EXPERIENCE ROXY'S PET SHOP CARE SHEETS

• Enclosure Size: Horsfield tortoises are small to medium-sized tortoises, but they are active and need plenty of space to roam. For a single adult tortoise, a minimum enclosure size of 4 feet by 2 feet is recommended. Larger enclosures are always better, especially if you plan on housing more than one tortoise. If kept indoors, a large tortoise table or a custom-built outdoor pen can work well.
• Outdoor Housing: If you live in a mild climate, a secure outdoor enclosure is ideal. Ensure the enclosure is well-fenced to prevent escape (Horsfield tortoises are skilled climbers and diggers). The pen should be at least 6 feet by 6 feet for a single tortoise, with access to sunlight, shaded areas, and safe shelter from rain or extreme weather.
• Indoor Housing: For indoor enclosures, tortoise tables or large plastic tubs can work well. The enclosure should be designed to mimic the tortoise's natural environment, with a dry area for basking and a moist area for hydration and humidity.
• Temperature: Horsfield tortoises are cold-blooded and need to maintain a proper temperature range to stay healthy. The basking area should be between 90-95°F (32-35°C), while the cool side of the enclosure should remain between 70-75°F (21-24°C). The nighttime temperature should not fall below 60°F (15°C). If you're keeping the tortoise indoors, use heat lamps and ceramic heat emitters to maintain the correct temperatures.
• Humidity: Horsfield tortoises thrive in dry conditions with a moderate amount of humidity. The humidity should be kept around 40-60%. Make sure to provide a shallow water dish for drinking and soaking. A humid hide area can also be provided for the tortoise to retreat to when needed.
• Substrate: Use a dust-free substrate, such as coconut coir, cypress mulch, or orchid bark, to line the floor of the enclosure. Avoid sand or peat moss, as these can cause respiratory problems or digestive issues if ingested. The substrate should be deep enough for the tortoise to dig into, as they naturally dig in the wild.

• High-Fiber, Low-Protein Diet: Horsfield tortoises are herbivores and need a high-fiber, low-protein diet to stay healthy. Their diet should consist primarily of leafy greens and wild grasses. They thrive on a variety of dandelion greens, kale, collard greens, mustard greens, and plantain leaves. Avoid feeding them high-oxalate vegetables like spinach and beet greens, as they can interfere with calcium absorption.
• Hay: Provide a constant supply of high-quality hay such as timothy hay or grass hay. This helps maintain healthy digestion and provides the necessary fiber. Hay should form the bulk of their diet.
• Vegetables: Supplement their diet with vegetables such as bell peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, and carrots. Avoid fruit in large amounts, as it is too sugary and can cause digestive problems. Small pieces of fruit like apples or berries can be offered occasionally as a treat.
• Calcium: Horsfield tortoises need calcium for strong shells and bones. Provide calcium-rich foods like dandelion leaves, clover, and kale. You can also offer calcium supplements in the form of a calcium powder sprinkled on their food 2-3 times a week. Make sure to offer access to fresh water at all times to aid digestion and overall health.
• Avoid Toxic Foods: Certain foods can be toxic to tortoises, including avocado, onions, garlic, and rhubarb. Always double-check that the foods you're offering are safe for tortoises.

• Gentle and Solitary: Horsfield tortoises are generally solitary animals and do not require social interaction with other tortoises. In fact, keeping multiple males together can lead to aggression. They are generally calm and may tolerate being handled, but most prefer to stay on their own, exploring their environment.
• Handling: While Horsfield tortoises are not particularly cuddly, they can tolerate being gently handled for short periods. Make sure to support their body fully when picking them up and avoid handling them too often, as this can cause stress. When not interacting with you, they prefer to be left to explore their surroundings.
• Environmental Enrichment: Horsfield tortoises enjoy exploring their enclosures. Provide a variety of obstacles like rocks, logs, and plants to encourage natural behaviors like climbing and digging. Hide their food in different areas of the enclosure to promote foraging.

• Shell Care: A tortoise’s shell is a vital part of its health and requires proper care. Ensure the enclosure provides opportunities for your tortoise to bask, which helps in the natural process of shell maintenance. If your tortoise’s shell appears soft, thin, or cracked, this could indicate a calcium deficiency, dehydration, or injury, and you should consult an avian vet or a vet specializing in reptiles.
• Nail & Beak Care: Tortoises naturally wear down their nails through movement and climbing. If their nails get too long, you may need to trim them carefully with reptile nail clippers. Their beaks may also need attention if they become overgrown or misaligned, though this is uncommon in healthy tortoises.
• Soaking: Occasionally, you should offer your tortoise a shallow bath to keep them hydrated and help with digestion. You can soak them in a shallow dish of warm water (no deeper than the tortoise’s legs) for about 15-20 minutes a couple of times a week. This will also encourage hydration and help with shedding.
• Health Monitoring: Keep an eye on their overall behavior, appetite, and appearance. Signs of illness include lethargy, loss of appetite, swollen eyes, or runny nose. If you notice any of these symptoms, consult with a veterinarian who specializes in reptiles.

• Mating Behavior: Horsfield tortoises typically breed in the spring. The males will engage in mating rituals, which often include chasing and head-bobbing behavior. During mating, males may sometimes attempt to mount females aggressively, so it’s important to monitor interactions closely.
• Egg-Laying: Female Horsfield tortoises lay 2-6 eggs per clutch, typically in late spring or early summer. They need a secure nesting area with loose, moist substrate to dig a burrow for egg-laying. Provide an appropriate substrate (such as coco coir or moist soil) in the enclosure, where they can dig and lay eggs.
• Incubation: Eggs should be incubated in a warm, humid environment (around 80-85°F (27-29°C)). Incubation takes around 60-90 days. It is important to keep the eggs at a consistent temperature and humidity to ensure successful hatching. Be sure to monitor the eggs carefully and be prepared to assist the hatchlings if needed.
• Hatchlings: Once hatched, baby tortoises need a similar environment to adults, with proper humidity, warmth, and a balanced diet. Keep hatchlings separate from adults, as they can be vulnerable to injury.

