Your cherry head tortoise’s longevity depends upon a nutritious diet, in addition to having an appropriate habitat, lighting, and humidity levels.
An ideal substrate for this species of spider is composed of orchid bark and cypress mulch as this mimics what they would find in nature – especially important when feeding babies!
Contents
Outdoor Enclosure
Cherry head tortoises may be harder to keep as pets than other reptiles, but they’re hardy and intelligent creatures. Cherry head tortoises require an outdoor enclosure that closely emulates their wild habitat with a range of light levels between daytime and darkness in order to effectively absorb calcium from their diets and stave off disease.
Your enclosure should include a mud wallow and pan of clean water for wading, as well as a doghouse-type shelter to provide protection from the elements. Walls should be at least 16 inches high to prevent escape; additionally, using wire mesh on top may keep other animals away.
Tropical species require constant humidity levels; so be sure to monitor these with a hygrometer regularly and add layers of peat moss or coconut coir to the enclosure to maintain appropriate levels.
Water
Cherry head tortoises require the ideal combination of light and darkness in their environment to thrive, such as sunlight for half of their day and darkness during their sleeping hours. An outdoor enclosure should provide this balance.
Cherry Head Red Footed Tortoises can typically be found living in warm environments that feature lots of vegetation. Due to being poorly adapted to cooler climates, they do not inhabit North America or Europe.
Cherry head tortoises need a temperature between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit for optimal living conditions, and using a hygrometer to monitor its environment and make changes as necessary is key to keeping them happy and healthy. Although these animals tend to be very friendly towards people, when handling one it is essential that both hands be thoroughly disinfected before and after touching to prevent germ transmission and ensure safe interaction.
Soaking
Soaking is essential to the wellbeing of your tortoise, as they need at least 15 minutes soaking each day in warm water. Be sure to monitor its contents, taking note of any uneaten food in its bowls or refilling as necessary with fresh water at least twice weekly and rinsing regularly with clean water from an aquarium or tank.
Feed your tortoise a variety of foods including greens, fruits and vegetables as well as prepared tortoise chow. Consider also including small amounts of protein such as cooked chicken or beef twice weekly to their diet.
Wild populations of this tortoise species live in jungle edge habitats with moderate to high humidity levels, while in captivity they can tolerate temperatures as high as 100 degrees Fahrenheit provided they have access to shaded spots or are provided a cool refuge such as an enclosed space and shaded spot for shelter. Their ideal body temperatures should fall between 75 degrees Fahrenheit at night and 78 degrees Fahrenheit during the day.
Vitamins and Supplements
Cherry head tortoises require a diet consisting of mostly vegetables with some fruits and a small amount of animal protein from live insects (crickets and worms), snails and slugs, lightly cooked eggs, chicken scraps and oily fish like salmon or mackerel being acceptable sources. As for plant material such as lettuce and other greens (collard, mustard greens and kale are popular choices), as well as fruits such as figs, bananas papaya melons being consumed within 15% of their overall diet to prevent excess levels of phosphorous levels that would otherwise accumulate over time.
Captive tortoises should receive diets containing Mazuri pellets and be dosed daily with calcium and vitamin D3 supplements, to maintain good health. Frequent handling should be avoided to avoid stressing out their health; when this must happen, use a dry towel to sanitize hands prior to and after handling.
