Tortoise ownership
Discussion
My son likes his tortoises when we go anywhere with them and I wondered what ownership is like with one.
Has anyone gone cradle to grave with one and able to provide some help?
I'm conscious the thing is likely to be asleep in winter and the garage is I'm assuming suitable for this?
Can you let it just use the garden or do you advise a pen?
Has anyone gone cradle to grave with one and able to provide some help?
I'm conscious the thing is likely to be asleep in winter and the garage is I'm assuming suitable for this?
Can you let it just use the garden or do you advise a pen?
Sister has had one for years and in the Summer it just lives in the garden and makes occasional sorties through to neigbouring gardens.
It disappeared for a couple of years, presumed dead or nicked, and one day just turned up again!
ISTR they live for years and I may be wrong but I think they can outlive many humans?
...bought for her kids when they were toddlers - the kids are all in their 40's now!
It disappeared for a couple of years, presumed dead or nicked, and one day just turned up again!
ISTR they live for years and I may be wrong but I think they can outlive many humans?
...bought for her kids when they were toddlers - the kids are all in their 40's now!
Consider one of the smaller and tropical ones - they may not need to hibernate.
There are rescue charities for normal tortoises.
They can be quite interesting characters - we used to look after a rescue for a friend - sadly someone had drilled his shell to peg him to a lawn as he could climb 6 ft fences - the shell is part of their spine! He used to bash his shell on his house to be let out each morning.
There are rescue charities for normal tortoises.
They can be quite interesting characters - we used to look after a rescue for a friend - sadly someone had drilled his shell to peg him to a lawn as he could climb 6 ft fences - the shell is part of their spine! He used to bash his shell on his house to be let out each morning.
My mum has a hermann (sp?) one that’s about 20 years old. She is 60 odd so clearly I’m going to inherit the shelled burden
They do nothing interesting, will happily take a chunk out of your fingers and are more hassle than they are worth.
Buy a hamster that will only live for a couple of years instead
They do nothing interesting, will happily take a chunk out of your fingers and are more hassle than they are worth.
Buy a hamster that will only live for a couple of years instead
We've had a pair since my sister and I were kids. Things were very different 40 odd years ago and ours have lived outside all their lives (probably wouldn't these days)l, apart from when they hibernate in the winter. Ours are spur thighed Mediterranean tortoises.
They are tough as old boots, eat lettuce, dandelions and clover. They are in excellent health, as attested to by a specialist reptile vet that worms them etc. We've had several batches of eggs from them in recent years.
Every winter they go into a box full of shredded news paper, and they sleep in the shed. They wake up as the weather warms in the spring.
They are escapologists, they aren't slow when the mood takes them, and they pack a mighty bite - I've seen one one bite a sizeable chunk out of someone's toe.
They are potentially a lifetime commitment.
They are tough as old boots, eat lettuce, dandelions and clover. They are in excellent health, as attested to by a specialist reptile vet that worms them etc. We've had several batches of eggs from them in recent years.
Every winter they go into a box full of shredded news paper, and they sleep in the shed. They wake up as the weather warms in the spring.
They are escapologists, they aren't slow when the mood takes them, and they pack a mighty bite - I've seen one one bite a sizeable chunk out of someone's toe.
They are potentially a lifetime commitment.
I have a male Greek Spur Thigh, he’s 20 years old and I got him as a hatchling.
As others have said - he bites and try’s to headbutt or f
k your foot….depending on his mood! He lives in the garden all summer, kitchen in spring&autumn, the office fridge during Jan/feb/March.
He has escaped a couple of times and once we thought he’d gone for good, meaning he hibernated ‘wild’ in our garden - apart from a bit of frost damage to his shell he was fine!
I can’t say I’d particularly recommend one as a pet.
As others have said - he bites and try’s to headbutt or f
k your foot….depending on his mood! He lives in the garden all summer, kitchen in spring&autumn, the office fridge during Jan/feb/March. He has escaped a couple of times and once we thought he’d gone for good, meaning he hibernated ‘wild’ in our garden - apart from a bit of frost damage to his shell he was fine!
I can’t say I’d particularly recommend one as a pet.
My mum has had tortoises since before I was born. Her oldest ones she's had for what must be at least 10 years before I was born. I am 36.... They are definitely a long term commitment.
I have to say that other than the novelty factor of seeing them, they don't make very interesting pets. If you're going to let them roam free in your garden then it needs to be fortified like Fort Knox or it will disappear.
They do seem very low-maintenance though. My mum does nothing other than feed them greens, and they hibernate under a large shrub in her garden in the winter.
I have to say that other than the novelty factor of seeing them, they don't make very interesting pets. If you're going to let them roam free in your garden then it needs to be fortified like Fort Knox or it will disappear.
They do seem very low-maintenance though. My mum does nothing other than feed them greens, and they hibernate under a large shrub in her garden in the winter.
I don't think you can easily buy the Blue Peter sort anymore?
https://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/uktorts.htm...
There are some available, though;
https://www.happytortoises.com/buying-a-tortoise
https://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/uktorts.htm...
There are some available, though;
https://www.happytortoises.com/buying-a-tortoise
My stepdaughter wanted a tortoise so, despite my objections, my wife bought one for her birthday a couple of years ago. She decided on a pretty one, a leopard tortoise. Which it turns out isn't like the Blue Peter ones; you can't just let it wander round the garden and stick it in a shoebox in the airing cupboard in winter. It has to live indoors, with occasional airings in a run in the garden in summer. It arrived in a tiny strawberry punnet as a baby and is now 12" or so across the shell. It has outgrown its original tortoise table and is really too big for its vivarium. It requires heat lamps and humidity like a tropical reptile (because it is, I guess) - the heat lamp costs a notable amount to run each month. It has a special diet including kale and strawberries and other expensive stuff. And it's a grumpy little sod who keeps banging noisily on the vivarium to get out, occasionally managing to strand itself on its back and need righting. Oh, and of course now my stepdaughter is at university it is our job to look after it during term time.
