Habitat builds with Garden State Tortoise
From assembly to finished habitat, filmed at a working sanctuary
Garden State Tortoise is a New Jersey reptile sanctuary, breeding facility, and educational channel run by Chris and Casey Leone. These are their builds — naturalistic, bioactive habitats for the species they keep, from turtles to dwarf monitors. Each video runs from assembling the enclosure to decorating it with natural elements, with care tips and technique along the way.
A new habitat for a group of micro turtles
Chris sets up an indoor habitat for a rare small-bodied species.
An indoor build for a critically endangered turtle
From empty enclosure to water and land. Chris builds a semi-aquatic setup in a single enclosure — a water section deep enough to swim & a dry basking area.
A dwarf monitor habitat built for climbing
Watch how Chris creates climbing opportunities that make full use of the enclosure height, along with retreat sites and a working heat gradient
A small tortoise habitat, start to finish
Chris walks through a compact indoor setup — substrate depth, hide placement, and how the layout works for a small species.
Otis the famous box turtle gets a new enclosure
Chris and Casey move Otis into a new setup — substrate depth for digging, humidity, and a layout built around how box turtles use space.
A rescue tortoise gets a permanent setup
Get inspired watching Chris & Casey as they setup this habitat for a rescued tortoise.
A bioactive vivarium for a small turtle
Get inspired to design something more- a living ecosystem build — substrate layers, clean-up crew, and planting.
An indoor habitat for a baby box turtles
Watch as Chris and Casey setup this enclosure sized for hatchlings with room to grow.
Building out a large indoor tortoise habitat
A planted vivarium build
A full planted buildout inside a Toad Ranch enclosure
