Painting a tortoise?

Heardofturtles · Jul 15, 2015

ascott said:
The original point of this thread was to gather opinions/input on thoughts of painting a tortoise shell on a living tortoise. My story was shared simply to point out there are no correct..exact...answer to that inquiry. I shared that I personally know a tortoise will survive if painted with non toxic paint...period.

Then I further elaborated that even though I know this personally from a childhood experience ..I as an adult would not do the painting now...period.

I then further described a living situation in which the tortoise in my story lived..and lived very much kike tortoise royalty..in that he had the run of his own yard and my Grandmothers home as his own...and did so for a ton of years...no luck involved...period.

Designed to do...this clearly is a reference to a species designed to brumate in the wild as part of a healthy and complete cycle of life...some species of torts are built to include brumation..period. I am a firm believer that a tortoise who would brumate naturally should be offered that same opportunity in a forced captive life. I have taken time to reiterate my points and clarify my meaning of those points here...it is very easy to review any and all posts and threads from each member...not only is my opinion on brumation shared but there are also valuable opinions within those threads from other members...

Thanks for clarifying your opinion...

Lyn W · Jul 15, 2015

Anyfoot said:
Beach not beech. Would look daft laid on a beech tree painted. lol

Nice ornament on a Christmas tree though!

Big Charlie · Jul 31, 2015

Anyfoot said:
If I was laid on the beech covered from head to toe with a red or blue non toxic paint, would it stop or block any of the UV rays?

According to what I've read, you would die if you were left painted on the beach for an extended amount of time. The paint would clog your pores, preventing perspiration, and you would suffer heatstroke, which would eventually lead to death.

Angel Carrion · Jul 31, 2015

Big Charlie said:
According to what I've read, you would die if you were left painted on the beach for an extended amount of time. The paint would clog your pores, preventing perspiration, and you would suffer heatstroke, which would eventually lead to death.

Well....That's....Lovely....

enchilada · Jul 31, 2015

it is as ugly as those people who dyed their cats pink or dogs rainbow

Aunt Caffy · Sep 1, 2015

Big Charlie said:
According to what I've read, you would die if you were left painted on the beach for an extended amount of time. The paint would clog your pores, preventing perspiration, and you would suffer heatstroke, which would eventually lead to death.

Just like the girl on Goldfinger whose entire body was covered in gold paint, thereby causing her to suffocate. Because we all know how realistic James Bond movies are. Of course, this isn't really medically accurate as you can still breathe as long as your airways are open. The paint just means you can't perspire, so you could overheat.

Tidgy's Dad · Sep 1, 2015

Aunt Caffy said:
Just like the girl on Goldfinger whose entire body was covered in gold paint, thereby causing her to suffocate. Because we all know how realistic James Bond movies are. Of course, this isn't really medically accurate as you can still breathe as long as your airways are open. The paint just means you can't perspire, so you could overheat.

It's in the book, so you can't blame the film makers.

Aunt Caffy · Sep 1, 2015

Tidgy's Dad said:
It's in the book, so you can't blame the film makers.

I was reading about the concept online earlier today, and the suffocation by paint thing was something people sincerely thought at the time. I did read about a Darwin Award winner who spray painted his face with metallic gold paint to disguise himself during a robbery. Seems the toxic fumes got to him and people could tell whom he was anyway.

Tidgy's Dad · Sep 1, 2015

Aunt Caffy said:
I was reading about the concept online earlier today, and the suffocation by paint thing was something people sincerely thought at the time. I did read about a Darwin Award winner who spray painted his face with metallic gold paint to disguise himself during a robbery. Seems the toxic fumes got to him and people could tell whom he was anyway.

Fleming had some pretty weird ideas.
Another Bond book informs us you can always tell a homosexual man because they can't whistle.

Anyfoot · Sep 1, 2015

Tidgy's Dad said:
Fleming had some pretty weird ideas.
Another Bond book informs us you can always tell a homosexual man because they can't whistle.

So that's why the 7 dwarfs whistle while they work.

Kapidolo Farms · Sep 1, 2015

It is an unhealthy thing to do to the animal. Even though the enamel like keratin is very similar to finger nails, and fingernails get painted there is one strong key difference (not that it's good for finger tips/nails either). Finger tip nails grow out from a bed and move along that bad in a linear fashion. The point of origin is inside your finger. With scutes on a chelonian the bed is like a layer cake, where each new layer is created at the edge to move out and have a larger surface area as well as stack up. Many aquatic turtles shed the upper layers, as new ones are made, tortoises do not. So it is like putting a binding on the shell. Paint constricts growth at the edges.

Another POV is even the best finger nail artists can NOT match some of the colors and patterns on many chelonians.

teresaf · Sep 1, 2015

Weird that you mention that. I can't paint my toenails. they won't grow if I do. My daughter is the same way. I can paint my fingernails and not have this problem but for some reason my toenails will not grow with nail polish on them. I had the same nail polish on my toenails refreshed once in awhile, to make it shiny, for about a year and never had to cut them. until they started to hurt and when I took the nail polish off I realized I really messed up my toenails baaaad. the new growth had broken at the base of the nail and started growing again underneath the old Nail. Took another year for them to grow enough to cut the old growth completely off. Yeah paint probably isn't a good idea for tortoise shells.

Gillian M · Sep 1, 2015

enchilada said:
it is as ugly as those people who dyed their cats pink or dogs rainbow

Not only ugly but harmful.

awesomecs · Sep 4, 2015

Tom said:
The paint would block the transfer of humidity in or out of the scute material and scute margins and the stiction on the growth lines could interfere with proper growth.

In addition, I just find it distasteful. It bothers me. I feel the same way about country music and most rap.

hey isint that a marked tortoise in your profile picture?????? just saysking

Tom · Sep 4, 2015

awesomecs said:
hey isint that a marked tortoise in your profile picture?????? just saysking

Yes it has a color dot in the middle of a scute for ID purposes.

That is not the same things as "painting" a tortoise.

…just answering.

awesomecs · Sep 4, 2015

wait so what paint do you use I need a dot on tory even if shes my only one if she were to get lost

SarahChelonoidis · Sep 4, 2015

awesomecs said:
wait so what paint do you use I need a dot on tory even if shes my only one if she were to get lost

Those dots aren't really helpful for lost tortoises. Their value is in iding particular individuals within a large group (so you can track diet, weight changes, etc. more easily).

awesomecs · Sep 4, 2015

oh and I just wanted to say thanks oh and are pancake tortoises good in groups in captivity I wanted to have a social tortoise that can be in groups when I'm 16 of course with the right amount of space

Tom · Sep 4, 2015

awesomecs said:
oh and I just wanted to say thanks oh and are pancake tortoises good in groups in captivity I wanted to have a social tortoise that can be in groups when I'm 16 of course with the right amount of space

Yes. Pancakes tend to be social and get along in groups as long as there is only one mature male in each group. In large enough enclosures, mixed groups with multiple males can sometimes work too.

Tom · Sep 4, 2015

awesomecs said:
wait so what paint do you use I need a dot on tory even if shes my only one if she were to get lost

I "borrowed" my little girls nail polish. Its safe for kids, so I figure one dot should be fine for a tortoise. So far it has been fine and I have a few dozen marked tortoises of several species.

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