Red foot tortoises require high humidity, which can be achieved by using the right substrate. When setting up an indoor red foot tortoise enclosure, look for safe substrate that will aid humidity and an overall safe environment. You will find many substrates options to use in a red footed tortoise enclosure. You want to stick with a safe substrate that will promote a healthy environment and minimal risks if ingested.
When choosing a substrate for red foot tortoise enclosure, check out these safe substrates for a tortoise enclosure.
Coconut Coir
You can find Eco Earth Plantation Soil or Zoo Med Eco Earth sold specifically for reptiles. Typically, they are sold in blocks that will expand in water. However, you can fid organic coco fibers for plants at your local nursery or the nursery at your local home improvement store.
Coconut fibers are fine-grain and stimulate a tortoise’s natural digging and burrowing instincts. It holds humidity well, and most of all, it’s a safe substrate for tortoises.
The best way to use coco fibers in a tortoise enclosure is to keep it moist. When coco coir begins to dry, the substrate become dusty, and the particles can get into your tortoise’s eyes, irritating them, possibly even causing eye infections.
Orchard Bark
You can buy orchard bark from a nursery or garden department at your local home improvement store. Orchard bark holds humidity well, and unlike coconut coir, it is less likely to irritate your tortoise’s eyes when it dries out. But, because red footed tortoises need high humidity, you’ll still want to keep it damp.
If you’re looking for orchard bark at a pet store, or online, the closest reptile product is Zoo Med’s Reptile Bark. Reptile Bark is made from fir trees. The bark absorbs water and releases it, creating humidity needed for red footed tortoises.
Cypress Mulch
Cypress mulch is another popular substrate for tortoises. Unlike, pine and cedar mulch, it is a safe mulch for tortoise enclosures. You can purchase natural mulch from your local garden store in large bags.
You can find cypress mulch in a variety of colors, but these are dyed and not safe for your tortoise. Albeit the dyed mulch will add an aesthetic to your enclosure is often dyed it is not safe. Buy a natural mulch for your red foot tortoise enclosure.
Zoo Med’s Forest Bedding is 100% cypress mulch and can be found at your local pet store.
Top Soil
Plain top soil sold at your local garden shop is also safe for red foot tortoises. Buy organic top soil if you can find it. But a plain – additive free – top soil is safe.
Make sure to read the bag for any additives. Often top soil is sold with fertilizer or other additives for healthy garden growth. Even if you are planning on planting live plants in the tortoise enclosure, these additives are not safe for your tortoise.
Peat Moss
Peat moss has great water retention, aiding in high humidity levels in an indoor tortoise enclosure. Essentially, it is a fine-grain moss, that resembles soil. Hoffman sphagnum peat moss is a safe peat moss for indoor and outdoor enclosures.
Substrate to Avoid with Red Foot Tortoise
There are plenty of safe substrate options to use in an indoor red foot tortoise enclosure, but there are even more unsafe substrates. You want to avoid using the below substrate in a tortoise enclosure.
- Aspen wood shavings – aspen is not toxic, but it is a very dry bedding not ideal for red foot tortoises
- Cedar mulch or pine wood shavings – both have toxic oils that can harm your tortoise
- Coco shell mulch
- Hay – molds easily in humid environment
- Newspaper
- Pellets – paper pellets and wood pellets are hard for tortoises to walk on and cause muscle and bone development issues.
- Play sand or contractor sand
- Soil with fertilizers, perlite or other chemicals
- Walnut Shells
