How to look after a graeca turtle?

Question

Someone gave it to me, i put it in a box with dry grass. it sleeps quite a lot. i was told to put a uv light?

Answer 1

This is a tortoise that lives in a semi-arid to desert environment. It needs a specific diet of various succlent grasses. It is a wonderful pet, but takes a lot of research to know how to care for it. Start by reading thins article from World Chelonian Trust:
http://www.chelonia.org/Articles/tiberagoldengreekcare.htm

Answer 2

The Mediterranian species of tortoises, including the Greek, are easy to care for- if you take the time to provide the right environment and diet.

Housing- the BEST place for a tortoise is outdoors if possible, in a secure penned-off area. Your cage should be at least 100 square inches per inch of turtle. The cage or pen should have walls much taller than the turtle is long, and ideally should be opaque at turtle eye level so it does not try to bulldoze out.

The floor of a cage should be material that is easy to clean and/or change, low in dust, offers traction, and not likely to be easily eaten. There is no 'best' material since the design of the cage will affect it. For Greeks, I like smooth pea-sized gravel or slate tiles.

You'll need to offer a nice, dry heat. If kept indoors, this may mean supplemental heating both in the winter and in AC season. The best heating combines gentle cage-wide heat and a 'hot spot' basking site. You'll need a thermometer or three to monitor the real temps.

Lighting should simulate sunlight- full spectrum, some UV, decent intensity, and daytime periods.

This is all good, but we'll complicate matters a bit by insisting on some cooler, shady hiding places as well. The tortoise should have a variety of places, brightness, and temperatures to choose from.

A good water dish that holds enough water, but is accessible for the tortoise is a neat trick, too. Tortoises are notorious tippers, and have difficulty getting to high-walled dishes. I like to partially bury a heavy dish so it is recessed for the tortoise.

Diet is a huge factor in healthy tortoises. A good diet for the Greek would involve:
- About 50% roughage and forage- hays, grasses, clover, alfalfa, 'yard plants', flowers, edible leaves, etc., mixed fresh and dried.
- About 35% vegetables, pretty much anything you eat, except for onions, peppers, and such.
- About 10% fruits
- Less than 5% proteins, like hard boiled eggs mashed with the shells
- Feed babies and ill turtles daily, decrease it to every other day, then every 3 days as it gets older and less active.
- Remove food as it goes bad. Try to leave some forage in most of the time.
- Add a dash of good calcium suppliment like Rep-Cal and a dash of a good reptile vitamin to each feeding.
- Within these guidelines, vary the actual menu as much as possible within each meal and between meals. Aim to have no one food item be over 10% of the total mix most of the time.
- Whenever possible, let the tortoise graze on a lawn or garden area that no chemicals have been used on, and where they cannot run away.

This is a bit more involved than many pets, but once you get things going, it is actually pretty easy.

Good luck!

Answer 3

You need to offer light up to 17-18 hrs daily .Good acces to water for swimming is needed. Otherwise the turtle damages good sight or deads. I heard about a vaccin against possible microbians.
I lost 2 turtles 6 months age , 4 years ago because nobody knew to teach me the above.

Answer 4

"This Web Site is set up to try to offer general tortoise information to both the knowledgeable keeper and the complete novice thinking of getting a tortoise"

Answer 5

ask the RSPCA they will let you know.