Are you looking for a suitable tortoise enclosure for your pet tortoise? Or are you planning to bring home a tortoise and want to buy the best tortoise enclosure for your new pet?
Tortoises have a long life span and need a durable and sturdy enclosure. Following are some of the commonly used tortoise enclosures: Zoo Med Wood Tortoise House, Aivituvin Wooden Tortoise House, COZIWOW Upgraded Tortoise Habitat, Magshion Spacious Wooden Pet Tortoise House, and Grepatio Tortoise Enclosure.
Are you eager to learn more about picking the right enclosure for your tortoise?
Best Tortoise Enclosures – Types of Tortoise Enclosures
Tortoise enclosures are categorized into two main types: indoor and outdoor. These enclosures further come in different subtypes. Let us understand each one in detail:
1. Indoor Enclosure
Indoor enclosures are pet enclosures that you can keep inside your house either partly or entirely. They are smaller in size compared to the outdoor enclosures, thus occupying less space in your home.
These pet enclosures are useful when the outdoor temperatures in your living area are too low or the weather is too harsh for your pet tortoise.
Indoor enclosures are also handy when you cannot put your tortoise outdoors due to threats from predators.
Indoor enclosures come in the following four types:
Glass Indoor Enclosures
Glass indoor enclosures may seem very tempting for pet owners as the glass makes it easier for you to monitor your pet’s activities. However, glass enclosures are not ideal for tortoises as there are certain risks involved with them.
A tortoise cannot identify a glass, so chances are that it may try to climb over it and topple over, which may harm it. The presence of glass also means that the tortoise can see through it and may occasionally get stressed due to environmental factors.
If you end up buying a glass enclosure, it is highly recommended that you wrap a piece of colored tape around the glass enclosure. Make sure that the tape is glued around 4 to 6 inches away from the substrate level. This will prevent any accidents and injuries to your turtle.
Glass enclosures also tend to hold moisture which can be helpful if you live in a dry climatic region.
Plastic Enclosures
Plastic enclosures are lighter than most indoor or outdoor tortoise enclosures. Just like glass enclosures, they hold moisture.
Since plastic enclosures are made from sturdy plastic material, they are opaque, and hence the chances of your pet tortoise getting stressed due to the environment get reduced.
These enclosures are also easy to clean. However, they come in fixed sizes and cannot be extended. So, these are ideal only for smaller tortoises or as a temporary solution till the main enclosure is fixed.
Indoor Wooden Enclosures
Wooden enclosures are easy to make at home. You can also get many commercial options.
The wooden barrier ensures that your tortoise does not face any stress due to external visual stimuli.
Wooden enclosures are also pretty durable and long-lasting if you take preventive measures.
Tortoise Tables
Tortoise tables are the most commonly used indoor enclosures. These enclosures are called tables, which come on a structure with four legs or stands.
Commonly the tortoise tables come with wheels so that they can be moved around your house or taken outdoors if you want.
2. Outdoor Enclosure
Outdoor enclosures are to be fitted in an outer space like your garden. These enclosures are much preferred as your tortoise can get a natural setting.
These enclosures are much larger in size as compared to indoor enclosures. So they are also ideal for larger or growing tortoises.
It is however difficult to maintain the internal enclosure settings like temperature and humidity levels in an outdoor enclosure.
Key Factors to Be Considered While Choosing a Tortoise Enclosure
- Size of the Enclosure
It is crucial that your tortoise feels comfortable in its enclosure. Thus, when you are investing in a tortoise enclosure, you must take into account the size of the enclosure.
Tortoises usually grow up to a larger size. Thus, you should invest in a larger sized or preferably outdoor enclosure.
- Robustness
Tortoises are pretty strong, large, and sturdy creatures. Sometimes, they tend to bump into the enclosure walls. This can make the enclosure collapse, thereby causing injury or harm to your tortoise.
It is best to invest in a strong and robust enclosure so that it can withstand the occasional bumping of your tortoise in the walls of the enclosure.
- Material of the Enclosure
Choosing the right material for the tortoise enclosure is essential as it can affect the overall health and well-being of your tortoise. The material of the enclosure should be sturdy yet comfortable for your tortoise to live in.
