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Spur-thighed
Tortoise care
sheet
Housing: a wooden vivarium or a
wooden tortoise table
Heating: basking temperature of 90oF

UVB Lighting: desert strength 10%-12%

UVB fluorescent tube
Diet: herbivorous mix of leafy green
vegetation
Decoration: dry substrates and decor
so not to raise humidity levels

Housing

Vivarium: Spur-thighed tortoises require a wooden

vivarium as their enclosure. This is because wood is
an excellent insulator of heat and so a wooden
vivarium will make it easier to control the crucial
temperatures required inside the habitat. The
wooden vivarium should have good ventilation to
allow air flow in and out of the enclosure.

The vivarium should be at least 860mm (34") in

length for a juvenile and 1150mm (46") for an adult.
The enclosure needs to be hot at one end, but have
enough distance for the temperature to drop at the
cool end.

Tortoise table: tables may be used for Spur-

thighed tortoises, but as they insulate no heat, they
are only recommended for use in houses that are
naturally warm. The table should be at least
900mm (35") long.

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Heating

During the day, tortoises require a hot basking

temperature. This is achieved by using clear spot
bulbs at one end of the vivarium (or over a table).
To accomplish the required basking temperature of
90oF we use a basking bulb (100w in a 46"
vivarium). The power of a basking bulb over a table
is more dependant upon room temperature.
Basking bulbs should be on for 10- 12 hours per day
and must be controlled by a dimming thermostat.

For a tortoise table we would use a combined

basking/UVB bulb around 100-160w depending on
the size of the table. The bulb is raised or lowered
to achieve the correct temperatures.

At night tortoises require a drop in temperature

and darkness. They can drop to room temperature,
so all heating and lighting equipment should be
turned off. Temperatures should be monitored
daily using a thermometer.

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UVB Lighting

Spur-thighed tortoises actively bask in hot climates

and so naturally receive a high dose of UVB from
the sun. Their enclosure's UVB levels should reflect
that. A fluorescent UVB tube should be used inside
the vivarium with a reflector so no UVB is wasted.
The tube should be at least 10% UVB for desert
species. There are 2 different types of fluorescent
tube, T8 and T5. T5 tubes are the new technology
and produce more light and UVB than T8 tubes. T5
UVB also travels much further from the tube.

Tortoises require UVB in order to synthesise

vitamin D3 inside their skin. The vitamin D3 helps
the tortoise to absorb calcium which crucial for
bone structure and growth. This is why reptiles can
suffer from metabolic bone disease (MBD) when
not provided with adequate UVB.

Over tables, combined heat and UVB flood bulbs

(mercury vapour) may be used.

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Decoration

Spur-thighed tortoises should always be kept on a

dry substrate so not to increase the humidity inside
their enclosure too much. We keep our tortoises
either on beech woodchips or ProRep's Tortoise
Life substrate.

Tortoise do not climb, but they do like to dig and

burrow. So choose various pieces of natural wood
or decoration to enable them to do this. Younger
tortoises will appreciate a cave that they can take
refuge in.

The tortoise's enclosure can be decorated with

artificial plants for a more natural look. Desert
plants look very effective. Trailing plants are very
good at disguising electrical wires and equipment.

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Diet & Water

A Spur-thighed tortoise's diet consists of

vegetation. Good foods include dandelion, clover,
honeysuckle, leafy salads, watercress, curly kale,
brussel tops, spring greens, coriander, parsley,
rocket, carrot, parsnip, courgette and bell peppers.
The bulk of the vegetation should be leafy greens.

The diet should also include fibrous plants like

grasses and weeds. Good weeds include plaintains,
white nettle, corn poppy, chickweed, bindweeds,
hawkbit, viola's, goats beard, nipplewort etc. For
times when fresh food is not available, or for
variety, there are pre-made tortoise dried foods
available that most tortoises relish.

Instead tortoises should be given a shallow bath 2-

3 times a week for 10 minutes. This will enable
them to take on fresh water and stimulate them to
empty their waste.

Tortoise Food

Supplements

To provide tortoises with optimal nutrition and to

keep them in the best of health, they will require
diet supplementation in the form of calcium,
vitamins and minerals. These are most commonly
available as powders

Calcium should be provided daily and dusted

directly onto the tortoise's food. Vitamins may be
added daily for young tortoises, but adults will only
require them every other day.

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Breeding

If you keep a male and female together, they may

breed. You do not need to do anything to
encourage this, providing they are healthy and the
conditions are good, it will usually happen
naturally. You need to consider whether you want
this to happen. What will you do with the babies if
you incubate the eggs?

A gravid female should have access to a nesting box

to lay her eggs. The box should be large enough
that she can fully turn-around inside it. We use a
soil mix in there that is wet enough to clump but no
more. We have found that Spider Life substrate is
ideal.

The eggs should be incubated in an incubator at

84oF. We incubate our eggs in open boxes on a dry
substrate (such as sand) with water in the
incubator to provide humidiy around the eggs.
After approximately 60 days the eggs will start to
hatch, the first babies to emerge will encourage the
rest of the eggs to hatch.

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Video

This is our 'How to hibernate your tortoise safely'

video. If you decide you would like to hibernate
your tortoise it is important to do it right.

It is a complete guide that will show you how we

advise to safely hibernate tortoises at
Northampton Reptile Centre. It is based on our
tortoise experience accumulated over our 20 year
history and our collaboration with exotic vet
Jeremy Wright. This is the guide that makes
hibernation easy.

Of course, if you are still left with any questions,

please do not hesitate to contact us.

'How To' Video Guide

Notes

Spur-thighed tortoises are among the most

commonly kept pet tortoises for families and we
can't recommend them highly enough.

They're active during the day and don't often hide

away. Tortoises love to explore outside their
enclosure and will happily spend a sunny,
summer's afternoon exploring the garden outside.

Because tortoises are naturally passive towards

humans they make an ideal pet for children with
adult supervision, although they do not generally
enjoy being handled.

Give a Spur-thighed tortoise the right setup and

diet and you're guaranteed a great family pet.

Other names or sub-species: Testudo graeca, Greek

tortoise.

Excellent

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