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Burmese & Indian / Sri Lankan Star Tortoises
Other Stars Angulate Tortoise Misc. Pages
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Indoor Substrates for Star Tortoises and other dry area species
Weather permitting, outdoors is always best. :O) Indoor substrates The choice of substrate is important because your tortoise spends most of his time on it when indoors. If it's too wet, he may develop shell rot, respiratory infections, and other health problems. If it's too dry, he may become dehydrated. And if you have asthma or allergies, it must be something that doesn't make you sick! What works for one tortoise keeper, may not work in another person's setting. You'll need to adjust your care and substrate choice based on your tortoise species, type of indoor setup, room humidity and temperature level, and your local area's temperature and humidity. If you keep tortoises inside your house during the winter and you have asthma and/or allergies, choosing the "right" substrate becomes even more difficult. Soil, sand, coconut coir Currently, one of the most often recommended indoor tortoise enclosure substrates is plain garden soil, top soil, or potting soil with no fertilizer, perlite, or other additives. A common formula is to mix the soil with some play sand. Start with a 50/50 mix and then adjust the ratio as needed. You can use more sand for tortoises from very arid habitats, but tortoises from humid habitats may prefer more soil. Caution! Tortoises can develop irritated eyes if the sand is too dry or the sand content in the enclosure is high. If that happens, try switching to plain soil. Many tortoise keepers also mix plain soil or play sand with coconut coir as a 50/50 or 30/70 blend. With all loose substrates, especially with sand, it's best to provide a substrate-free eating area to avoid accidental ingestion of substrates during feeding. Eating large amounts of any substrate can lead to intestinal impactions (blockage) which can be deadly. Soil needs to be watered regularly, otherwise it gets dry and dusty under the hot heat lamps. However, if the soil is too wet, it turns into messy mud. You put a layer of bark or coconut chips on top of the soil to help prevent this. Just like any other indoor bedding, a soil-based substrate should be changed to a fresh one frequently to avoid it becoming a breeding ground for undesirable "bugs." Always keep the enclosure as clean as possible. Any soiled substrate will encourage the growth of pathogens (microscopic organisms that can cause disease).
Commonly used substrates include (clockwise from left) coconut husk chips, cypress mulch, fir bark, and sphagnum moss. I have allergic reactions to most substrates used for tortoise indoor pens, including all of these. For more detailed info on substrates, see the substrates & allergics page. Recommendations Thomas H. Boyer, DVM and Donal M. Boyer, a zoo reptile curator, discuss the captive care of tortoises in the 2006 book Reptile Medicine and Surgery by Mader, MS, DVM, DABVP. They mention newspaper, crushed oyster shell, bark nuggets, peat moss, cypress mulch, and top soil as commonly used substrates. They also list carpets, corrugated cardboard, and fine hay as acceptable alternatives. Their advice is to avoid sand, gravel, clay cat litter, crushed corn cob, and walnut shells. Philippe de Vosjoli, a pioneering herpetoculturist, recommends newspaper as an all-around indoor substrate, fir or cypress mulch for humid loving species, and potting soil for forest species (Popular Tortoises, 2003). Lance Jepson, MA, VetMB, CBiol, MIBiol, MRCVS recommends a basic indoor setup with newspaper as a substrate. Newspaper is very easy to change when soiled. He feels that naturalistic substrates are too difficult to keep clean because they absorb tortoise urine and retain feces (Mediterranean Tortoises, 2006). Ian Recchio, a curator of reptiles and amphibians at the Los Angeles Zoo, recommends newspaper, terrarium carpet, wood bark chips other than redwood or cedar, and organic garden soil with no fertilizer. His advice is to avoid sand, coarse bark, and gravel (DIY, 2001, see the Housing section on the links page).
