Forest Hingeback Tortoise Care

The forest hingeback tortoise (Scientific name: Kinixys erosa), naturally found in forests in Africa, needs a more specific habitat to become healthy. The two most important things to monitor when taking care of these pets is the enclosure̵7;s temperature and its diet. With the right combination of food and proper environment, you can take care of this pet without any hassle.

  1. Diet

    • An adult hingeback tortoise needs a diet that̵7;s about 85 percent vegetable. It prefers dark, leafy greens, such as cabbage, turnip and radish tops, collard, kale, mustard, broccoli, legumes, dandelion leaves, stems and flowers and weeds. It requires less of beet greens, spinach, romaine lettuce and red leaf. Other recommended staples include green beans, grape leaves, alfalfa, and flowers like roses, carnation and hibiscus. Ten percent of the diet should be of high-protein content, while the rest should be of various fruits. Biweekly dusting of food with multivitamins and minerals is also ideal.

    Habitat

    • A large indoor habitat is preferred to maintain constancy in temperature and humidity. Temperature should be kept at daytime levels of 77 degrees Fahrenheit to 82 degrees Fahrenheit and humidity should be high. The reptile needs fresh air occasionally, so outdoor space should also be provided. Substrates for both indoor and outdoor dwellings can be of bark, moss or mulch to keep humidity constant. A plastic sheet-covered outdoor tortoise box with shady bushes or a dry climate mister can be a better option than tanks. A submersion pool for soaking must always be part of the habitat.

    Health Considerations

    • A veterinarian should be visited regularly as the tortoise is vulnerable to numerous health- and medical-related concerns. Tortoises caught in the wild and caged for captured care are infested with parasites, so isolation and deworming must be done before enclosed or shared territorial care. A regular physical checkup, especially if the temperature and humidity in the enclosure is not constant, is also very important. Inconstant humidity often creates eye problems for the creature.

    Shared Enclosure and Temperament

    • In general, a forest hingeback turtle is feeble and shy. It doesn̵7;t hibernate in the winter, but only needs less food and gets less frisky. Males can̵7;t be kept with other males in shared captivity. Males are larger and maintain aggressiveness even in courtship rituals. They bite, circle and ram into potential mates.