moisten because the extra humidity in the habitat helps the tortoise grow smoothly. But this is for sulcatas, leopards, etc. I don't know if the radiata requires the same amount of humidity to grow smoothly.

great answer Yvonne. Green moss works well too in sleeping areas
( they can snuggle into it )....I also have some areas where small river pebbles exist, usally near the water areas to help maintain clear water. I DO keep temps 80' and 60-70 humidty with daily mistings . Thus far and 4X the size when first hatched ,,,Sokatra is coming out perfect! ...

JD~

 

[tortoises101]

Following natural habitat, the ideal substrate would be a 60/40 mix of sand and dirt. In captivity we should try to follow the natural habitat as closely as possible. Humidity however, should be high for the hatchling-juvenile stage to prevent pyramiding. As the tortoise grows humidity becomes decreasingly important.

 

[coastal]

Eco Earth is my favorite for younger animals.

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Welcome.

 

[Radiated Tortoise]

I'm interested in the natural substrate of Madagascar. But not really sure what it is. It seems very dry though. So not too sure how to keep moist.

Thanks

 

[ISTortoiseLover]

Radiatas live in arid environments, with very wet n very dry seasons. Black soil or any organic soil is fine. They love slightly loose and dry soil, mine digs a small pit before he slps. where im from, Humidity is at a constant min of 65%, its somewhat in between of the climate they come from. I do not moisten the substrate at all becos of that. Since I'm using soil as a substrate, I feed him using a reptile dish on top of a large granite tile, it will more or less prevent excessive ingestion of sand n Wat not.
this is based on what I'm doing for my tort, so Gd luck with urs!

 

[Radiated]

Thanks,

How is live sphagnum moss as a partial substrate for an area

 

[tortoises101]

I'm interested in the natural substrate of Madagascar. But not really sure what it is. It seems very dry though. So not too sure how to keep moist.

Thanks

Yes, radiateds live in an extremely dry and arid climate. It's natural habitat is the spiny scrub forests, where the soil is dry, hard, and rocky, and definitely not suited for burrowing. The hatchlings and juveniles spend their time under moist plant roots, so they would do better with a slightly moist substrate. Spraying daily with warm water helps achieve this. As sub-adults and adults they can be kept in a setup with dry substrate and low humidity as they're much more drought tolerant and humidity becomes decreasingly important.

 

[tortoises101]

Thanks,

How is live sphagnum moss as a partial substrate for an area

You can keep it slightly moist as radiateds would have small areas of moist plant roots in the wild. It also makes a good place to snuggle in and/or burrow.

 

[Radiated]

How are these for radiated tortoise substrates, since I'm trying to mimic the natural habitat, wouldn't it be similar to 60/40 mix of sand and soil?

Thanks

 

[Yvonne G]

Please bear in mind that the pictures you have here show tortoises on natural dirt, in this case, sand. If a tortoise actually lived here, he would be eating off of plants high up, on stems, and not down on the sand like would happen with us feeding a captive tortoise.

If you have a radiated tortoise, and are trying to keep him in a natural environment, then, by all means, use dirt from outside. Just make sure its clean of pesticides or herbicides. And make some sort of arrangements so that the food can't come into contact with it. Like maybe some smooth rocks all around the feeding station. Better yet, plant his food items so he eats off stems and not off the ground. Can't get more natural than that.

 

[Radiated]

Thanks allot Yvonne,
I was also thinking about the problem with pesticides and how there might be tiny worms...not too good for the tortoise, what are some good brands that create the sand i could use, and maybe a dirt i could use for example zoomed, etc.

Thanks

 

[Yvonne G]

Without knowing where you are, I can only tell you where I would buy those types of things here in the States. I would buy clean top soil at a big home improvement store like Lowe's or Home Depot, in the Nursery department. You can look at the ingredients to see if they've added perlite or vermiculite or pesticides and fertilizers. The type of sand to buy, Playsand, is also sold at Lowe's and Home Depot. Because Playsand is manufactured to use in children's sand boxes, it has been cleaned of any harmful bits of glass, etc.

But if it were me, and I have done this in the past, I would just go out into the yard where the dirt hasn't been disturbed in quite a while, and dig down and get dirt from the yard.

 

[Radiated]

I know that exoterra, zoomed have good products, which would be recommended, i would like to purchase it from a brand like these so i know its good for these animals.

Thanks

---

I have just done some research and figured out that zoo med has 2 sand substrates. However it seems like its more for desert animals. ReptiSand and Vita-Sand. Not sure if any are good or which are better, I have excavator for the very bottom.

Thanks

 

[tortoises101]

That's a great substrate. Couldn't get better than that IMO.

 

[Yvonne G]

Repti-sand or Vita-sand are NOT good products for tortoises. They are palatable, and you don't want a tortoise to eat his sand. If you use sand, don't buy those or calci-sand either. Buy Playsand and mix it with something else, like dirt, coco coir or cypress mulch. I don't use sand at all. To much of a danger of impaction far as I'm concerned.

 

[tortoises101]

Repti-sand or Vita-sand are NOT good products for tortoises. They are palatable, and you don't want a tortoise to eat his sand. If you use sand, don't buy those or calci-sand either. Buy Playsand and mix it with something else, like dirt, coco coir or cypress mulch. I don't use sand at all. To much of a danger of impaction far as I'm concerned.

Whoops. Missed the part about the ZooMed sand. *slaps self in the forehead*

 

[Radiated]

Ok. So what brands of play sand. Could you post some pics pls
Is it the best idea to mix it with Eco earth? I thought it was coco

Thanks