Usually, you should pick out an opaque enclosure as that will shield your tortoise from any factors causing environmental stress.
The material also should be selected while taking into account the hibernation period of your tortoise. For hibernation purposes, the enclosure should be well-ventilated and should be able to maintain a suitable temperature condition.
- Fence For Protection
Your tortoise enclosure should ideally have a fence or roof to protect your pet tortoise from predators.
If you have other pets like cats and dogs, you should ensure that you buy a tortoise enclosure with a roof or a wire fence to protect your pet tortoise. Fences can also keep children away from picking up their pet turtle without your supervision.
Outdoor enclosures should also have fences to keep away any other threats like outdoor animals or birds.
5 Best Tortoise Enclosures
1) Zoo Med Wood Tortoise House
The Zoo Med Wood Tortoise House is an outdoor and indoor enclosure. It weighs around 19 pounds.
Mainly it is used for outdoor purposes where your tortoise can bask in natural sunlight and get the essential UVA and UVB rays needed for good health.
This enclosure comes in a large size, 36 inches in length, 24 inches in width, and 12 inches in height. It also comes with a lockable fence which can protect it from any external threats.
The major advantage of this enclosure is that it is weatherproof, sturdy, and easy to assemble.
Pros
- Weatherproof
- Durable
- It can be used both indoors and outdoors.
Cons
- Weaker wood
- Not suitable for turtles of large sizes
- Slightly expensive
2) Aivituvin Wooden Tortoise House
The Aivituvin Wooden Tortoise House is another tortoise enclosure that can be used indoors and outdoors.
This enclosure comes with a waterproof and easy-to-clean plastic bottom which will not ruin the flooring of the enclosure.
For indoor purposes, it also comes with a lamp holder to put an appropriate heat lamp for your pet.
It comes in the size of 38.1 x 22.4 x 39 inches in length, width, and height, respectively. With a design of two rooms separated by a wall, this tortoise enclosure weighs around 23.94 pounds.
This enclosure also has a transparent shield, making it easy to monitor your pet.
Pros
- Spacious
- Waterproof flooring
- Good quality wood
Cons
- Heavy
- Tricky to assemble
3) COZIWOW Upgraded Tortoise Habitat
The COZIWOW Upgraded Tortoise Habitat is made of solid pinewood and can be used indoors and outdoors.
This enclosure comes with a fixture to support light or heat lamps. Complete with a meshed roof to protect your tortoise, this enclosure is weatherproof.
The COZIWOW Tortoise Habitat comes in the 38.5 x 25.5 x 22.75 inches dimension and weighs around 21.5 pounds.
Pros
- Long-lasting
- Easy to assemble
- Cost-effective
- Easy to clean
Cons
- Paint smell when bought new
- Not sturdy
4) Magshion Spacious Wooden Pet Tortoise House
Made from fir wood, the Magshion Spacious Wooden Pet Tortoise House is an outdoor enclosure.
With dimensions of 26.5 x 36.75 x 12.5 inches, this enclosure does not have a floor. This way, you can place this enclosure on surfaces like grass, where your tortoise will enjoy the natural environment.
Complete with a wired mesh for safety on top and a side mesh panel for monitoring your pet, this enclosure is lightweight.
Pros
- Easy to assemble
- Pocket friendly
- Easy to clean
- Durable and lightweight
Cons
- It can be used only for outdoor purposes.
- Cannot lock the sides
5) Grepatio Tortoise Enclosure
The Grepatio Tortoise Enclosure is also made using fir wood and is long-lasting. This enclosure is a multipurpose enclosure.
It comes with two separate compartments and has safety latches to lock the enclosure. This way, you can lock the enclosure and prevent children from accessing your tortoise.
Complete with a wire mesh roof and transparent side panel, this enclosure is pocket-friendly. It also comes with a PVC padding to prevent rotting of the tortoise enclosure.
The Grepatio Tortoise Enclosure is lighter and thus unsuitable for bigger tortoises.
Pros
- Economic
- Latches to lock in
- Durable
Cons
- Smaller in size
- Not sturdy
Conclusion
When selecting a tortoise enclosure, you must choose a comfortable home for your pet.
Tortoises have a long life span, so investing in a long-lasting and well-equipped tortoise enclosure will be cost-effective for you in the long run.
