Introducing Rocks

TheWaveCarver

Member
Joined
Sep 8, 2018
Messages
58
Location (City and/or State)
New York
Around 2 months ago I placed some big rocks in the middle of my enclosure. The original intention was to provide a way for my Cherryheads nails to trim down naturally since they seemed to be getting rather long.

The rocks have worked excellent. Putting a CHE well above the rocks is a great way to introduce water / humidity into the environment and keep the substrate somewhere between dry and damp. Ill pour water into the rocks or mist the rocks directly - in a closed chamber this is a couple times a week and measured with a humidity meter. It also seems to provide my Cherryhead with some exercise - pushing him to use his hindlegs as he goes mountaineering.

A fear might be that he could fall over - which is a serious concern. I have a camera pointed at the rocks in case this occurs and I made sure the rocks arent too tall. The darker side of the enclosure is on the left and the side with food is on the right so he regularly crosses the rocks a few times per day.

Just wanted to share!

20210512_182736.jpg
 

wellington

Well-Known Member
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Tortoise Club
Joined
Sep 6, 2011
Messages
49,660
Location (City and/or State)
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Good idea glad it's working. You could take the bigger rocks out and replace with smaller ones like the smaller ones in there. Shoukd work the same.
 

TheWaveCarver

Member
Joined
Sep 8, 2018
Messages
58
Location (City and/or State)
New York
Good idea glad it's working. You could take the bigger rocks out and replace with smaller ones like the smaller ones in there. Shoukd work the same.

Very true! Another thing is smooth rocks are important. Too rough and they could damage their plastron with repeated trips over the obstacle. So smooth rocks and only having small rocks would likely work just as well.
 

wellington

Well-Known Member
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Tortoise Club
Joined
Sep 6, 2011
Messages
49,660
Location (City and/or State)
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Very true! Another thing is smooth rocks are important. Too rough and they could damage their plastron with repeated trips over the obstacle. So smooth rocks and only having small rocks would likely work just as well.
Even floor tiles without any of the webbing stuff attached to them turned upside down can work. The backside of most tiles are like a raw ruff clay.
 

TheWaveCarver

Member
Joined
Sep 8, 2018
Messages
58
Location (City and/or State)
New York
Even floor tiles without any of the webbing stuff attached to them turned upside down can work. The backside of most tiles are like a raw ruff clay.

Yeah that would be perfect. Really you just need them to walk over it and that can be accomplished by just running it all the way across.

Funny story actually, when I first added the rocks I thought he would think of it as a wall and never climb but he immediately climbed over and sat on his empty plate so I'd feed him lol. They can be suprisingly smart haha
 

Jan A

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 9, 2021
Messages
1,808
Location (City and/or State)
Boulder, CO
Yeah that would be perfect. Really you just need them to walk over it and that can be accomplished by just running it all the way across.

Funny story actually, when I first added the rocks I thought he would think of it as a wall and never climb but he immediately climbed over and sat on his empty plate so I'd feed him lol. They can be suprisingly smart haha
Who's training who?
 
Top