Tortoises are not as expressive or as affectionate as pet dogs and cats. They do not wag their tails, jump up and down, or rub against your leg. So, how would you know when your exotic pet is happy and healthy? The tortoise shell could become a good measurement of their health.
A nicely shaped carapace indicates proper nutrition. However, it takes more than just a nicely shaped shell to keep your pet healthy. Depending on where your tortoise originally came from, it has various dietary needs and habitat requirements.
It is advisable to plant vegetations that can be fed to your pet. Tortoise diet generally consists of dandelion greens, hays, bermuda grass, timothy, flowers and pads of cactus, romaine lettuce, kate, cabbage, and moderate servings of fruits and edible flowers of non-poisonous plants. It is important to study the different types of food your pet can eat. Each species has unique dietary needs. Meals can be supplemented with calcium and vitamin D3.
Pet tortoises should be kept outdoors for most of the year. Build their enclosure with wooden fences that is solidly sunk into the ground. It should also be twice your pet’s mature height. Tortoises are much like small bulldozers which enjoy burrowing underground. They retreat to their burrow at the heat of the day or at cold nights. Plant edible vegetations in their pen and landscape it with surfaces and different terrains. However, keep steep climbing obstacles out of the way. If they tip over their backs for a long period of time they might die. Study which specie best fits your local temperature.
