What kind of SUBSTRATE do YOU use?

[hannah]

PLease let me know for outdoor enclosures from those of you who live in warm climates like mine in Calif. Really curious about this.
And if it's unusual sounding like 'orchid bark' where you get it!
Thanks!

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I don't mean to sound like a dum blond but...if your habitat is outside why isn't the ground used as the substrate?

 

[hannah]

Well, Im new to tortoises so I dont have many answers but for me it is that the ground I had wasn't something they could burrow in. They now have about 8 inches of burrowing materials, which keeps them feeling safe I think and from trying to tunnel out.

 

[Yvonne G]

I don't add anything to my outdoor enclosures. They have to make do with the grass, weeds and dirt that is there for them. They all have a heated house they can go into in the winter, and no heat for the summer. I don't like them to burrow, as it makes it difficult to gather them up in the fall to hibernate.

Yvonne

 

[fel1958]

i use a playsand -topsoil mix.for a change i will use an aspen -cypress mix.timothy hay scares me.it is a fire hazard under the basking lamp.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I think in SoCal that you should just put them right on the ground. You really don't want them to burrow...
I use fine grade orchid bark in the habitats in my house and that was bought at Orchard Hardware Supply. I don't have them in Oregon. You can also shop for substrate at Lowe's or Home Depot and just make for positive there is no pine or cedar in it. Both pine and cedar are toxic to tortoises. I had one small tortoise that died and another who was blinded from pine substrate...

 

[hannah]

Well, this is interesting information. The one thing I cannot believe any uses, and I just dealed with this today for the first time is 'playsand'!!! my female burrowed into it( its under the reptibark) and it was wet and she was covered and I cant imagine how sand can be a good thing, I literally had to rinse her off, I was worried about her eyes, about her everything!
i can easily dig out everything I've got and leave it as is, it wont look as pretty of course! right now it looks great, the reptibark is very attractive and they move around in it well, and I will if this is the right thing to do. It never occured to me to not put substrate down. I hope to get more replies regarding this! God that damn repti-bark was expensive, $50 for two bags all told!

 

[Millerlite]

i would jsut turn the soil over and mix all the sand and bark all together, then maybe add a bag of soil, and let grass grow naturally through it, it will look good.

Kyle