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Burmese & Indian / Sri Lankan Star Tortoises
Other Stars Angulate Tortoise Misc. Pages
Get THE Star Tortoises book by Jerry Fife on amazon or eBay (direct links to book). It covers all aspects of Indian, Sri Lankan, and Burmese Star tortoise care. A must-have book for all current and prospective Star owners! * * * Submit your Star tortoise housing photos and tips. Email me or sign the guestbook. |
Indoor Housing for Star Tortoises and other dry area species
Simple tortoise table for a small tortoise. A 4 ft x 2 ft low walled (13"), open topped, acrylic enclosure placed on a dining table. The table is just deep enough to allow room for the reptile lamp stand (see lighting & heating). Indoors vs outdoors In the wild, tortoises spend hours walking, exploring, and searching for food. Ideally, captive tortoises should spend most of their time outdoors, not inside. Tortoises tend to come alive when moved to their outside pens. They love it! There's so much to see and so much to do. :O) I am fortunate to live in a warm climate. My Star tortoises get to spend a great deal of time outside on real dirt, among real plants, and under the real sun. Indoor setups You can have fun and be creative when building your tortoise's indoor enclosure, but do ensure that it's safe and has the proper lighting, temperature, and humidity for your tortoise species. Large, open-topped enclosures are best for dry area tortoises, like Stars. Tropical rainforest species may require a more closed tub to retain high humidity. Choose an enclosure / tub that is as long as possible to create a temperature gradient with warmer and cooler ends. Minimum pen size Build your indoor enclosure as big as possible. The more time your tortoise has to spend inside, the larger the indoor pen should be. Tiny hatchlings are the only exception. They spend most of their time hiding and thus don't need a huge enclosure. There are numerous recommendations on how to calculate the minimum dimensions for an indoor tortoise pen. For example:
All the formulas above provide minimum size estimates for a one tortoise indoor pen. You should add at least 20-50% of floor space if you keep 2-3 tortoises in the same enclosure.
Simple set up for a warm room. If you need night time heat or additional heat, ceramic heat emitters (see lighting & heating) are great for that. They emit heat, but no visible light. Suggested supplies Minimum
Optional
This page mostly covers indoor tortoise enclosures, tubs, and tables. See also the lighting & heating, substrates, hideboxes, substrates & allergics (more on substrates), housing & allergics (enclosure materials, air quality etc.,) and other housing related pages listed on the left menu column. Plastic tubs Over the years, I've tried many different types on indoor enclosures. Plastic tubs are my favorite. They are not the prettiest, but the most practical for sure. Plastic tubs are waterproof, light weight, easy to move, and simple to clean and disinfect. They are also odor free. Great for allergic and asthmatic tortoise keepers! For babies For a baby Star tortoise, a medium size plastic storage box makes a nice indoor enclosure. As the baby tortoise grows, he will require larger and larger indoor pens. Small tanks or boxes of any kind are not suitable enclosures for older, larger tortoises. Tortoises need room to wander. The more the better. Caution! Tortoises are creatures of habit and dislike change. They get stressed with unfamiliar or changing conditions. Avoid frequent or extensive changes to their pens. The less you change, the better. Unless, of course, there was a problem with the original setup. I like to change only one or two items at a time. This way the tortoises have something new to explore, but in familiar surroundings. Plastic box examples Various large plastic boxes and tubs are suitable for indoor tortoise enclosures. For example, a Rubbermaid storage box, a Sterilite storage box, an Iris storage box, an Iris holiday tree storage box (2 smaller tubs on the floor in the pic), an underbed storage box, largest size of an Ikea Komplement wardrobe box, an Ikea Dilling underbed storage box, farm animal bunk feeder liners (look like shallow, black tubs) with or without the legs, a boa / python tub, a concrete mixing tub, a Tuff Stuff tub (made of LDPE), a Petmate tote bin, a plastic kiddie pool, a flat bottom model of Laguna pond tub or basin, a MacCourt tub or pond tub (e.g. 47" and 72" flat bottom rounds, HDPE), a Waterland land tub (made of HDPE), or a Vision reptile tub (made of HDPE, largest tub on the floor in pic). Plastic materials I avoid plastic products made with polyvinyl chloride (PVC, vinyl), a known toxic. PVC products can be identified with number 3 or letter V, but not all products are marked. Plastics labeled as #1 PET, #2 HDPE, #4 LDPE, #5 PP, and PLA are considered safe. For more plastics info, see the allergy section of the links page. Holiday tree storage tubs One of my favorite plastic tubs is the Iris holiday tree storage box (pic). The box size is listed as 52" x 20", but the actual floor space is only 45" x 16" because the sides slope slightly. It can be used for baby tortoises or as a short term tub, e.g. overnight, for a small tortoise. Typically, it's only sold during the winter holidays. I often use two tree storage boxes, or other plastic boxes, stacked up (pic). Box on the top is the enclosure, and the bottom one is used as a stand and a storage bin for tortoise necessities. Elevating the enclosure off the floor keeps it warmer and less drafty. Here, the Christmas tree storage box is used as a temporary isolation box (pic). Everything inside the tub is either disposable (newspaper, cardboard hide box) or easily disinfected (tiles, water dish). The newspaper is held in place by several flat tiles. For safety reasons, I like buy tiles with rounded corners. The MVB provides heat and UV. These Iris boxes are stackable, so the lid can be used securely as an insulating base underneath. Note: If one of your tortoises is sick, he should ideally be housed not only in his own tub but also in a separate room away from your healthy tortoises.
