Desert Tortoise Care

COMMON NAME:

Desert Tortoise

SCIENTIFIC NAME:

Gopherus morafki, Gopherus agassizi

Adult Size: Up to 20 pounds

Captive Lifespan: 60-100+ years

CAPTIVE CARE REQUIREMENTS:

ENCLOSURE:

Indoors: only appropriate for neonates and sick animals; 4’ x 2’ tortoise table, Terrestrial Waterland Tub, Zoo Med Tortoise House

Outdoors: minimally 18 square feet for an adult tortoise

Substrate:

Indoors: Cypress Mulch, Chipped Coconut Husk

Outdoors: Topsoil, grass

Avoid: gravel, sand, cedar chips, pine shavings, aspen shavings

Temperature:

Daytime: 85-88°F; Nighttime: 75-80°F; Basking 95-100°F. Provide heat indoors using a heat lamp. Place the lamp off to one side of the enclosure to allow for a temperature gradient. The use of a thermometer and thermostat is recommended to ensure proper temperatures.

Lighting:

Indoors: UVB lighting is required for proper calcium metabolism. Use either fluorescent (tube or "spiral" bulbs) or mercury vapor bulbs designed specifically for use in reptiles. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for use, installation, and replacement frequency.

Food and Water:

A diet should consist of predominantly grasses and hays, shrubs, and native weeds is ideal. Grocery store foods should be fed sparingly.

Indoor tortoises should be supplemented with a calcium carbonate powder twice weekly.

Soak tortoises in shallow warm water for 15 minutes 2-3 times weekly to encourage drinking, urination, and defecation.

Accessories:

Indoors: Provide multiple hide boxes throughout the enclosure. One should be set up as a “humid hide” with moist sphagnum moss or similar substrates to provide a humid microenvironment for shell health.

Outdoors: Provide an artificial burrow and edible bushes and shrubs

Disinfection and Cleaning:

Droppings should be removed as soon as possible. Disinfect the enclosure regularly using either Rescue disinfectant or a mixture of 1 tablespoon bleach to 1 cup of water, make sure to rinse thoroughly after. Bowls should be disinfected at least weekly. Disinfect the entire habitat every 1 to 2 months again rinsing it thoroughly with water and allowing it to air out for at least an hour before returning your pet to the enclosure.