Welcome to Turtle Nirvana!

Zoo Med’s Greenhouse for Turtles and Tortoises

Nirvana may be defined as any place of complete bliss, delight, and peace. This is what the turtles and tortoises in Zoo Med Labs Greenhouse can expect to find. After years of work and adjustments, the state of the art greenhouse facility at Zoo Med Lab’s California Headquarters has become a wonderfully natural environment and has proven capable of sustaining all stages of chelonian life.

There are currently about 30 species of turtle and tortoise living in the Greenhouse. Most of these groups have been observed mating and have begun laying eggs. Of the 30 species housed in the greenhouse, 22 of them have successfully reproduced with nine species successfully incubating in their parents enclosures! Zoo Med animal staff is thrilled to know that our greenhouse has become such a wonderfully natural environment.

*Species Hatched in the Greenhouse:

  • Pink Belly Sideneck Turtle
  • Black Knobbed Sawback Turtle
  • Eastern Box Turtle
  • Caspian Pond Turtle
  • Florida Box Turtle
  • Three Toe Box Turtle
  • Razorback Musk Turtle
  • Reeves Turtle
  • Russian Tortoise

*Other Greenhouse species that have bred and hatched:

  • Savannah Sideneck Turtle
  • Golden Thread Pond Turtle
  • Caspian Pond Turtle
  • Eastern Painted Turtle
  • Western Painted Turtle
  • Loggerhead Musk Turtle
  • Pink Belly Sideneck Turtles
  • Diamondback Terrapin
  • Yellow Blotch Map Turtle
  • Three Striped Mud Turtle
  • Russian Tortoise
  • Marginated Tortoise
  • Redfoot Tortoise
  • Spiny Hill Turtle
  • Gulf Coast Box Turtle

The greenhouse has UVB transmitting roof panels, thermostatically controlled vents and a remote temperature monitoring and control system.

To reduce our carbon footprint, geothermal energy is used for heating and cooling. All the re-circulated water used in this facility is heated using this renewable energy source.