Plant types for hingeback tortoise

[Anyfoot]

Hi there everyone

I'm in the process of making a habitat for homes hingeback torts. Could do with some help on plant cover.
I want to create a jungle effect, So I could do with knowing what plants I can use for cover that are not harmful.
Also would you advise I put plants in pots so they can't eat them. Do I put plants in that they do eat and keep renewing them or maybe a combination of both.
Are there any plants that they just won't eat.
Basically I could do with a list of as many plants I can use that will grow indoors.

Thank you

Craig

 

[Jacqui]

Is yours a major greens eater? I am asking because mine are not, so plants are safe from eating, back they do trample them. I would use a vine (dang forgetting the name...will be back) to get the jungle effect with a airplane/spider plant for that too. Have them up high, so they trail into the enclosure...boom jungle effect. I prefer shade tolerant plants as a general rule for inside.

 

[Anyfoot]

I don't have the torts yet and i'm on a major learning curve with these. the lady who i'm getting them off is coming to my house to deliver them to me and help me, I'm having 4 off her. 2 male and 2 females, they are homes hingeback torts. She says they are constantly mating and each female lays 3 clutches a year, each clutch is of 3 eggs. She's never incubated them so not sure if they are fertile. She has them in a 2x5ft indoor enclosure and lets them outside when weather permits. My plan is to have a 2x4ft enlosure covered to keep humidity up and another 2x4ft open enclosure acting like a garden area, both connected via a small doorway. obviously letting them outside when possible. Later in the year I plan on building something much bigger but at the minute that is not an option.

 

[tortadise]

Ferns and broad leaf low canopy shrub like plants. They loooove to hide. Hostas are a good one. They really like boston ferns to hide and eat as well. Money trees and any taro variety. They like a draped cave with a curtain of pothos. Pretty much anything tropical that has very large leaves.

 

[Anyfoot]

Hi everyone

This is all very helpful for me, thank you.

For my substrate I plan on a thick layer of coco then cyprus mulch topped off with sphagnum moss and dead leaves. Is this ok and will my plant life grow in coco or do I need to mix it with something else.

Cheers Craig

 

[tortadise]

Hi everyone

This is all very helpful for me, thank you.

For my substrate I plan on a thick layer of coco then cyprus mulch topped off with sphagnum moss and dead leaves. Is this ok and will my plant life grow in coco or do I need to mix it with something else.

Cheers Craig

That's perfect. The more leaves the better. The reason they have nice star like patterns is that burrow under dead leaves in the wild for camouflage. So they really like leaves. Be careful which leaves you use though. Hardwood leaves are ok. Just make sure that they are dead and not green as they can be toxic when green and fresh. But rarely will they consume leafs, and it is winter. So should be an issue. Just making a note of it for yah.

 

[Anyfoot]

So when i've got it all setup how do I keep my plants fed. I grow fruit n veg in garden, can I use organic fertilizers like comfry and nettle feed and also crushed egg shells for calcium watered in.

 

[Jacqui]

Usually just the natural setup keep the plants fertilized (ie tortoise waste, those leaves decaying, ect..,). The comfry and nettles should be safe to, if they aren't fertilized or have added chemicals.