Simple setup for youngsters or one very small tortoise Reptile lamp stand with a 100W mercury vapor bulb (MVB) is used for lighting and the basking spot. MVB's can get very hot. Always check the temps inside the tub and do provide a temperature gradient with hot and cool ends. In the winter, additional heat is required to keep the night temperature at an acceptable level for Stars, unless you keep your house very warm. For night heating, I mostly use ceramic heat emitters (not pictured). See the lighting & heating page for info.
Plastic tub with coconut bark People with asthma and allergies can be very sensitive to soil and mulch odors indoors. Coconut bark (husk chips) is one of the least smelly natural substrates. When wet, they do have a musty odor though (see substrates and substrates & allergics). The water dish should be stable and shallow to allow safe and easy entry and exit. It should be large enough for self-bathing (see bowls & dishes). Always provide hiding places for your tortoise (see hideboxes). They help reduce stress and allow tortoises to feel more secure. Vision reptile tubs Vision reptile tubs are another one of my favorites (pic). They are made of food grade high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and are a good alternative to wooden tortoise tables. They are odorless, easy to clean, and suitable for allergic tortoise keepers. They are usually available in white or gray color. As with most plastic tubs, the walls widen up and out a bit. This reduces some of the available floor space. I like the light color of these tubs. They don't stand out as much as black ones in a room, and the light plastic color may reduce the need for extra lighting. Tortoise living areas inside white tubs are much brighter than in black tubs. The largest Vision tubs are extremely durable because they are made of thick, heady-duty material, but this makes them rather heavy. Shipping is expensive due to the large size and weight of these tubs. Best if you can pick them up in a local store or a reptile show. The "medium tub" is 68" x 35" (5.7 ft x 2.9 ft) in size and has 14" high sides. It fits in the back of a large station wagon, SUV, or another similar car, with the backseats turned down. The "large tub" is 76" x 40" (6.3 ft x 3.3 ft) with 22" high walls. It's the largest of the Vision tubs. Note: A Vision reptile "tub" is not the same product as a Vision "cage." Vision tubs are open-topped plastic tubs available in multiple sizes. Vision cages are closed vivariums with see-through front doors. Acrylic enclosures Large acrylic enclosures are lightweight for their size. The largest open-topped acrylic enclosure with low 12"-13" walls that I found is 6 ft x 2 ft (72" x 24") in size. Straight walls are a plus; no floor space is lost. Acrylic tubs are also odorless and suitable for allergic and asthmatic tortoise owners. Preferably, at least two or three of the four clear walls of the tub should be covered with paper, aquarium background, or terrarium wall decor to allow the tortoise to feel more secure in it. Some acrylic reptile tubs can be flat packed and shipped at a reasonable cost. All you need to do is to assemble the enclosure and put glue (acrylic adhesive) on the seams. Unless you seal the floor seams very well, leaking can be a problem with these. They can also be a bit delicate. If you drop them on the floor, they may crack. Waterland land tubs Another non-wood indoor enclosure choice is the Waterland Land Enclosure. They are made of black HDPE from recycled materials, and they are available in several sizes. Currently, the medium land tub (70" x 32" x 14") is the largest of the land models. The land tub models have a 3/4 land area and a 1/4 water area. The water area is perfect for moist or wet substrate (humid hide). The low divider ramp helps keep the substrate in place. This section can also be filled with soil for digging or egg laying. The water tub models are deeper, so they would actually work better for egg laying. They provide more depth to the soil area. I really like the design of the land tubs with the low divider ramp in the middle. However, these tubs seem to give out a some material odor. At least the black ones I saw in a store did. Not good for my allergies. Plus, I don't much care for the intrusive black color because my indoor tortoise tubs are located in my main living areas. I wish Waterland offered a choice of white in addition to the black. You can special order these tubs in other colors, but it will cost you more and you have to order multiple tubs. Commercial plastic boxes Various large, commercial totes and boxes made out of plastic are suitable as indoor tortoise enclosures. For example, fish boxes, lobster totes, harvesting containers (for grapes, vegetables etc.), produce containers, offload tubs, bulk tub