Cypress mulch is popular among tortoise keepers because it can retain moisture well. It kind of looks like a pile of splinters. Pieces are sharp. If kept wet, it can start smelling moldy. I am allergic to cypress mulch. It aggravates my allergies whether it's dry or wet. Substrates for Stars Star tortoise keepers use various substrates in their indoor enclosures, including coconut bark, garden soil (topsoil, potting soil), soil / sand mix, soil / coconut coir mix, soil / sand / bark mix, hay, newspaper, shredded newspaper, reptile carpet (esp. for babies or under loose substrates like hay and chips), indented Kraft paper, heavy weight Kraft paper, paper towels (esp. for babies), coconut coir fiber (substrate mixes, humid hides), sphagnum moss (humid hides, mixes) aspen chips or shreds, repti bark (typically fir), orchid bark, and cypress mulch. Note: Orchid bark is typically composed of fir or a fir / spruce mix. Choose the plain fir orchid bark. Walking problems Coarsely ground bark with large pieces can create an unstable, difficult to walk on surface in the enclosure. Finely ground bark chips pack tighter making it easier for the tortoises to walk on it, but small pieces are also easier to eat and swallow. Smooth paper has a rather slippery surface. For subadult and adult tortoises, paper is ok for short term use, but it's not recommended for small, developing hatchlings. Paper towels are a better choice for little babies. They give more grip to feet and nails. They can also be used moistened to increase humidity. Any smooth and slippery surface can cause babies' back legs to slip out when they are moving about in the enclosure. This can lead to permanent gait problems, for example splayed legs. A tortoise with splayed back legs cannot stand tall on them. Rather, the legs are more or less spread out when standing or walking. Intestinal problems All loose substrate materials can cause potentially fatal intestinal impactions if accidentally ingested with food. Some tortoises even eat them on purpose! Also, sharp wood particles may pierce the alimentary canal if swallowed. Veterinarians have performed many surgeries on tortoises who have consumed wood chips, bark chips, coconut coir, or sand. Serve food on large reptile dishes, flat stones, trays, plates, or on paper. Do not place food directly on any loose substrate. No rabbit pellets Rabbit pellets and alfalfa pellets used to be popular indoor substrates for tortoises, but they are not recommended anymore because they are very drying, mold quickly, can cause infections, and may induce walking problems. Substrates & allergies Most wood chips, mulches, and soil mixes give out odors that irritate my allergies. Of the loose substrates, dry coconut bark chips seem to smell the least. Unfortunately, when wet, it has a musty smell. This exacerbates my asthma and allergies even more. Coconut bark can also be quite dusty (powdery shell particles) right out of the bag. Rinsing the chips before use helps. Read more about wood chips and other substrates on the substrates & allergics page.
Burmese Star tortoise on coconut bark (husk chips) Digging & burrowing Outdoors, Star tortoises are not big diggers, but they may scrape the surface of the dirt when they settle under plants. They do not dig burrows or tunnels like tortoises of some other species. Captain Thomas Hutton wrote some of the earliest observations of Indian Star tortoises' habits in their native land in 1830's. As described in the 1864 book Reptiles of British India by Günther, Hutton comments how Indian Stars "remain in concealment beneath scrubs or tufts of grass during the heat of the day." During cold weather, they also protect themselves by "thrusting their shells into some thick tuft of grass and bushes." The above description from the 1830's India fits my Star tortoises perfectly. My Sri Lankan and Burmese Stars also like to hide and sleep under plants, or in their hide boxes, instead of digging into dirt or substrate. They love hiding under clumps of long, thick grass! :O)
