Indoor Tortoise

[lafarge14]

Hi
Looking for info on keeping a tortoise in the home. Are there any breeds that you can just keep loose in the home instead of keeping them in a vavarium or cage?
Cheers

 

[Laura]

Not recomended. Its hard to keep the temps warm enough on the floor, the tort might find things that it shouldnt eat and be dangerous for them, and its a very un natural enviroment for a tortoise.
Not to mention, you cant housebreak them and you dont have sun in your house. Torts need the real sun to be healthy.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi LaFarge14:

Welcome to the forum!! (May we know your name?)

Tortoises are still considered to be wild animals, that is, they haven't undergone years and years of human intervention to domesticate them. They don't do well indoors without a UVB light. They need the sun or a UVB light to make their calcium work.

Also, being cold blooded creatures, they need to be able to warm up to AT LEAST 80 degrees in order to digest their food....and hotter is even better. On the floor, even on a carpet, it's nowhere near 80 degrees.

There are a couple different species (not breeds) of tortoise that can be set up and thrive indoors, redfoots being one. But none would do well without a habitat to call their own.

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Welcome.

 

[Az tortoise compound]

Welcome. There are no species of tortoise that should live in your home like dogs and cats do. A nice setup in your house will add some eyeball and keep the mess to a minimum. Not to mention keeping as healthy and happy a tortoise as possible

 

[lafarge14]

Thank you all for those replies - much appreciated.