What should I put in tortoises cage?

[Ghosti20]

Hi all. Since I’ve decided to get a Russian tortoise, I’ve been doing constant research, and I can’t thank everyone in this forum enough for their help. But there’s another aspect of tortoise care that I haven’t seen covered. As some of you may know, I used to own hamsters. Hamsters are prey animals and therefore need a semi-crowded enclosure to keep them feeling safe. Do tortoises need hides and tunnels in their enclosure? And if so, what kind?
Thank you everyone and have a great day

Edit: I just wanted to provide some information about what my hamster care looked like and what my idea of “hamster toys” is. I kept my hamsters in a natural, German inspired habitat with no plastic. The toys they had provided enrichment not stress. I gave them cork logs, wood hides, moss, and 10+ inches of bedding so they could burrow. Just want to clear this up!!

 

[zovick]

Hi all. Since I’ve decided to get a Russian tortoise, I’ve been doing constant research, and I can’t thank everyone in this forum enough for their help. But there’s another aspect of tortoise care that I haven’t seen covered. As some of you may know, I used to own hamsters. Hamsters are prey animals and therefore need a semi-crowded enclosure to keep them feeling safe. Do tortoises need hides and tunnels in their enclosure? And if so, what kind?
Thank you everyone and have a great day

Edit: I just wanted to provide some information about what my hamster care looked like and what my idea of “hamster toys” is. I kept my hamsters in a natural, German inspired habitat with no plastic. The toys they had provided enrichment not stress. I gave them cork logs, wood hides, moss, and 10+ inches of bedding so they could burrow. Just want to clear this up!!

Tortoises like to feel safe also. They appreciate hides, tunnels, and plants which have drooping leaves under which the tortoise can sit and watch the world go by.

 

[wellington]

However, they need lots of room to roam and exercise to be able to keep insides and legs working properly.
The best thing for them is proper enclosure size, 4x8 foot for a single adult. Proper heat, lighting, substrate and diet. A hide, no more than two but one is enough and a couple flat rocks to step on and eat off of and a few safe plants is all that's really needed, besides an outdoor enclosure for summer months.

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Hi all. Since I’ve decided to get a Russian tortoise, I’ve been doing constant research, and I can’t thank everyone in this forum enough for their help. But there’s another aspect of tortoise care that I haven’t seen covered. As some of you may know, I used to own hamster. Hamsters are prey animals and therefore need a semi-crowded enclosure to keep them feeling safe. Do tortoises need hides and tunnels in their enclosure? And if so, what kind?
Thank you everyone and have a great day

Hello!
Yes, they definitely need some places to hide.
1. Plan an enclosure so there are a shady and a bright lit areas. Simply put: install UVB and basking spot lamp over one half of the enclosure and shift ambient lights closer to them. For a long enclosure you can mount everything in the middle.
2. Place some "real hides" in a cold and hot parts of the enclosure. You can use dark opaque plastic boxes for that with a "just enough" sized entrance cut out on the side.
3. Plant pots halves can be burrowed to make a hide + hill.
4. Live plants in pots burrowed in substrate or hanged from the walls or celing can give additional hiding places (and occasional snack).
5. Tunnels made of large-diameter sewage pipes or "half-logs" provide enrichment but aren't the real safe hides: tortoises prefer to tuck their head against the wall for sleep, so one-entrance hides are safer (think "burrow"). But tunnels break the "line of sight" and they like to explore them (see attached photo).
6. Be careful with anything they can climb on, especially under heat lamps (see attached photo).

And I agree with wellington on priorities. Cluttered tiny enclosure won't work.

 

[Ghosti20]

Thank you everyone for your help!!