Tortoise Help

Marcus

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Hi.

I'm considering getting two tortoises in January, a male and female.

I have no idea how to care for them, what they need, can't live without etc.

I will of course look up information and guides on the internet, but I was just wondering if anyone here has or has had tortoises, preferably in environments like England's, as pets.

I would love some information from an owner.
Thanks!
 
Tortoises are much harder to look after than you would think, I would say they're one of the hardest pets to look after.

They need a lot of space to run around, basically a whole garden, and in that garden you need to make sure that they can't burrow underground and there's no possible way for them to get out through a fence, because you'll never see them again. They're not like dogs and cats where they always return to their owners.

Their diet is very specific, you should definitely spend your time researching into what to feed them and what not to feed them online, because they can easily die from the wrong foods.

Basically, prepare to put in a lot of work and dedication. Tortoises can live for longer than you if treated right, but sadly due to so many people not looking after them properly, they usually die after about 2-4 years.

&Personally, I've never owned one but my Nan owned one, hence why I know a fair amount about them. They're my favourite animal though so I'll be sure to get one when I have my own house and a big enough garden for it to run around in :3
 
Jas0n said:
Tortoises are much harder to look after than you would think, I would say they're one of the hardest pets to look after.

They need a lot of space to run around, basically a whole garden, and in that garden you need to make sure that they can't burrow underground and there's no possible way for them to get out through a fence, because you'll never see them again. They're not like dogs and cats where they always return to their owners.

Their diet is very specific, you should definitely spend your time researching into what to feed them and what not to feed them online, because they can easily die from the wrong foods.

Basically, prepare to put in a lot of work and dedication. Tortoises can live for longer than you if treated right, but sadly due to so many people not looking after them properly, they usually die after about 2-4 years.

&Personally, I've never owned one but my Nan owned one, hence why I know a fair amount about them. They're my favourite animal though so I'll be sure to get one when I have my own house and a big enough garden for it to run around in :3
Wow, that was awsome! Thanks man!

Yeah, I read in the RSPCA that they can live for up to 50 years, maybe more.


My dad had them when he was young, but they got nabbed the a fox :(

They are awsome, but yeah, very hard work.

Thanks again.
 
Be sure to take pictures of them swimming when you buy them!

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Lolwutrandom. xD
 
They're reptiles and like all reptiles, they are coldblooded. They need an area to keep warm. If you are keeping them inside, you'll require a UV lamp. Or you could keep them outside where they can take in real sunlight. But if they are outside, make sure they're not in direct sunlight because they can overheat.

Like Jas0n said, tortoises have a special diet. It really depends on the type of tortoise. Some require more food than others while some want very little food. DO NOT OVERFEED YOUR TORTOISE. No matter how hungry they seem to be, like all pets will die if overfed.

I also suggest bathing your tortoise every so often because they can get stinky and attract flies. Tortoises and many other reptiles also contain diseases that can kill like salmonella so I suggest a bottle of instant hand sanitizer close to your enclosure. And a good starter toroise that I recommend is a Russian Tortoise. And you might wanna just start off with one and as you get better, you get the seconbd one because they can be a handful.
 
NewBell98 said:
They're reptiles and like all reptiles, they are coldblooded. They need an area to keep warm. If you are keeping them inside, you'll require a UV lamp. Or you could keep them outside where they can take in real sunlight. But if they are outside, make sure they're not in direct sunlight because they can overheat.

Like Jas0n said, tortoises have a special diet. It really depends on the type of tortoise. Some require more food than others while some want very little food. DO NOT OVERFEED YOUR TORTOISE. No matter how hungry they seem to be, like all pets will die if overfed.

I also suggest bathing your tortoise every so often because they can get stinky and attract flies. Tortoises and many other reptiles also contain diseases that can kill like salmonella so I suggest a bottle of instant hand sanitizer close to your enclosure. And a good starter toroise that I recommend is a Russian Tortoise. And you might wanna just start off with one and as you get better, you get the seconbd one because they can be a handful.
Okay, but how do I expose it to sunlight but not too much lol?
 
Marcus said:
Jas0n said:
Tortoises are much harder to look after than you would think, I would say they're one of the hardest pets to look after.

They need a lot of space to run around, basically a whole garden, and in that garden you need to make sure that they can't burrow underground and there's no possible way for them to get out through a fence, because you'll never see them again. They're not like dogs and cats where they always return to their owners.

Their diet is very specific, you should definitely spend your time researching into what to feed them and what not to feed them online, because they can easily die from the wrong foods.

Basically, prepare to put in a lot of work and dedication. Tortoises can live for longer than you if treated right, but sadly due to so many people not looking after them properly, they usually die after about 2-4 years.

&Personally, I've never owned one but my Nan owned one, hence why I know a fair amount about them. They're my favourite animal though so I'll be sure to get one when I have my own house and a big enough garden for it to run around in :3
Wow, that was awsome! Thanks man!

Yeah, I read in the RSPCA that they can live for up to 50 years, maybe more.


My dad had them when he was young, but they got nabbed the a fox :(

They are awsome, but yeah, very hard work.

Thanks again.
Their like rabbits,
Just slower, and less furry.
I suggest indoor Turtles. That way you can keep them in an enclosure/tank
 
Neko Yuki Pyrozanryu said:
Marcus said:
Jas0n said:
Tortoises are much harder to look after than you would think, I would say they're one of the hardest pets to look after.

They need a lot of space to run around, basically a whole garden, and in that garden you need to make sure that they can't burrow underground and there's no possible way for them to get out through a fence, because you'll never see them again. They're not like dogs and cats where they always return to their owners.

Their diet is very specific, you should definitely spend your time researching into what to feed them and what not to feed them online, because they can easily die from the wrong foods.

Basically, prepare to put in a lot of work and dedication. Tortoises can live for longer than you if treated right, but sadly due to so many people not looking after them properly, they usually die after about 2-4 years.

&Personally, I've never owned one but my Nan owned one, hence why I know a fair amount about them. They're my favourite animal though so I'll be sure to get one when I have my own house and a big enough garden for it to run around in :3
Wow, that was awsome! Thanks man!

Yeah, I read in the RSPCA that they can live for up to 50 years, maybe more.


My dad had them when he was young, but they got nabbed the a fox :(

They are awsome, but yeah, very hard work.

Thanks again.
Their like rabbits,
Just slower, and less furry.
I suggest indoor Turtles. That way you can keep them in an enclosure/tank
That's easier to handle, but not really fair on them.

We have quite a big garden, so as long as we made a secure place of them where they couldn't escape, I think it would be better for outside.
 
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