My Sri Lankan and Burmese Star tortoises love hiding under tufts of grass. This Burmese Star is sunning herself while staying partially hidden. Indoors, Star tortoises may burrow into a loose and soft substrate, especially if they have no other acceptable hiding places, or they are tiny babies. Babies hide a lot. I provide my baby Stars multiple hiding places. These include humid hides, dry hides, and various artificial plants. If you are allergic to soil mixes and other diggable substrates in large quantities, you can put a "digging box" into the enclosure and see if your tortoise likes it. Just use a low-sided container, or a large reptile bowl with a ramp, and fill it with a natural substrate. You can also cover 1/3 to 1/2 of the tub floor space with the loose substrate, or just pile it in a corner. Finding the "right" substrate Finding the "best" indoor substrate is one of the most common discussion topics among tortoise keepers. If you have asthma and allergies, like me, you have the extra challenge of finding a substrate that doesn't aggravate your allergies! Allergy wise, plain paper and soft, felt-like reptile carpets are the only truly odorless and non-irritating substrates to me. Felt-like reptile carpet (not plastic astroturf) can retain some moisture, but paper dries quickly. If you use a dry substrate on Star tortoises, do compensate for it by giving your tortoise frequent soaks (baths). Also provide your Star a humid hidebox and a large, shallow water dish. Frequent mistings help, too. Kraft paper For temporary overnight holding, felt-like reptile carpet is suitable for babies and youngsters with their small pee puddles and poop piles (easy to pick up), but thick Kraft paper is more practical once tortoises reach 5"-6" in size. Thickness of Kraft paper is measured in pounds (lb). This is called the basis weight, and it's marked with the lb or # sign (e.g. 75-lb or 75#). The larger the number, the denser and stronger the paper. For example, extra heavyweight 75# Kraft paper is thicker than heavyweight 60# paper. Paper is easy to change daily, or even several times each day. I buy my Kraft paper in rolls and use paper roll holders with a built-in cutters (pic). I measure the paper length with a piece of precut thin rope or thick yarn (pic). Fast and easy to dispense! I use both 60# indented Kraft paper and 60# - 75# regular Kraft paper. High basis weight Kraft paper is thick and sturdy, and it has a bit of rough surface as well. If you like to spray your tortoises during the day, the 75# Kraft paper holds better than the 60# indented paper. Note: Paper can be very slippery, so it's not a good choice for babies learning to walk. Paper can be used for short-term holding with older, more established tortoises. Reptile cage carpets / mats Note: Felt-like reptile carpet is not the same product as plastic "astroturf" (fake grass). See Additional Notes on reptile mats.Reptile carpets are not the most ideal indoor substrate, but they can work for baby arid-area tortoises. Especially, if the tortoise keeper is allergic to other substrates. As with paper, you must compensate for the lack of humidity. Felt-like reptile carpets (Zoo Med cage carpets or Zilla terrarium liners Felt-like reptile carpets cannot be eaten, so they are very safe for babies. Sometimes I just scatter weeds and greens around the baby Stars' enclosures. This imitates nature by allowing them to "graze" for their food. In addition, if a tortoise accidentally flips over onto his back, a felt reptile mat gives enough grip for the tortoise's nails to help him flip back. Felt-like reptile carpets also work well as an indoor substrate for small to medium sized handicapped tortoises. Tortoises who have lost limbs or have paralyzed back legs, can easily pull themselves along on the felt-like reptile carpet. It gives their front claws just enough grip and allows the tortoise to slide smoothly. Felt-like carpets cause no wear and tear on the plastron. Reptile carpets do not provide moisture, so they are not suitable for tortoises that require high humidity. Adding a humid hide to the enclosure provides a more moist sleeping and hiding area for dry area species. Felt-like reptile carpets, especially under the heat lamp, can also be doused with water to increase the humidity level inside the tortoise tub. To help keep my tortoises hydrated, I give them humid hides, soak them frequently, keep water dishes in their enclosures, and mist them with water as needed. Indoor / outdoor carpets Some people use indoor / outdoor carpeting in their tortoise enclosures. Outdoor carpeting is available in custom sizes cut from large rolls or as ready-made rugs. However, these carpets and rugs often have little loops on them that can catch tortoises' nails when they walk. Some outdoor carpets are also made of materials that give out irritating odors, or even toxic fumes. Allergic and asthmatic people can be especially sensitive to them.
Read more about indoor substrates, especially from an allergic person's point of view, on the substrates & allergics page. For more detailed info on felt-like reptile carpets see the additional notes page. |
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) are soft, easily washable, odorless, provide a solid walking surface. They are not unstable like pellets or slippery like smooth paper. They keep the underbelly dry and clean which helps prevent shell rot.