Speedy Gonzales (Tortoise)

Member Name: Recon

Product:	Tortoise
Date:	17/02/08 (752 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Great fun, Entertaining, Easy to look after, Cheaper to feed than other reptiles

Disadvantages: Expensive to buy with all equipment

I have had a tortoise for around 6 years now, and he himself is only 7 years old. Considering he can live over 120 years, he is still a baby! Earlier, I actually had to rescue him because he was on his back and struggling to get on his feet again, which can be very dangerous! He is a lovely pet and very entertaining. He is quite clever too, and for anyone who thinks tortoises are slow, think again! My tortoise is like Speedy Gonzales! Most tortoises will need you to buy a License in order to own them as a pet in the UK.

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Cost
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My tortoise cost me £150 alone, and then I had to buy a tank and all the equipment for him. The tank itself cost me £90 for a big one that he could grow into. The rest of the equipment such as lights, turf and feeding/watering bowls didn't cost more than £40. This gives a grand total of £280, which isn't bad for such a wonderful pet!

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Equipment
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A tortoise can live anywhere from the desert to a forest, but they are all land animals. They require a certain environment with a specific temperature; therefore need certain equipment like any other reptile. Here is a list below with a description of each piece of equipment:

* Sand/Bark - This is for the tortoises turf and you should buy enough for the tank so that the tortoise can dig under to fit most of its body under the surface.

* Heat Lamp - This can be anything from 60W to 100W but should be used to keep the temperature below 90-95 degrees Fahrenheit. This provides a basking area that is necessary for your tortoise.

* UVB Light - This is a long light that is needed on during daytime to allow your tortoise's digestive system to function properly.

* Heat Mat - This is optional and not necessary if you have the heat lamp, but it should be placed to one side of the tank to give your tortoise a warm part to rest on.

* Food Bowl - This can be made of anything really, but pet shops make special bowls for reptiles. It should be very wide and shallow so that the tortoise can walk in it as they like to do!

* Water Bowl - This should be large and shallow so that the tortoise can sit in it when hot and also easily drink from it. Remember, tortoises aren't swimmers!

* Rocks - There should be several FLAT rocks scattered around the tank for climbing and exercise, which my tortoise always seems to use.

* Props - Other things can be found such as trees, logs and objects to make the tank look nicer. Be careful with what you buy, making sure you get nothing dangerous that the tortoise can walk up and fall off upside down. The tree was a pretty good purchase as my tortoise likes to rest under it and it provides him with some shelter.

- All of this can be purchased at a reptile shop or any good pet shop that stocks reptile products. If anywhere sells tortoises, then they should definitely have some, if not all of this equipment.

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Feeding
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Tortoises should always have fresh food in their feeding bowls that is edible. My tortoise seems to eat quite a lot for such a small thing. You can stick a cabbage leaf in there, and it will be gone within minutes! They are herbivores, and shouldn't be fed meat or fish at any time as it is very bad for them and they cannot digest it properly at all. Feeding these things would definitely lead to death very shortly. A tortoise's diet should consist mainly of green leaves and vegetables, but they are allowed other things too. NOTE: Calcium Carbonate must be sprinkled on every meal to provide a good diet. This helps them with maintaining a strong and healthy shell and bones that can grow. Below are some types of food that they should eat under different categories:

Primary Choices
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Dandelion flowers/leaves, Clover, Sow thistle, Watercress, Groundsel, Cabbage

Secondary Choices
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Romaine Lettuce, Kale, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Carrots, Mixed green leaves from supermarket, Rocket

Occasional Treats
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Apple, Pear, Cucumber, Tomato, Melon

NEVER Feed:
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Dairy Produce, Chocolate, Cereals, Peas & Beans, Iceberg Lettuce, Flat Lettuce

SHOULD NOT Feed:
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Meat, Fish, Soft fruit, Spinach, Bananas

Iceberg and Flat lettuce are actually poisons tortoises just like chocolate poisons dogs. Soft fruit is bad for their system as well as banana and spinach. They can not properly digest meat and fish, so never give this to them. Although it may seem OK, Peas & Beans are a definite NO for tortoises.

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Water
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The tortoise should always have water present in their water bowl. There should be enough for them to sit in, but it shouldn't be deep at all because they aren't swimmers and cannot swim at all. Water should be as clean as possible, although this can be hard to maintain with tortoises wrecking the tank all the time like mine does! Water should be washed out and given freshly on a regular basis.

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Appearance
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Just like turtles, tortoises have shells as protection from predators in the wild. However, you cannot mistake a tortoise for a turtle as turtles seem to have much flatter shells, whereas tortoises are rounder and more humped. Tortoises also have very different feet and legs from turtles. Turtles will have flatter feet to paddle, whereas tortoises have big feet with claws on the end for digging. Tortoises have large back feet, very similar to the look of elephant's feet. There head is quite small in comparison to their body with an eye either side and a mouth that curves round their head. Mine has a nose with two tiny nostrils, and when you put your face near it, you can feel him breathing out.

Tortoises also have small tails between their back legs. My tortoise has a pointy tail, but it never usually sticks out as he has the ability to tuck it under his bum. Underneath, you can tell apart the males from females by looking at their tails. The males will have longer tails with a longer spur at the end. The females have shorter tails with a small spur at the end. His shell on top has a repeating pattern of small shapes like squares, which are brown with a yellow-beige colour in the middle. His shell also shows white in between the squares, which is a sign of growth and a healthy diet. Overall, they look very cute and defendable with the ability to tuck all their legs and head inside their shell.

