I am currently building a new habitat for my African Sulcata Tortoise. I have looked at a few and noticed that a few were actually combinations of a desert biome and a grassland biome or rather just a few plants with a grass floor. Any way I have an L shaped area that was an old garden and am transforming it into a combo habitat. I want to know if can put plants inside that are edible for the tortoise like planting hibiscus inside there or buffalo grass in it, if I can I want to but I would like to know for sure what plant would go on which side. Yes I will still feed the tortoise and not let it rely on whats growing in there.
sulcata combo habitat help!
- Thread starter entie1
- Start date
Hi entie1, and welcome to the Forum!!
I'm assuming this new habitat is outdoors? Yes, you can plant anything you want in there, but, if your tortoise is big enough to live outdoors, then your new plants don't stand a chance...unless the tortoise can live someplace else while the plants get established. I have a 45lb rescue living in my back yard while I try to find him a forever home. There was a small rose bush in the flower bed. It had been transplanted to that spot during the summer, and is now dormant. That tortoise just bowled the plant right over as he walked through the flower bed.
As long as the tortoise has a place to be warm and dry, it doesn't matter that you have to water the plants to keep them alive.
I'm assuming this new habitat is outdoors? Yes, you can plant anything you want in there, but, if your tortoise is big enough to live outdoors, then your new plants don't stand a chance...unless the tortoise can live someplace else while the plants get established. I have a 45lb rescue living in my back yard while I try to find him a forever home. There was a small rose bush in the flower bed. It had been transplanted to that spot during the summer, and is now dormant. That tortoise just bowled the plant right over as he walked through the flower bed.
As long as the tortoise has a place to be warm and dry, it doesn't matter that you have to water the plants to keep them alive.
Plant lots of stuff. They don't need desert conditions. They do fine in South Florida with all the rain and humidity. For some reason all the books only mention the 8 or 9 month dry season and completely ignore the 3-4 month rainy season that occurs over there every year. During those dry times, you know, the ones you are talking about emulating, they don't come above ground. They literally stay underground where its cooler and more humid day and night. The only time of year where they are up walking around above ground is the wet, humid, marshy, rainy season. So make your enclosure in to a damp, humid, lush, warm jungle and your tortoise will feel right at home.
Yvonne is right about their habits. Most any plant they have access too will be eaten or trampled.
Yvonne is right about their habits. Most any plant they have access too will be eaten or trampled.
Yvonne G said:
Thanks for responding so soon, It is out doors sorry I forgot to mention that, my tortoise is around a foot and a half long (cant measure her at the moment) and is about 3 years old. When you say the plants being established you mean put them in right? Is there any plants that I could put in there for a good use, anything that will do something for the tortoise? I wanna make this look cool but mostly be useful for something other than containing her and giving her a place to keep warm.
northernturtleman
New Member
I think that if they want hole to burrow in they will help themselves to dig it, but remember, they only do that if the above ground conditions are too hot and they want to seek cooler temps. If you provide the high humidity jungle I think the tortoise will be happy.
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entie1 said:
Sulcata are grass eaters, so your outdoor pen should have grass for him to graze on. Any of the edible plants that will grow where you live are candidates for planting in or near the tortoise pen. Some things I grow in pots and feed to my sulcata occasional. Here is a thread on sulcata diet. You may find some plants on this list that would grow in your area.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-52677.html
