[HOME] HOW TO CARE FOR AUSTRALIAN FRESHWATER TORTOISES Page 4 LIVING QUARTERS The care of Australian tortoises may be divided into three categories (i) Care of adult tortoises which are suitable to outside conditions in temperate (cool) climates such as exist in Victoria and southern New South Wales. (ii) Care of adult tortoises suitable only to outside conditions in tropical or sub-tropical climates, such as exist in Queensland. (iii) Care of babies, or tortoises of less than 75mm (3 inches) carapace length. Group (i) includes Chelodina longicollis (snake-necked tortoise), Chelodina expansa (broad-shelled tortoise) and Emydura macquari (Murray short-necked tortoise). Only adults of these species may be kept outdoors all year round in cool climates. Babies and other species of Australian tortoises (such as Elseya latisternum, the saw-shelled snapper) which are suited only to warmer conditions, must be kept in heated indoor tanks as described below, if outdoor conditions do not suit them. In temperate climates, tropical tortoises can be kept outside during summer. In tropical climates, adults of all species may be kept outside all year. INDOOR LIVING QUARTERS IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT INDOOR TANKS: All tortoises become stressed and depressed if kept in indoor tanks. Indoor tanks are completely different from their natural environment. By confining these wild creatures in artificial quarters you are denying their basic urge to roam and thereby creating a stressful situation for the animal. Keeping tortoises in indoor tanks is NOT recommended. It is VITAL to build a ramp and island in the tank, so that tortoises can climb right out of the water and become completely dry if they need to. Their shells need to dry out in sunlight or UV light from time to time. Otherwise they can develop a fungus called 'shell rot' which, if left untreated, leads to a slow and painful death. If you are going to confine tortoises in tanks, only do it temporarily. You will need to provide these things in order to have a reasonably healthy pet: 1. A glass tank 2. Gravel 3. Rocks 4. Salt (iodised) 5. Calcium 6. Neutralizer block 7. Filter 8. Pump 9. Filter wool 10. Activated carbon 11. Plants 12. Heater 13. Tank cover 14. Light Preparing an Indoor Tank: Once you have acquired a large tank of the right size for free-swimming, you must first put a layer of fairly fine, clean gravel on the bottom. Gravel bought straight from a shop or gathered must be thoroughly washed in a bucket, swishing it around in water then tipping out the dirty water. The gravel must not be very coarse, as tortoises like to dig in it and coarse grains would be too heavy. MENU: Tortoise Descriptions: PAGE 1 PAGE 2 PAGE 3 Indoor Living Quarters: PAGE 4 PAGE 5 PAGE 6 PAGE 7 PAGE 8 PAGE 9 Outdoor Living Quarters: PAGE 10 Feeding: PAGE 11 Hibernation: PAGE 12 Ailments: PAGE 13 Behaviour and Intelligence: PAGE 14 How Old is the Tortoise? PAGE 14 Dangers: PAGE 15 Reproduction and Sexual Differences PAGE 15 References: PAGE 16