Keeping Tortoises :-) (Tortoise)

Member Name: stephbond89

Product:	Tortoise
Date:	18/06/09 (150 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Loving, easy to look after!

Disadvantages: Expensive!

I have had two tortoises in my time, both named Sammy...!

The first was a Hermann Tortoise, he was only a baby when we bought him for my little brother for his birthday one year, and he required a licence, and needed a vivarium, with a heat mat, light, and special substrates to live on. But was so easy to care for once everything was bought for him. He cost around £300 with a vivarium (with light), a heatmat costs around £5 at most, and the substrate costs about £1 per kg from good pet shops. Once you have all of this, they pretty much just need simple food and water each day. You can buy pellets for tortoises, which cost around £8 for a kg, this lasts a long time though as they only have a tiny amount a day when they're babies, but Sammy #1 just wouldn't eat it, he was completely uninterested in it and it was just left. He much prefered fresh fruit and veg!!!

Sadly, one day, when we moved to Lancaster, little Sammy was out in the front garden which he loved, the static caravan park we lived on was perfectly safe, and right out in the middle of the country, the little blighter couldn't get out of his walled part of the garden, and so he would go out during the sunny days to play in the sun and get some proper heat rather than from an artificial light. But, one day, a BT man was walking past, and obviously found him attractive...or sellable....and snatched him :( We have no proof it was him...but there are no birds in that area who can pick up something as heavy as he was (only robbins etc), and there were no other people on the site as it was during the week, and no other animals were round to get him...only this BT man. :( It was a very sad day, and I was very upset. But, a few months later I thought it was time to move on and get a new Sammy.

Sammy #2 was a different tortoise, called a Horsefield, they're much easier to look after as they are much more hardy, and so we decided he could live ouside the whole summer (which is what many people do with Horsefield as they can live in very hot and very cold temperatures) and move indoors during the colder months of around September to March. So he doesn't need the expensive vivarium, mats or heat lights. Just a little house, food bowl and water bowl. Other than that feeding is much the same. Sammy #2 cost around £220 from a pet shop in Anchorsholme, Lancs.

When thinking about buying a tortoise, the first thing to think about is the type of tortoise you want...they range from very easy care of a Horsefield, up to very hard to care for due to temps etc needed to be taken 3 times a day of the tank etc and special foods. I recommend a Horsefield or Hermans if you are wanting a tortoise for the first time, and if you have children as they are very easy to care for, and they can live outside, and enjoy been around people. They also don't grow too big too fast, we have had Sammy #2 for 3 years now and she has only grown by a centimetre or so.

But ultimately it depends on your own personal circumstances as to which tortoise is best for you, and so I would definitely say that you are best researching each breed in depth so you know what you want and know what to expect when you get him home.

LIFESPAN:
Most tortoises live to be between 50 and over 100 years old, many outliving us ourselves, this is due to their slow heart beat. And as long as they're kept in a good environment with everything that they need, then there is no reason why they won't live a very long time!

That said, sometimes toroises do get ill, this can go undetected until the last minute, so its best to know where your nearest reptile vet is so that if there is an emergency you aren't having to worry about finding one at the most crucial time, they are hard to find, and my nearest is over half an hour away, but you need to know where the closest one is, as not many vets will treat reptiles.

HIBERNATION:
You can stop your tortoise from hibernating if you don't wish it to (as this is around 4 months), just keep its light and heat at the same temperature all year round, and he/she will not sleep, but will probably stop eating as much and drinking as much as even though it feels its still the same temperature and same time of year, in my experience they do slow down, and sleep more, just not constantly!!

If your tortoise lives outside, then its highly likely he or she will want to hibernate as the cold weather comes, they should be put in a box and placed in a dark cupboard where the temperature stays the same. NEVER WAKE HIM!!! If you wake up your tortoise during their hibernation, and they eat...please make sure they stay awake, and do not allow them back into hibernation...this will kill them...the food will go into their system, and as they're unconcious it rots in their stomach, I'm not so sure what exactly happens, possibly something like the stomach ruptures with the rotting food as they cannot excrete it, and so they will die. The tortoise will waken by itself when its ready, and you could start putting him back outside in the sun in his box on nice days, to tempt him into waking up as he feels the change in heat, but once he is awake don't allow him back into hibernation! :)

DIET:

Everyday your tortoise should be given a variety of the following:
Romaine, green or red leaf lettuce, or endive (chicory)
Shredded carrots
Bananas, strawberries, mango or peaches. (Fruit should be given sparcely)

A few times a week they should be given:
Tomatoes, cut in small pieces
Cucumber cut into small pieces
Green beans, cut in small pieces
Hibiscus leaves and flowers
Petunia leaves and flowers

Also it is recommended you buy vitamin drops or powder for their food, to ensure they're getting everything they need, I would say to try a few pellets every other day, but mine would never touch them, you can buy smaller bags/boxes of it so try them before buying a big bag!

NEVER FEED THEM:
There are alot of things that are poisonous to tortoises and which shouldn't be given to them, I would say don't give them ANYTHING from your garden, unless its home grown fruit and veg named above, don't feed them flowers without making sure they can have that particular kind first! Dandilion flowers and leaves are fine. But many flowers are poisonous to him!
CHERRY
HOLLY
APPLE SEEDS
APRICOT SEEDSMISTLETOE (BERRIES ARE FATAL)
ROSEMARY
MUSHROOMS (WILD)
PEAR SEEDS
ACORNS
DAFFODIL (BULBS MAY BE FATAL)
POTATO
POPPY
RHUBARB
SAGE

So be careful what your growing where he lives!! :) Most tortoises are pretty clever though and won't eat through anything that will harm them! :)

All in all, tortoises are lovely little pets, they are very funny to watch and when they eat...they EAT!!!! Lol, they are loving little things, and although not cure and cuddly, they are a lovely little pet!

They don't bite, although sometimes they will mistake you for food and will nip you, but it doesn't really hurt, just like a pecking by a duck or chicken as they have no teeth just a beak! :-D

So thats what I have to say about tortoises :-)

Summary: A lovely little animal! ;-D