• Curious & Active: Horsfield tortoises are known for their curious nature. They enjoy exploring their environment, looking for food, and basking in the sun. They are relatively slow-moving but very active when awake, spending much of their time foraging, digging, and climbing.
• Docile and Gentle: These tortoises are generally quite docile, and while they don’t seek out human interaction, they can become accustomed to being around people. They may even approach you for food or exploration, especially if they’ve been raised in a stimulating environment.
• Solitary Creatures: While Horsfield tortoises don’t require constant interaction, they do benefit from an enriched environment where they can express natural behaviors. Keep their environment interesting and provide plenty of opportunities for exploration and foraging.

• Toxic Plants & Materials: Ensure that your tortoise’s enclosure is free of toxic plants such as azaleas, rhododendrons, lilies, and oleander, which can be harmful if ingested. Avoid using non-stick cookware (Teflon) in the vicinity, as it can release toxic fumes harmful to reptiles.
• Predator Protection: If housing your Horsfield tortoise outdoors, be mindful of potential predators, including dogs, cats, and wild animals. A secure fence and lid for outdoor enclosures will help protect your tortoise from harm.

Horsfield tortoises are charming, hardy, and relatively easy to care for when their basic needs are met. They thrive in environments that mimic their natural habitat, with appropriate warmth, humidity, and a variety of fresh foods. These gentle, curious creatures can make excellent pets for reptile enthusiasts and families willing to provide the right care and attention. With the proper diet, housing, and enrichment, a Horsfield tortoise can be a long-lived and fascinating companion for many years to come!

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Firstly it should be a species that hibernates. Secondly it should be over three years of age. Finally it should have a pre-hibernation check, ideally we would advise that this is with a vet. This will make sure that there are no obvious signs of ill health before hibernation and that they are a good weight to have enough energy stores during hibernation.

Hibernation should begin in late November to early December. This may be even later for younger tortoises, as discussed later. This means that tortoises in the UK will need to be housed in the autumn indoors with the correct lighting and temperatures for their species before hibernation. If they are not housed indoors then they may go into hibernation earlier due to changes in weather and so will need to be housed when they have finished hibernation.

Hibernation should be no longer than 16 weeks but ideally should last around three months. This is because of the weather conditions of where these tortoises have originated from. If left to their own devices tortoises in the UK will often end up hibernating for five or six months and sometimes even more because of our climate. Over the years these extra months of hibernation take their toll and can lead to kidney disease, a lower immune system and other health problems. This is why only three to four months is recommended. Ideally hibernation should end around mid to late March when the weather in the UK is starting to get warmer.

We recommend starting hibernation when your tortoise is about three or four years of age, because juveniles are more susceptible to sudden changes in temperature. For the young tortoises starting hibernation for the first time we recommend just four weeks of hibernation. In the coming years we add on a week each year until they reach the three to four months advised. We aim to wake up the young tortoises about four weeks before the adults are brought out of hibernation.

Before hibernation it is important for your tortoise to undergo a ‘fasting period’. This will be between two to six weeks depending on their size. The environmental temperature should be dropped and they should not be fed anything. They need to be bathed daily to encourage water intake. Make sure that the temperature remains about 12-13°C for about 3 weeks after their last meal to aid digestion, to avoid asphyxiation or bacterial infection if they are hibernated with undigested food.

Ideally faeces should be checked for signs of worms before hibernation and those affected need to be wormed. Some owners chose to worm without testing.

The ideal temperature for hibernating your tortoise is between 3 and 7°C. If the temperature drops below 0°C there is a risk of your tortoise freezing, sometimes to death. Not only does this affect the organs if they do recover, but it often leads to blindness. If the temperature goes above 10°C then your tortoises metabolism will be too high and the bodies stores of energy will be used up too quickly. This may cause problems with recovering from hibernation.

Therefore we recommend fridge hibernating your tortoise. Yes, you read that right. The fridge is temperature controlled and so will ensure that your tortoise is kept at the right temperature. The best fridges are wine coolers as these are designed to never reach freezing point on their own. Before using your refrigerator it is important to have it set up and tested to ensure it is reliably staying at the right temperature. This means using a separate digital thermometer probe with a minimum and maximum temperature reading. This should be placed within the air of the fridge and not touching a surface. Often the thermostats in the fridges are not accurate.

One main concern with fridge hibernation is airflow. Firstly a hibernating tortoise has low oxygen needs. Secondly this is easily overcome by opening the fridge door for a minute or two around 3 times per week.

Tortoises can be hibernated in insulated boxes or by being buried in the ground. Both these methods have problems and so are not recommended.

Tortoises can be hibernated in cardboard, plywood or plastic boxes. They should be big enough for the animal to turn in and deep enough to prevent escape. They should be kept in a 50/50 mix of play sand and soil or shredded paper, just enough to allow the tortoise to bury itself.

If your tortoise wakes during hibernation they should not be put back to sleep again but woken up, fed and housed indoors with the correct heating and lighting. Tortoises should be weighed before hibernation and once per week during hibernation. If a tortoise loses more than 10% body weight during hibernation or passes urine then they need to be woken up early.