I did a fair amount of research before getting him, and found out there are a TON of important things you need to know about these little guys. And after Soup's first visit to the vet, I sort of gathered that most people don't take the time to learn about these guys before buying one. So I thought I would share what I've learned, and what I'm doing.
First of all, Soup is a hatchling. I bought him online from Backwater Reptiles. I didn't have any special reason for ordering from them, other than availability. He arrived pretty healthy (from what I could tell), but he was cold. It is important to note that tortoises under 4" can't be sold except for research/educational purposes, which is why you'll only find 4"+ at pet stores. It's a very lax law, but it exists. I would not buy a tortoise from a pet store for the same reasons you wouldn't want a puppy from a pet store- they're often stressed and unhealthy, and you don't know where they came from. Many are caught in the wild (with tiny parasites in their guts) and shipped halfway around the world. You want to look for captive bred, and my vet also brought up looking into whether any quarantine procedures are used by the breeder. Oh, and you can't tell the sex until they're at least a few inches, so if you want a baby you can't be picky.
Before Soup came home, I made sure I set up his habitat.
Cage: I use a 56 gallon Rubbermaid tub, which is about 42"x18"x21". It's bigger than what he needs now, but he won't outgrow it. It is important to use an opaque container, because they will go nuts trying to get out of a clear one.
Substrate: I wound up going through a few substrates before I found one I liked, which turned out to be what the vet prefers as well: shredded newspaper. I tried shredded Cyprus, alfalfa pellets, and a sand/coconut fiber blend. The Cyprus was too rough, the alfalfa got moldy, and the sand/coconut was too messy. I was also afraid the sand would get in his eyes. I really like the shredded newspaper- it's cheap, easy for Soup to dig in, and easy to clean or replace. Fluffed up, it's about 3-4" deep. I only keep the substrate on one side of the tub, so he can be fed on the other end without accidentally eating the paper, and he also tends to eliminate on the other end so it's easy to clean up.
Light/heat: Soup has a combo heat/UVB bulb- the UVB is super important for shell development. It's a $60 bulb, but it saves me from needing yet ANOTHER lamp. He also has a little nightlight- a 40 watt red bulb. My apartment is a little chillier than what tortoises like at night, and this kicks it up a couple degrees for his comfort and health. Both lights are hooked up to timers, and are on for 12 hours each. His habitat is kept at about 95 degrees directly under the heat lamp, about 80-85 in the rest of the substrate section, and 70-75 at night.
Decor: He has a couple of flat rocks to climb over, and a box to explore or hide in. I also gave him a paper cup, a jingle bell, and a plastic ball that he can nudge around.
Now onto diet! Soup recently added yummy T-Rex brand pellets to his main diet of leafy greens. He loves romaine, green lettuce, escarole, and collard greens. I also have a couple of supplements by Rep Cal, but now that he's on pellets they are less important. I still give him calcium once a week, mushed into the pellets (which I soften in water). There is a cuttle bone (for calcium) in his habitat too, but I don't think he nibbles on it. I leave it in there for an extra thing to climb around on.
Speaking of water, hydration is super important. Soup gets soaked for about 10 minutes every day. He also has a humidity box in his habitat (hiding in the substrate), which is a tupperware container cave with some damp sphagnum moss in it. I don't keep a water dish in his habitat because he is small enough that if he managed to flip over in it, he would drown.
And some basic info on Soup: I think he was hatched in mid-late summer, which would make him about 5-6 months or so. He will live about 50 years, and grow to be 6-12", depending on sex. Right now he is 2" from the front to back of his shell, and 25 grams. And he is as cute as a button.
And I think that about wraps it up. Here are some more pictures for your enjoyment.
