spcarman
New Member
Hello,
I am thinking about getting my first tortoise (Russian). Given the climate and weather in my area, I would like to keep it indoors (with the proper light, enclosure size, etc. of course), and I am having a bit of difficulty picking potential enclosures.
In what I've gathered from researching so far, it seems like the only three options for enclosures are glass aquariums (a big no-no unless you put tape around the tortoise's sight line, which I dislike the look of , plus they're unnecessarily tall), cement mixing tubs (which don't look very nice), and tortoise tables. I don't have anything against tortoise tables as a concept, but they all seem to be made of wood... which I don't really understand. Wood sounds difficult to clean, and it seems to me that it would absorb urine and other odorous fluids over time, causing the entire enclosure to permanently stink (anyone who's kept rabbits in a wooden hutch will understand how bad this can get). Of course you can prevent and limit this somewhat by spot cleaning the substrate daily, but I simply cannot imagine that this solves the problem completely, unless you manage to know exactly where and when your tortoise pees every single time. I would also worry about the humidity causing it to rot.
So given all of this, my questions are:
I have no experience with Tortoises yet, so I would really appreciate experienced opinions! Thanks in advance.
I am thinking about getting my first tortoise (Russian). Given the climate and weather in my area, I would like to keep it indoors (with the proper light, enclosure size, etc. of course), and I am having a bit of difficulty picking potential enclosures.
In what I've gathered from researching so far, it seems like the only three options for enclosures are glass aquariums (a big no-no unless you put tape around the tortoise's sight line, which I dislike the look of , plus they're unnecessarily tall), cement mixing tubs (which don't look very nice), and tortoise tables. I don't have anything against tortoise tables as a concept, but they all seem to be made of wood... which I don't really understand. Wood sounds difficult to clean, and it seems to me that it would absorb urine and other odorous fluids over time, causing the entire enclosure to permanently stink (anyone who's kept rabbits in a wooden hutch will understand how bad this can get). Of course you can prevent and limit this somewhat by spot cleaning the substrate daily, but I simply cannot imagine that this solves the problem completely, unless you manage to know exactly where and when your tortoise pees every single time. I would also worry about the humidity causing it to rot.
So given all of this, my questions are:
- Do wooden tortoise enclosures really, truly not smell?
- Do tortoise tables come in materials other than wood, and if so, where can I find one?
- Are there any other alternative indoor enclosures besides the ones mentioned that you recommend?
I have no experience with Tortoises yet, so I would really appreciate experienced opinions! Thanks in advance.