If you do decide to get one - and I don't recommend it, if that wasn't apparent already - for goodness' sake don't get one that has even more special requirements!
If you do decide to get one - and I don't recommend it, if that wasn't apparent already - for goodness' sake don't get one that has even more special requirements!
yellowtang said:
I have a male Greek Spur Thigh, he’s 20 years old and I got him as a hatchling.
As others have said - he bites and try’s to headbutt or fk your foot….depending on his mood! He lives in the garden all summer, kitchen in spring&autumn, the office fridge during Jan/feb/March.
He has escaped a couple of times and once we thought he’d gone for good, meaning he hibernated ‘wild’ in our garden - apart from a bit of frost damage to his shell he was fine!
I can’t say I’d particularly recommend one as a pet.
You put in in the fridge? As others have said - he bites and try’s to headbutt or f
k your foot….depending on his mood! He lives in the garden all summer, kitchen in spring&autumn, the office fridge during Jan/feb/March. He has escaped a couple of times and once we thought he’d gone for good, meaning he hibernated ‘wild’ in our garden - apart from a bit of frost damage to his shell he was fine!
I can’t say I’d particularly recommend one as a pet.
Well I was just about to recommend a Terrapin (yes, I know it's not the same but to a kid....), until I saw this!:
https://www.terrapins.co.uk/are-terrapins-legal-in...
I had no idea, it was 2008ish I owned mine. It was great entertainment, I had a large fish tank with bog wood coming out of the water, I lowered the water level so it had plenty of dry land and even had a mini fog machine on the top of the water. It spent the day chasing my fish, but was cumbersome so aside from the odd nip never got them. Could watch it for hours.
https://www.terrapins.co.uk/are-terrapins-legal-in...
I had no idea, it was 2008ish I owned mine. It was great entertainment, I had a large fish tank with bog wood coming out of the water, I lowered the water level so it had plenty of dry land and even had a mini fog machine on the top of the water. It spent the day chasing my fish, but was cumbersome so aside from the odd nip never got them. Could watch it for hours.
BoRED S2upid said:
You put in in the fridge?
Yes! It’s the perfect place because you can set the ideal temperature and and it’s completely stable. Also very easy to check on him.I put him in the salad drawer of the fridge in my office as there’s no food kept in there bar milk & sparkling water. Tortoises do carry salmonella, so you need to be mindful of that.
People tend to hibernate them for far longer than they’d hibernate in the wild, around 3 months is perfect.
yellowtang said:
BoRED S2upid said:
You put in in the fridge?
Yes! It’s the perfect place because you can set the ideal temperature and and it’s completely stable. Also very easy to check on him.I put him in the salad drawer of the fridge in my office as there’s no food kept in there bar milk & sparkling water. Tortoises do carry salmonella, so you need to be mindful of that.
People tend to hibernate them for far longer than they’d hibernate in the wild, around 3 months is perfect.
joropug said:
Well I was just about to recommend a Terrapin (yes, I know it's not the same but to a kid....), until I saw this!:
https://www.terrapins.co.uk/are-terrapins-legal-in...
I had no idea, it was 2008ish I owned mine. It was great entertainment, I had a large fish tank with bog wood coming out of the water, I lowered the water level so it had plenty of dry land and even had a mini fog machine on the top of the water. It spent the day chasing my fish, but was cumbersome so aside from the odd nip never got them. Could watch it for hours.
Regional folklore has it that there is a terrapin in a lake in West Bromwich. Several people have seen it taking birds and fish. It is reputed to have grown quite a size too.https://www.terrapins.co.uk/are-terrapins-legal-in...
I had no idea, it was 2008ish I owned mine. It was great entertainment, I had a large fish tank with bog wood coming out of the water, I lowered the water level so it had plenty of dry land and even had a mini fog machine on the top of the water. It spent the day chasing my fish, but was cumbersome so aside from the odd nip never got them. Could watch it for hours.
Fastchas said:
Regional folklore has it that there is a terrapin in a lake in West Bromwich. Several people have seen it taking birds and fish. It is reputed to have grown quite a size too.
Yes seems it, I actually had two now come to think of it. One grew really fast and think I gave it to a friend with a gigantic tank, the other stayed smaller for a few years before the same friend took it on when I moved. 
Mums tortoise of terror.
He’s approximately 50 years old now and a real character. Will hump the dog, feet, rocks or anything that doesn’t move for a while.
Hates trainers for some reason - head butting them and trying to bite the soles.
He has free rein of the house and garden when he’s up over summer, hibernates in the garden room and can move quicker than you’d think.
He can also climb far better than something built like that should be able to.
Live forever
When I was a kid, around 1970 we had George. No idea where he came from. Wandered around parents large garden.
A few years later, neighbours were moving. Do you want George? Yes.
A few weeks later he disappeared & a few years later their kids mysteriously had a tortoise like George…
He was reclaimed & still going strong.
When I was a kid, around 1970 we had George. No idea where he came from. Wandered around parents large garden.
A few years later, neighbours were moving. Do you want George? Yes.
A few weeks later he disappeared & a few years later their kids mysteriously had a tortoise like George…
He was reclaimed & still going strong.
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