One way to keep your baby alive -discussion thread

[Tom]

That would be nice!
But I guess I would rather go through all those hardships in the wild with little chance of survival than to be kept in a not-so-great, small indoor enclosure and sometimes on the floor.
Sadly, most pet tortoises have to live like that...

Hmm... Your proposed circumstances make it a much more complex dilemma. Would I rather be a wild tortoises with all of those good and bad points, or would I rather be stuck in a too small cage and put on the dangerous cold floor sometimes?

I don't know. Cramped quarters, floor hazards, and a crappy diet seems like it could eventually lead to a slow dragging death, but wild conditions can also be so harsh at times...

My human brain with all of my life experiences still tells me that even substandard captive life is better than the perils, predators, parasites, droughts, cold spells, food shortages, man made hazards like roads and chemical pollution, etc... found in the wild. I suppose it would have to come down to the fine points of just how bad the captive care would be. If the enclosure were too small, but the diet and temperatures decent, I still think I would choose captivity over the wild.

I suppose this will come down to an individual choice based on each person's perception.

 

[stinax182]

I just want to add something to all the people that say they cleaned the floor and there is absolutely nothing hazardous there:

I use to let my tort roam the floor inside a closed baby gate, perfectly safe, right? But if i had a window open the draft would sometimes blow in and waft all the cat hair outside the baby gate i didn't sweep up, inside it.

One time something broke in the next room and a piece of it landed in the baby gate!

Also, my cats and dogs like to randomly run around the house at high speeds and i would have to guard the pen from them.

The point tom is trying to make is that there are things that could happen that you can't possibly be ready for or prevent. We know that you are all responsible tort owners and aren't going to leave candy wrappers and dog poop on the floor with your tort, that's not what we're warning you from.

Besides the fact that the only reason your tort is more active outside his enclosure is because he's terrified. You know they bury themselves and hide for a reason INSIDE THEIR SAFE ENCLOSURE, so why would they want to explore this strange, cold surface? They don't, they're scrambling to hide before something eats them.

 

[tort_luv_5055]

This kind of stuff breaks my heart in two. Although I am a new keeper I did my homework and knew exactly what I was getting into.
I feel awful for this owner, and I can't even imagine what I would do if this had happened to me. That poor girl.
Please, PLEASE be careful with your hatchling! And figure out what you are doing before you bring such a sensitive animal into your care! Tortoise have very specific needs and especially babies. I researched for 6 months before I adopted Apollo. Don't buy a tortoise spontaneously!

 

[crimson_lotus]

Besides the fact that the only reason your tort is more active outside his enclosure is because he's terrified. You know they bury themselves and hide for a reason INSIDE THEIR SAFE ENCLOSURE, so why would they want to explore this strange, cold surface? They don't, they're scrambling to hide before something eats them.

I've noticed this too. It should be quite obvious but when I first received my tortoise I didn't think about it.

I originally took my tortoise out of her enclosure to walk around and keep things interesting, but she kept trying to go under things or hide in small spaces between furniture and just hide in her shell. Yes, she was active...in order to find a proper hiding place. I felt like a bully. Even I do not enjoy sitting on my cold hardwood floor and I'm warm blooded. PLUS she tried to eat something mysterious off of my rug, which I thought was clean. She used to eat rocks (before I purchased Minerall), I mean really, anything that you may find inedible on your floor could have potential to them!