Calling to all UK people....
- Thread starter Sara198
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- Dec 7, 2012
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- 28
I have a russian tortoise and she is lovely!
The most common torts in our climate are Russians and Greeks which are both resiliant torts. The Greeks available now are usually Ibera. I have Graeca Graeca which was a common import in the 1970s.
These days they are captive bred and should be sold with an A10 certificate proving this. If the tort does not have an A10, it cannot be sold in the UK.
A small tort will be fine in an indoor enclosure, as big as you can make it, with a spot lamp for basking and UVB, but as it grows you will need to make plans to give it more space outdoors as much as possible. This is easier in some parts of the country than others as you will be aware that the weather conditions vary quite a lot.
I have a basking lamp in a dog kennel outdoors for Joe to warm up under on the cooler wetter mornings which means he manages to stay outside 24/7 for much more of the year than he would otherwise. I also have a cold frame with a door cut into the side. Joe often sleeps in this as it is dry and the sun on its perspex roof warms him up quickly in the morning.
I hibernate Joe, but you do not have to if you have adequate indoor accommodation for the frosty months.
Think ahead about how you intend to care for your tort when you are away. They are not particularly portable due their enclosure needs and they get stressed easily if their environment changes.
Finally, don't get talked into buying a pair of torts. They are all largely solitary in the wild. They roam large territories, meet up to mate and move on. They don't get lonely or need, or want, company. Regardless of gender, having a pair of torts is likely to wind up with mental or physical bullying which can result in the illness or death of the less dominant tort. Groups of 3 or more are more likely to succeed in very large outdoor enclosures with plenty of sight barriers, but there are no guarantees. A solitary tort is a happy tort
Torts can easily live for 50 years and much more in captivity. So a little forward planning goes a long way!
These days they are captive bred and should be sold with an A10 certificate proving this. If the tort does not have an A10, it cannot be sold in the UK.
A small tort will be fine in an indoor enclosure, as big as you can make it, with a spot lamp for basking and UVB, but as it grows you will need to make plans to give it more space outdoors as much as possible. This is easier in some parts of the country than others as you will be aware that the weather conditions vary quite a lot.
I have a basking lamp in a dog kennel outdoors for Joe to warm up under on the cooler wetter mornings which means he manages to stay outside 24/7 for much more of the year than he would otherwise. I also have a cold frame with a door cut into the side. Joe often sleeps in this as it is dry and the sun on its perspex roof warms him up quickly in the morning.
I hibernate Joe, but you do not have to if you have adequate indoor accommodation for the frosty months.
Think ahead about how you intend to care for your tort when you are away. They are not particularly portable due their enclosure needs and they get stressed easily if their environment changes.
Finally, don't get talked into buying a pair of torts. They are all largely solitary in the wild. They roam large territories, meet up to mate and move on. They don't get lonely or need, or want, company. Regardless of gender, having a pair of torts is likely to wind up with mental or physical bullying which can result in the illness or death of the less dominant tort. Groups of 3 or more are more likely to succeed in very large outdoor enclosures with plenty of sight barriers, but there are no guarantees. A solitary tort is a happy tort
Torts can easily live for 50 years and much more in captivity. So a little forward planning goes a long way!
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