carts, storage lugs, transport boxes, and shipping containers (for meat, poultry etc.). Boxes manufactured for food industry are made of the safest plastics. Commercial tubs are super durable, but they can be pricey. You can find them through fishing supply stores, plastic companies, and restaurant supply stores. Wooden tortoise tables Wooden tortoise tables (large open boxes with low walls) are popular because they are cheap, easy to build, and can be made in any size. They must be moisture-proofed, and in large sizes they get heavy and difficult to move. Unfinished wooden tortoise tables can emit a strong wood odor. Particle board, plywood, and fiberboard also give off odors. In addition, they contain formaldehyde which is a known carcinogen, bronchial irritant, and asthma trigger. See the housing & allergics page. I keep my tortoises' enclosures in my living quarters, not in a separate room or shed. Thus, I do not like pens that emit any kind of odors because I am often allergic to them. I do a smell test of the material before buying, if at all possible. Ready-made tortoise tables & pens Zoo Med manufactures a 36" x 24" x 12" wooden tortoise table, the Tortoise House that you can purchase ready-made (pic). It can be used indoors or outdoors, and it is modular. You can remove the end panel and attach two houses together for a larger tortoise table as your baby tortoise grows. It's usually also available on eBay (direct link to table) See the tortoise tables page for an example of a double Zoo Med tortoise table in use. Zoo Med also makes a small wooden outdoor Tortoise Play Pen with a hide box. New 2012 product! Reptology Tortoise Palace Note: MDF is a manufactured product made from wood fibers glued together with a resin made from urea formaldehyde (usually). Formaldehyde is a known toxic that can irritate eyes, skin and mucus membranes, especially in allergic and asthmatic individuals. In 2011, the US government added formaldehyde to the list of carcinogens (cancer causing agents). According to the EPA, MDF is the highest formaldehyde-emitting pressed wood product. For more info, see the housing & allergics page and the Allergy section of the links page. However, Penn Plax states (turtleforum.com post) that the MDF used for this enclosure uses a PMDI binder that is not formaldehyde based and thus emits no formaldehyde. Stock tanks Farm stock tanks are made of either plastic (poly) or galvanized steel. Poly tanks often have sloped sides (reduces floor space in the tub), but galvanized ones typically have straight sides. However, galvanized steel tanks are coated with zinc. Some keepers are concerned about possible zinc poisoning and avoid using galvanized tanks. Oblong shaped sheep and goat water tanks are especially suitable for tortoises because they are available in a 6 ft x 2 ft size with 12" high walls (70 gal). Glass tanks If you use a glass tank, choose one that is LARGE, has LOW SIDES (12"-13", 30-33 cm), and has an open top. The minimum size tank to use for a small baby tortoise is a long "breeder tank"' with a floor space of 30" x 12" (76 x 30 cm) and low 12" walls. However, this tank is so small that your baby will quickly outgrow it by about one year of age or sooner, depending on his size. To find a glass tank with low walls, search for long "breeder" tanks or for "shallow rimless" tanks. Shallow rimless tanks may be called "coral tanks" or "reef tanks" because they work well for growing corals. Rimless tanks are available in 6-8 ft (183-244 cm) lengths with 12"-16" (30-41 cm) walls. It may be easier to keep the temperature and humidity up in a glass tank than in a wooden box. This can be a good thing or a bad thing depending what you are trying to achieve (humid vs dry habitat). You may need to cover 3-4 sides of the tank with paper or aquarium background to prevent see-through and help your tortoise feel safer in his enclosure. Never put a glass tank in direct sunlight. It can become a deadly heat trap! Screen cages Some tortoise keepers even use large, vertical reptile screen cages (e.g. 48" x 24") placed down on their long side as indoor enclosures for small tortoises. Horizontally build mesh screen cages are also available from a few builders. These cages typically have aluminum frames and screens, and they use tray liners as floors. Screen cages can be flat packed for shipping. The mesh material is not super strong though, and it could be a challenge to heat a screen cage warm enough for tortoises. Unless, of course, you live in a hot, tropical climate. :O) Vivariums Generally, totally enclosed vivarium / terrarium reptile "cages" (closed boxes with glass fronts) are not recommended as tortoise habitats, especially for dry area species. They usually have limited floor space, decreased air flow, and often provide a poor temperature