These animals need to have fresh water every day and live in an environment that replicates their natural habitat – this means having appropriate temperatures, humidity levels and food. Two female tortoises can be kept together safely if their enclosure is large enough to accommodate two tortoises comfortably, but tortoises are generally not dependent on each other’s company for social enrichment. Can Different Tortoise Species Be Kept Together? The correct heat and lighting are essential for the wellbeing of your tortoise, but it is also important to clean the enclosure regularly. If your pet’s enclosure is too warm, damp, and dirty, there is a major risk of harmful bacteria proliferating, which can obviously result in illness. It is best to get into a routine of cleaning your tortoise’s enclosure fully at least once a week. Veterinary Intervention and Treatments Environmental conditions or underlying health problems are common causes of watery tortoise eyes. It’s important to keep their habitat humidity and temperature at optimal levels. Foreign bodies or irritants, such as dust or chemicals, should also be eliminated.

Diet: This species is primarily a herbivore but will enjoy the odd slug or snail – the bulk of their diet should be green leafy plants, weeds and flowers. Protein should be avoided for this species, and you should give them supplementary calcium and phosphorous to help them maintain strong shells. Here are some ways that tortoise keepers traditional introduce environmental enrichment to their tortoise enclosures: In addition to the mentioned symptoms, it is worth noting that watery eyes in tortoises can be caused by factors such as eye infections, foreign objects, allergies, or underlying health issues. Identifying the specific cause is crucial to provide the best care for the tortoise. Eye rubbing or blinking: Tortoises with watery eyes might exhibit increased eye rubbing or blinking behavior. This could be an attempt to relieve discomfort or itchiness. Excessive tearing: If you notice your tortoise’s eyes constantly producing tears, it could be a symptom of watery eyes. This can manifest as wetness or dampness around the eye area.While it has been shown that a tortoise can and will respond to its keeper over other people, especially if it has learned to associate its keeper with enrichment items like treats, it’s not known whether a tortoise is capable of recognising its keeper’s voice. However, a tortoise can likely recognise its keeper based on sight, smell, and regular appearance. Do Tortoises Like Music? Here are a few things to keep in mind when it comes to human-interaction enrichment with a tortoise: As mentioned above, diseases such as MBD can result in a deformed shell. But tortoises can also suffer injury to their shell that can then result in infection. It is important then to take care when lifting your tortoise because if you accidentally drop it there is a chance the shell could chip, which can lead to bleeding.

If the shell is soft but no infection is present, increase UVB lighting and provide proper dietary calcium. In case of infection, the vet will need to clean the affected area, which may include removing loose or damaged shell pieces. Aside from these steps, watery eyes can be caused by health issues, eye injuries, or allergies. So, if your tortoise has persistent watery eyes or other worrisome symptoms, consult a vet. Since science has identified which colours tortoises prefer, tortoise owners can set up an enclosure that caters to those preferences. In theory, this helps to keep the tortoise happier and more visually engaged. Lighting for TortoisesConsidering enrichment when you’re setting up a habitat for a tortoise can go a long way towards improving the tortoise’s life in your care. One of our tortoises is over 200 years old, so we know a thing or two about looking after these amazing creatures. Understanding the physiology and life cycle of any pet you own is so important as this will dictate how you should care for them, what you should feed them, and how long they should live for when cared for well. Each tortoise species is unique, and will require varying environments and diets dependent on their origin: some hibernate, others do not; some require large outdoor enclosures as well as indoor, whereas some will need highly regulated indoor enclosures; some like to burrow, others do not; some make socialable pets, others are shy and stress easily; fruit is the bulk of the diet for some, other species suffer gut problems if they eat fruit; and the list of differences can go on!