Desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii)

Short answers

Desert tortoise: How big does the enclosure need to be?

200×100 cm floor area.

Desert tortoise: What temperature does it need?

Daytime 27–35 °C, basking spot 42 °C, at night 13–19 °C.

Desert tortoise: Does it need UVB lighting?

UVB: Essential (UVB 10.0–12 %).

Desert tortoise: How long do they live?

Life expectancy: 50–80 years.

Desert tortoise: Is it suitable for beginners?

No – better suited to experienced keepers (difficulty: Expert).

Climate

Daytime temperature

27–35 °C

Night temperature

13–19 °C

Basking spot

42 °C

Humidity

20–35 %

UVB

Essential (UVB 10.0–12 %)

Enclosure

Minimum size

200×100 cm floor area

Substrate

Sand-loam 40–60 cm for burrowing, stone slabs

Feeding

Food

Dry grasses, herbs, cacti – purely plant-based

Feeding interval

plant food daily

Key facts

Adult size

25–36 cm

Life expectancy

50–80 years

Origin

The Mojave Desert (USA)

Protection status

CITES II; strictly protected in the USA – only European captive-bred animals

Brumation

A winter rest of 12–16 weeks at 8–14 °C

Cohabitation

Keeping them singly is least stressful. The animals show strong site and territorial fidelity; males circle and bite females while courting, which is taxing for a single female long-term. Anyone keeping several animals should put one male with several females in a very large enclosure with separate retreats.

Notes

A desert species with a pronounced, long winter rest in a self-dug burrow. Very sensitive to damp and to respiratory infections – dry, well-ventilated conditions are decisive.

Do you keep this species?

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Related species

• Gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) – Expert
• Texas tortoise (Gopherus berlandieri) – Intermediate
• Aldabra giant tortoise (Aldabrachelys gigantea) – Expert
• Asian forest tortoise (Manouria emys) – Intermediate to expert
• Burmese star tortoise (Geochelone platynota) – Intermediate
• Forsten's tortoise (Indotestudo forstenii) – Expert
• Chaco tortoise (Chelonoidis chilensis) – Intermediate
• Elongated tortoise (Indotestudo elongata) – Intermediate

All species in the care wiki →

What you need to start

To keep Desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) you typically need: a suitable enclosure (200×100 cm floor area), substrate (Sand-loam 40–60 cm for burrowing, stone slabs), a heat source with a thermostat, UVB lighting, thermometer and hygrometer, a water dish and hides. You will find equipment in the Reptoria marketplace.