gradient. Enclosed reptile cages tend to be quite dark as well because the ceiling and all walls are made of solid material. Only the glass doors in the front let some natural light in. Like living in a cave. Using bright UVB lights will help brighten up interior, but it's still an artificial light. Also, if the UVB bulb sits on top of a mesh screen, much of the beneficial UVB will be filtered out. Reptile cages are also more difficult to clean because you can only access them through the sliding front doors. With a fully open top, plastic tubs are much easier to clean. Smaller tubs can be carried outside to dump the substrate and then just hosed clean! Vivariums may work best for tortoise hatchlings and youngsters. Closed-in reptile cages are easy to keep warm and humid enough for little babies. Another benefit is their stackability. For keeping a large number of small tortoises in a cramped room, stacked cages may the the solution to the space problem. Note: Open tubs can be stacked on shelves. Adjustable wire shelving In addition, closed cages may help control substrate odors. This is a big benefit for allergic and asthmatic keepers who are sensitive to many natural materials used as substrates in indoor tortoise enclosures. If you do use a vivarium type enclosure for small tortoises, you'll need to be sure that the conditions inside the cage are optimal. Do check the temperature gradient and humidity levels carefully. If the ambient temperature is too high, there's no place for the tortoise to escape the heat. Open top tubs give you much more flexibility in controlling the heating and lighting. Clean the tank frequently and change the substrate regularly. You don't want the turn the vivarium into a hot, dry "baking oven" or a wet "breeding chamber" for parasites and pathogens. Bookcase tables Many people like wooden tortoise tables. If you are not very handy with woodworking, you can make a tortoise table out of a bookcase. Buy a second-hand cabinet or a cheap, do-it-yourself bookcase and assemble it. Just take the shelves out, put it down on its back, and line it with some waterproof material such as a plastic shower curtain liner or a pond liner. Voila, you have a tortoise enclosure! Note: Unfortunately, many cheap bookcases are made of particle board which can emit toxic odors (especially when new) that can cause itching, irritation, and asthma attacks in sensitive individuals. Solid wood bookcases with finished (sealed in on all sides) surfaces are a better choice for allergy sufferers. Also, pond liners are often made of PVC, a known toxic. See the housing & allergics page. Rabbit cages Some owners like to use plastic bottom rabbit cages as enclosures for baby tortoises. They are useful for baby tortoises if you have curious or unpredictable dogs or cats! However, if your tortoise is an avid climber, he might get tangled in the bars. Heating such an open-walled enclosure may be a challenge as well. Bed frame enclosures A twin-sized, wooden bed frame or a bottom trundle bed can be used as a large tortoise table if it has solid sides all around. You can easily add a solid bottom, if the base is made of slats. Then just waterproof it. See-through walls Many tortoise owners advice against clear walls in tortoise tables because some tortoises may desperately claw the walls in an effort to get out. If you do use a transparent or translucent enclosure, it's a good idea to cover 3 or 4 side walls with paper to give your tortoise more privacy and make him feel safer. Decorative aquarium or terrarium backgrounds look nice, but brown paper works just as well. Lighting & heating This section got so large that I separated it to a new page. See the indoor lighting & heating page. It includes info on preferred temperature gradient, humidity levels, UVB light bulbs, basking bulbs, heat emitters, light fixtures, lamp safety, heat mats, temperature controls, timers, electricity usage, UV meter, thermometers, hygrometers, and more. Substrates The indoor substrate section of this page grew so long that I created a new page for it also. See both the substrates and the substrates & allergics (more on substrates) pages for substrate info. Hiding places I moved the hidebox section to its own page as well. See the hideboxes page for info on humid hides, dry hides, and hidebox substrates. Food & water dishes This section was moved to a new location. See the bowls & dishes page for examples of tortoise dishes and waterers. Outdoors Let your Star tortoise enjoy the natural sunshine outside whenever the weather is warm enough. The more the better. Fortunately, I live in a warm climate. My tortoises get to spend a great deal of time outside on real dirt, among real plants, and under the real sun. :O) See the outdoor enclosures page.
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