Hi

I`m a bit confused I have a 2 year old horsefield tortoise and have just  had to get a new viv to keep him in as his other one broke. I had been advised to get him a wooden one he was in a glass viv before. The problem is everyone I have spoken to advises me on different subtrate for his viv. I did have him on lino where he eats and a big area filled with a mixture of sand and soil to avoid getting any of the sand and soil inpacted in him but when I bought the viv the shopkeeper told me what I was doing was wrong and gave me a bag of vitakraft country home which contains a mixture of bark, birch brushwood, woodshavings, hay birch leaves and moss. I am concerned that he is eating this and would it be harmful but I don`t know what to for the best.

Hi,

When you say a wooden viv do you mean one with a glass front? If so then these are still not a good set up and you need your tortoise in an open top enclosure, a bottom drawer from a chest of drawers is a good example. The best substrate is a mixture of playpit sand and soil so the shopkeeper told you wrong im afraid. Bark and wood shavings would do more harm if digested and can also be very dusty. There is alot of conflicting advise regarding tortoise husbandry and it is easy to get confused but here at the TPG the advice we give is the correct advice. You might like to check out the Tortoise Trust too. www.tortoisetrust.com

Ali

Thank you very much for replying the viv is a one with a glass door but I do have an old set of drawers in the garage so I`ll try to set an enclosure up out of one them.

I`ll go back to the sand and soil  I still have two big bags of them.

Thanks a lot for your help I feel much better knowing you are giving me the correct advice

Lindsay

Hi Lindsay,

Glad to have helped. Please do not hestitate to ask if you have any more questions.

Ali