Tortoise Cage
When Is A Tortoise Cage Most Practical?
A tortoise cage implies a wire enclosure as opposed to a wooden box or glass-sided aquarium. The latter is generally not a good idea for any size of tortoise, as most tortoises need plenty of room, plus a large glass enclosure can be difficult to keep clean.
A Cage Is Best For Outdoors - A wire tortoise cage may be ideal in an outdoor environment. It is easier to keep clean than glass, wood or plastic, gives the tortoise plenty of light and air circulation, and if the top of the enclosure is covered as well, offers protection from predators. If a wire tortoise cage is the enclosure of choice, some care needs to be taken to ensure the openings are large enough to allow the tortoise to escape, and the wire pattern is such that the tortoise cannot get stuck or trapped. The tortoise cage may be the tortoise's permanent home, or simply a place to put it at certain times for its own protection.
When Living Indoors - A tortoise cage, whether the size of a doghouse for very small animals, or is a walk-in enclosure, can give a tortoise an environment which much more closely mimics its native habitat that is ever possible with a plastic or wooden box. In areas where winters are cold, a heated hide box may be a necessity inside the tortoise cage. In areas where winters are extremely cold, the tortoise may have to be kept indoors, or at least in a heated garage. If the temperature is cold, but not freezing, the tortoise will be less active, eat less, and generally require smaller quarters. A smaller indoors tortoise cage may suffice as long has a warm place to go and enough hours of light, UV light being best. An indoor cage will not need a roof and the sides need to be just high enough to keep the tortoise from climbing out. The tortoise is a good climber but not a good vertical climber. For indoors, a wooden enclosure may be much more practical than a wire cage. A wire top for protection will not be a necessity. The most important thing, beyond warmth and cleanliness, is to give the tortoise plenty of room to roam. For very small tortoises, plastic containers may be an option but a sufficient number of holes should be drilled in the sides to give good ventilation.
Substrate - While dirt, sand, or pebbles are all great for an outdoor substrate, none of them are particularly practical for use in an indoor enclosure. Besides, some varieties of tortoise are known to eat sand from time to time, which in excess isn't good for them. There are many other types of substrate one can choose from, but newspapers laid flat are probably as good as anything. The tortoise can still dig around and burrow in the paper, and in general mess things ups, as it pleases, but clean up is easy.
The tortoise likes to dig and burrow. If an outdoor tortoise cage has a wire bottom, there should be enough substrate in the cage to allow the tortoise to do this. If the cage does not have a wire bottom, provisions will need to be made to keep it from digging under the sides and escaping.
The Hide Box - Regardless of the size of your tortoise, whether it is being housed indoors or out of doors, and regardless of the type of enclosure you have it in, don't forget to give it a hide box. Very few animals are comfortable being exposed all of the time, and like a place to go where they can feel safe, Next to warmth, food, and water, a hide box is the most important thing you can do in keeping a pet tortoise healthy.