Glass and your tortoise.....

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ZEROPILOT

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Many keepers use or have used or will in the future some sort of glass or partially glass enclosure for your tortoise. They are very easy to purchase or construct. Etc. But there are a few things to keep in mind about the way that the sun and UV in general interact with glass.
UV can not penetrate glass. So having your tortoise near a window with sunlight streaming through will not provide any real levels of UV. Also, if you have a glass topped enclosure. UV will not pass into the enclosure.
If you allow the sunlight to shine on a glass enclosure, such as a fish tank or a terrarium, the sunlight can do a refraction inside the glass and turn the enclosure into an oven.
I'm posting a warning because I've met a well meaning keeper that placed a juvenile tortoise outside in an aquarium to get some Florida sunlight and within an hour, the animal had pretty much cooked to death.
Please know that there are many reasons why glass is a poor choice for an enclosure.
These are two of them.
 

6strings

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Many keepers use or have used or will in the future some sort of glass or partially glass enclosure for your tortoise. They are very easy to purchase or construct. Etc. But there are a few things to keep in mind about the way that the sun and UV in general interact with glass.
UV can not penetrate glass. So having your tortoise near a window with sunlight streaming through will not provide any real levels of UV. Also, if you have a glass topped enclosure. UV will not pass into the enclosure.
If you allow the sunlight to shine on a glass enclosure, such as a fish tank or a terrarium, the sunlight can do a refraction inside the glass and turn the enclosure into an oven.
I'm posting a warning because I've met a well meaning keeper that placed a juvenile tortoise outside in an aquarium to get some Florida sunlight and within an hour, the animal had pretty much cooked to death.
Please know that there are many reasons why glass is a poor choice for an enclosure.
These are two of them.

And those are the most important two reasons. The 3rd reason being that tortoises keep trying to get through the glass when they can see through it. Glass enclosures should be a no-no for any tortoise (ahem.. Petco, Petsmart..) For baby torts, plastic tubs are available, inexpensive and just better.
 

ZEROPILOT

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And those are the most important two reasons. The 3rd reason being that tortoises keep trying to get through the glass when they can see through it. Glass enclosures should be a no-no for any tortoise (ahem.. Petco, Petsmart..) For baby torts, plastic tubs are available, inexpensive and just better.
That's actually the one issue I've never had. My baby Redfoot had two speeds....Eat and hide/sleep.
Escape was never part of the routine.
For the record. I currently do not keep any tortoises indoors. And never have long term. Or more than 6 months.
 

Tom

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The 3rd reason being that tortoises keep trying to get through the glass when they can see through it. Glass enclosures should be a no-no for any tortoise (ahem.. Petco, Petsmart..) For baby torts, plastic tubs are available, inexpensive and just better.

This is an old persistent often repeated myth. Its not true. I, and many other here, have used glass tanks for decades with no issue. I've started hundreds of babies of many species in glass tanks and not one of them tried to get through the glass.

I believe part of the problem is that people buy an adult wild caught Russian tortoise from Petco and put it in a 40 gallon tank, and of course the tortoise goes crazy trying to get out. Its because the tank is WAY too small, and because that animal is not acclimated to a captive indoor environment. They will do the same thing in an opaque sided enclosure of that size.
 

6strings

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This is an old persistent often repeated myth. Its not true. I, and many other here, have used glass tanks for decades with no issue. I've started hundreds of babies of many species in glass tanks and not one of them tried to get through the glass.

I believe part of the problem is that people buy an adult wild caught Russian tortoise from Petco and put it in a 40 gallon tank, and of course the tortoise goes crazy trying to get out. Its because the tank is WAY too small, and because that animal is not acclimated to a captive indoor environment. They will do the same thing in an opaque sided enclosure of that size.

Tom, I appreciate the information. Duly noted.
 

dmmj

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Glass does not exist in the wild birds fly into windows, Tortoises can not comprhend glass. They have no ability to understand a glass wall.
 

Blair64

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Just to add to this thread. If anybody needs a clear type of “glass” for their enclosure use acrylic. It’s durable and just as clear. The main this is that it lets threw uvb and all the good stuff ??
 

Jannra

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Glass does not exist in the wild birds fly into windows, Tortoises can not comprhend glass. They have no ability to understand a glass wall.
Birds only fly into windows when they have been eating fermenting berry. In other words drunk birds fly into windows. Birds can see glass they just don't notice things the same way when drunk.
 
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