Want to treat your box turtle (or other small to mid-sized turtle/tortoise) like a king? The Reptology Tortoise Palace by Penn Plax is a great start.
It’s been available for a few years, but we only just discovered it. And it’s gorgeous! Combined with the stand made especially for it (but sold separately), it’s more like furniture than a pet home.
But it is a pet home, and a comfy one at that. It offers plenty of room for your pet to roam plus a hide area at one end. It’s water resistant and secure.
It’s also expensive, but it should last a long time. So in the long run it could be a good investment.
This thing is definitely on our want list. But we don’t own it and don’t expect to for a while. If you get one, we’d love to hear your thoughts!
Keep reading for more about the Penn Plax Tortoise House:
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What You Get Quality Ease of Use
Pros & Cons Where to Buy Pros & Cons
What You Get with the Reptology Turtle Palace
This is one very roomy turtle home at 48 inches wide, 30 inches front to back and 12 inches tall.
The main “viewing” area has a glass front so you can easily observe your pet. This area is about 35 inches of the total width. Yes, some box turtles have issues with anything they can see through. They just keep trying to walk through it. But with only one side being see-through, it shouldn’t be a big problem.
The top of the viewing area is a wide-mesh wire for good ventilation and UV light penetration.
The hide area is a roomy 11 inches or so. The top of this area is solid, so your pet can truly escape from all observation.
It also comes with a lamp stand, so you have a secure place to hang your pet’s light/heat supply. The stand even matches the rest of the habitat. And it’s adjustable, so you can hang the lamp at just the right height.
The palace comes in only one color: black.
Here’s a five-minute video from Reptology showing you the various features of the Tortoise Palace:
Quality and Durability
Most reviews we read were positive about the quality of this product. A few did have issues with the latches not working, and one reviewer claims it lasted only a few months before needing replacement.
According to the manufacturer, it’s made of high-quality, sturdy MDF (medium-density fiberboard). This material is generally very heavy and solid. Which makes it very durable. You do need to make sure you put it on top of something that’s also sturdy if you’re not using the optional palace stand.
It’s also moisture resistant, so you can keep your boxie’s home at the right humidity without worrying about warping. And water spills (turtles can be clumsy!) are no problem, either. Just remember to seal the inside seams so water doesn’t get in there. We’re not sure if the instructions say so, but silicone sealant should work well. If you use clear silicone it’ll be mostly invisible (as opposed to the white stuff, which will probably stand out more than you’d like).
It apparently stands up to digging turtles, too. Yes, they might make some scratch marks, but they shouldn’t tear through it. And most of the marks should be covered by bedding anyway.
Ease of Use
Most reviewers found it simple to put together, even comparing it to the simplicity of putting together items from IKEA. Others had more trouble.
But this item is big and heavy, so it’s probably a good idea to have two people: one to hold the pieces while the other fastens them together. We’re not sure if that might have been the issue for people having trouble.
The main area and hide area have separate, latchable covers. They hold the lids securely in place so your pet can’t escape. If you have kids or other pets, you can add a lock to make sure they don’t accidentally get in.
The separate lids for each area means you can get to your pet wherever he may be.
Some reviewers did have a little trouble with the lids not aligning quite right and so they had trouble latching them closed.
The lids’ hinges lock to hold the lid open for easy access and cleaning.
Pros and Cons Summary
Pros:
- Big & roomy
- Designed to maximize both your turtle’s comfort and your viewing pleasure
- Moisture resistant, even to spills (as long as you’ve sealed the inside seams)
- Resists turtles scratching/digging, too
- Simple to put together (probably with help)
- Has a matching stand
Cons:
- Expensive!
- Matching stand is sold separately (this isn’t always clear from pictures of the product)
- Lids may not be as secure as you’d like
- May be hard to find (we kept finding it out of stock)
Where to Find the Tortoise Palace
We only found this item in a few places. And it seems to be out of stock a lot. We’re not sure what this means.
We’ve linked to several sellers to give you a choice, even if the palace was out of stock when we visited. Hopefully you’ll find it in stock at your preferred retailer!
Also: You may want to think about whether or not you want the stand before you place your order. Several sellers will give you a break on the price of the stand if you order them together. And shipping is often the same whether you get one or both items. So if you know you want the stand, you could save up to a few hundred dollars by ordering them together.
Due to the weight, this item will usually ship as freight.
- Amazon had a few palaces left as of this writing. The palace stand was also in stock.
- At PetCo the Palace was out of stock for a long time, but we recently found both the Tortoise Palace and (sold separately) the Palace Stand. Hopefully they’ll still be in stock when you visit!
Here’s how the Palace and Stand look together, if you’re considering getting both:
