Not as easy as you think...... (Tortoise)

Member Name: ~tig~

Product:	Tortoise
Date:	22/02/01 (681 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Buckets of character!

Disadvantages: Funny looks when people see you looking in hedges for the elusive dandlion leaf!

My tortoise Mo is 7 years old and she's been with me for 4 1/2 of those years -


I wouldn't change her for the world, as tortoises have more personality than any other animal I know (excluding cows because I wouldn't want one for a pet - not in the flat!) - you just have to watch them eat to fall in love with them, and of course they don't moult - big advantage!

However, there are a few things which I wish I'd known BEFORE I had her and didn't have to learn the hard way ......


1) FEEDING. Is more complex than it looks, especially when you only have one animal as many of the ideal foods aren't available in very small quantities. With torts variety is the key - they can be very fussy...
Most of what we think of as salad items are of little nutritional value to torts so be prepared to go hunting for weeds, especially dandelions and clover which they love, and that's not even including vitamin and calcium supplements.

2) SPACE. You'd think they wouldn't need much but think again - a rabbit hunch (which some people used to use) is certainly not suitable as they need quite a large area. Not something you want to get wrong as If they want some more exercise, they'll let you know! Mo hits the wall with the side of her shell to tell me when she wants free range of the house!

3) SUNLIGHT. Torts are very reliant on sunlight for temperature regulation and healthy bone growth and unfortunately the UK sun really isn't up to it . UV lights and basking lamps are essential in most cases as for other reptiles.

4) SLOW? Don't underestimate torts - they don't always move slowly and you'll only ever turn your back on them once!

5) HEALTH. If anything does go wrong then specialist reptile vets are few and far between - some very good vets have made horrible mistakes - you need a vet who sees a LOT of tortoises.


6) PEBBLE TO BOULDER IN 60 SECONDS! They grow - not a lot, but they don't ever stop! Just as soon as you finally get the perfect set up for them...... they have an annoying tendency to outgrow it!

7) RESPITE CARE. Kennels, cateries... ever heard of tortoiseries? - and strangely it takes a special kind of friend to look after them for you if you go away - a lot of people are a bit uncomfortable around even the least threatening of reptiles.

and I'm sure there are more things if only I could remember them....


If you've already been considering getting a tortoise then don't let this put you off, there are some excellent organisations and web sites out there, the Tortoise Trust and Slowcoach to name just a couple - run by people who've helped me more than you can imagine.

Torts are wonderful pets and if treated well live happy healthy lives for a long time. If the situation ever arose again I would do the same thing as I can't imagine ever not having Mo around to eat my toes (well maybe at times.....), but I would make sure that I found out what I was letting myself in for first!

Summary: