I am looking forward to having a tortoise join my family. Wanted one since I was a kid, and fell in love with a friends trio. Started reading about them, and in the last weeks, I just get more confused. Many say conflicting advice on diet/hibernation needs. Just found this site, so I think with more research here I can hope to make a choice I will be able to care for. We have very cold winters, so outdoor life would be limited. Also, the pen I build would have to not allow access to the natural soil ( the property may have been sprayed for years). I am an avid gardener most of my life, and have adjusted by growing in containers since I move here three years ago.
If I can't get past proper housing, I can't begin to choose a tortoise.
I think I can recreate "mother nature" in a raised bed/pen area, with perhaps chicken wire running underground? so it can't dig out? Then wood walls 3 feet high? will that work? With filling the pen with a proper mix, instead of the existing soil? Then enclose the walls with chicken wire, and some on top, some plastic roofing on part? Sort of like a chicken coop, only with a buried bottom of chicken wire, to keep it from soil that could have been sprayed years before me living here, and from escaping?
The last question, is about winter hibernation. Inside my home would be too hot since it's all heated. Water pipes do not freeze (so far) under my trailer, but I still worry I might be too cold. So what do you do (for hibernation) if you live in the NY mountain area.?
I was close to choosing a Russian tortoise, but now am not sure.
Thanks
Rags
If I can't get past proper housing, I can't begin to choose a tortoise.
I think I can recreate "mother nature" in a raised bed/pen area, with perhaps chicken wire running underground? so it can't dig out? Then wood walls 3 feet high? will that work? With filling the pen with a proper mix, instead of the existing soil? Then enclose the walls with chicken wire, and some on top, some plastic roofing on part? Sort of like a chicken coop, only with a buried bottom of chicken wire, to keep it from soil that could have been sprayed years before me living here, and from escaping?
The last question, is about winter hibernation. Inside my home would be too hot since it's all heated. Water pipes do not freeze (so far) under my trailer, but I still worry I might be too cold. So what do you do (for hibernation) if you live in the NY mountain area.?
I was close to choosing a Russian tortoise, but now am not sure.
Thanks
Rags