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Strength
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My tortoise is very strong and has done some remarkable things over his time. Over time, he has managed to push a very large and heavy rock a stunning distance in his tank. He has also managed to climb over some very steep objects when out and about with me watching keep for his safety. He can run at such incredible speeds, you wouldn't think he's a tortoise! He comes in at a size of under 20x10cm, but is extremely fast! When he is out for exercise in a room, he has run at remarkable speeds across the room in no time. His back legs are huge and very strong and powerful with the look of elephant's legs. They also have the ability to dig, so make sure you keep an eye on them if you have put them in a cage in the garden. They can dig under earth and grass quite easily but it may take them some time. They do this with the help of their strong legs and claws.

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Nature
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My tortoise will rest most of the day and sleep. Some of the time he will rest in his basking area under the heat lamp, and he may sit in his water bowl at other times if he is too hot. If he is really hot, then he will rampage around his tank banging on the glass wrecking havoc as he goes. This is the rather annoying way that he asks me to let him out. I let him out for exercise every day if I can, and he can either run around a room indoors or go in the garden but I must stay with him and watch where he goes. He knows what he can eat, and may pick out the small clover leaves growing in between the grass, making him a very good weed cleaner! They will rest or sleep most of the time and they have a very low metabolism rate, meaning they can live for many years! The longest living tortoise lived up to the age of 188.

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Hibernation
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My particular tortoise doesn't hibernate, but most will do and you need to prepare a box with good conditions. A cardboard box can be used and you will fill it with some kind of insulation such as polystyrene. A necessary precaution is to use a thermometer to watch the temperature as it cannot get too warm or too cold. You simply leave the tortoise in the box for duration of 10-12 days to a few months depending on the kind of tortoise. They will need hibernating in the winter, and conditions in the wild should be copied if possible. After hibernation, the tortoise should be kept a close eye on for any anomalies. Make sure that they aren't dehydrated and get them back into a good diet.

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Entertainment
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Tortoises are lovely pets and much-loved by many people. Not only are they great company, but mine has provided me with excellent and hilarious entertainment over the years. Below are a few examples:

* Once, my dog kept walking up to my tortoise and sticking his head right in the tortoise's. My tortoise wouldn't take it anymore, so the next time the dog stuck his head down there, my tortoise managed to bite his nose and grab on! As my dog lifted his head up in shock, the tortoise was holding on for his dear life really tightly, suspended in mid-air! It was hilarious to watch! After 10 seconds, he let go and landed on the ground with a bump, but was ok. I think the dog was more injured with a sore nose, as the tortoise has a kind of beak, which is very strong!

* My tortoise seemed to have this obsession with my feet at one stage. Whenever on the computer and he was out and about in my room for exercise, he always woke up and walked over towards my feet. When he got close, he seemed to play some kind of game by making sure my foot accidentally hit him! He then used this as an excuse to start painfully biting my feet with his strong beak! I wondered if it was a game after a while, or whether he just did it with my white socks. However, he seemed to do it with whatever I had on my feet, because white socks could of meant he wanted calcium but he was having enough already. He used to chase my feet around the room, and then I played games with him by dragging a sock along the floor and he would chase it until he got hold of it! Then he would bite it hard and start trying to eat it - Very weird but funny at the time.

* I once walked into my room to find my tortoise standing, facing the wall and head-butting it! It was absolutely hilarious and I wondered what the hell he was doing. It's not like the wall could possible anger a tortoise, but it must of somehow. He would put his weight on his back legs and thrust forward to hit the wall with his shell. They normally do this when two males are together or even a male and female. This reminds me of when I was in a museum in Palm Springs, California, and there were two tortoises in a big glass tank that kept head-butting each other!

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Stuff To Watch Out For
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* A tortoise cannot survive very long on their back if they manage to fall upside down from climbing something. If you ever see the tortoise on its back, you must return it to an upright position immediately and make sure its ok. To prevent this, have the flattest objects possible in the tank and keep a close eye on it anywhere else. They aren't stupid and will try not to fall over, but considering they have a hard flat shell underneath, it is hard for them to have much grip on objects.

* If the tortoise has a runny nose all the time, then this could be due to respiratory disease, so consult a vet immediately.

* Constipation can be common and obvious. Soak the tortoise in a bath of warm water for around 30 minutes with a shallow water level covering their bum.

* Diarrhoea should be sorted out immediately. This can be done by giving your tortoise something high in fibre such as rabbit droppings, and change their diet to less hydrating foods. Too much fruit such as banana and kiwi may cause this too.

* Vomiting is very serious and can be signs of worm infestation, so consult a vet immediately.

* Eye infections can be seen by swelling of the eye lids. Swellings around the ears and other parts of the body aren't normal and you should take necessary action and have your tortoise consulted by a professional.

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Conclusion
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I love my tortoise to bits, and I am sure he will outlive me and be passed on to my children and possibly grandchildren! He is a fantastic pet and very entertaining and enjoyable to look after. He is quite easy to look after, so could be bought as a first pet. He requires fresh food all the time, but it is very cheap and easy to make compared to other reptiles, which may require live insects that are much more expensive to keep feeding them. They are excellent pets, and considering their lifetime, they aren't a waste of money to buy, and will provide much fun and memories to last.

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Funny Picture
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Sorry for my immatureness but I found this picture funny enough to include:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Tortoise_matin g.jpg

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Thanks for reading,

- Recon -

Summary: These are fantastic pets that will provide a lifetime of entertainment