How easy is a tortoise as a pet?

[Madkins007]

As enthusiasts, we often encourage people to get tortoises, and often have lively discussions as to which tortoises are the best first pet, etc.

However, are we doing tortoises or new keepers any favors by suggesting that they are easy pets?

Granted, there are a lot of situations where this discussion will not apply- mostly for people with tortoises in very tortoise-friendly locations or even keeping them in their natural range- but for most of us, like me here in Omaha, keeping a tortoise alive and healthy for more than a few years is NOT easy.

I saw a rather interesting study some time back, and they found that it is usually best NOT to downplay the challenges in any given endeavor (however, I cannot cite a source right now.) The idea was that people are more successful at overcoming a challenge if they know the risks and difficulties going in.

You want a tortoise? Great! You should know...
- It needs a lot of space, even if it mostly seems to just stay in a corner.
- You need to provide a pretty regulated environment- including the right kind of light. And know that a simple heat lamp or two is probably nowhere near adequate.
- Feeding it a healthy, varied diet is kind of a pain and that pet store and grocery store food is not the first choice.

And so on. To be fair, we tell people the same oversimplified line with lots of other pets, too. (Goldfish? Oh yeah- a small bowl, some cheap food, done!) But we (the tortoise-keeping community as a whole, not us on the forum specifically) are here to support both the tortoises and the keepers, so maybe we should be a bit more 'it is a challenge' than we usually are?



(Sorry if this is not coherent. I logged on at 10:30 locally to write this, and got caught up in other stuff. It is now 1:45am!)

 

[Siren Nora]

I totally agree with you! It's not easy. You create this bond with this amazing creature and you learn that dumping it in a tank and offering food and water isn't adequate enough. Even sea monkeys need special care and attention. Different breeds require different care. Your care also depends on where you live. There are so many variables to take in account when raising a healthy tortoise.

 

[cherylim]

Personally, when people have said 'OMG! I love tortoises! That's amazing! Where did you get Emrys? I'd like one!', I've always gone into detail about the space and care they need. I've never downplayed how hard it is to keep a tortoise healthy and happy, because I DON'T want people taking them on without that information.

It's also the reason I take SO many pictures of Emrys, and post them on Facebook, where his full tortoise table and the amount of space it takes in my house can be seen. That way, people get no misconceptions about the fact that he owns a large proportion of the office.

This has led to one friend telling me that she'd still consider a tortoise but would be in touch if she planned to get one. Another friend simply said that since they required so much space, she might in future ask if she could come and see mine instead of getting her own.

A third person that I didn't get on with was the first person to react when I got Emrys - she was a compulsive liar and attention-seeker, and she quickly approached me when she realised I had Emrys and asked me where he came from. I gave a vague location and left it at that. She then started loudly hinting that she'd like more detail because 'It'd make a great surprise birthday present for my fiance. His family kept a tortoise when he was younger, and it lived in their house and you could tap on its shell and watch it get away. That was fun!'. I ignored her, as I did most of the time, and eventually my fiance commented on her hinting and asked if I was going to give her the same information I usually did. I replied that I wasn't, and was taking a different approach with her. Once she realised I wasn't going to get all wrapped up in her latest attention-seeking scheme, she moved on from the topic and never got that tortoise!

My priority has always been that if people I know have questions about tortoise care, they know they can come to me, and that seems to be working. I've even had people that would never consider tortoise ownership posting pictures of memes (such as the tiny sulcata taking on a whole strawberry), and asking me about the species and care just because they're interested.

 

[CtTortoiseMom]

Great thread and so true! My daughter does 4-H reptile shows for girl scout, boy scout and church groups. Most of the kids and probably parents think that tortoises have their house on their back's and do not need much in the way of enclosures and that they have big shells and thick skin so they must be tough. Now, we bring laminated pictures of the tortoises inside and outside enclosures, and have had shows at our own house. The parents are always bewildered by the thought that we introduce MORE humidity into our basement. They also don't love the fact that whatever part of my backyard that does not have enclosures is used to grow WEEDS, on purpose!!! So we definitely do our part to scare people about what is required in owning a tortoise's.

 

[Zamric]

People ALWAYS ask question about care when they see WalkingRock and I always tell them about the size of the yard and his heated bunker and the small pond I had to dig im my yard so he could get a good soak when he needs it and then there is the shear volume and variety of the food he eats in the average week.

As hatchling/yearlings, these are things people never think about! Their small and eat relitivly little and take up very little space (even if that space cost and arm and a leg to build!)

Nobody sees a Great Dane puppy and thinks..."I got the perfet place in my room to put him". No, the 1st thing they think is..."Look at the size of those feet! Where will we keep a horse?". Always thinking about the end product when it comes to mammials but never with Tortoises!

Having an adult Sulcata means I have to explane to negative parts of Tortoise raising BEFORE I talk about the absolute THRILL of having this Nobel Creature in my yard!

 

[Tom]

This is all relative and very subjective. I will grant you that they are more difficult than some people think they are, but I still think they are relatively easy compared to most pets. This does depend on the species and a persons area. For example: Put a book case on its back, add some substrate, a water dish, a heat lamp on a timer a hide or two, and you've got a decent enclosure for a desert tortoise or a russian. Throw in a handful of weeds and change the water daily and you are good to go.

By contrast, starting babies, or keeping adult redfoots in an area with frozen winters is going to be more of a challenge, but I'd still consider that pretty easy with the right set up. At least easy in comparison to some animals.

I agree that the requirements should not be over-simplified, but it shouldn't be made to sound overly-difficult either.

 

[lynnedit]

I think the difficult concepts for people to grasp about tortoises are 1) they are cold blooded, not warm blooded like your dog and 2) they are wild, not domesticated like your dog.
Once people figure this out, then the upkeep is relatively straightforward, although much easier in warmer climates.

 

[mctlong]

Great topic!

My experience is that adult tortoises are, by far, the easiest, lowest maintenance animals I have ever owned. That said, I live in a temperate environment with lots of sunshine and plenty of outdoor space. Winters are super mild, it never snows, hardly rains, and stays fairly warm. My tortoises all live outdoors. So for me, yes, its easy. Very easy. I tried to keep a Russian indoors several year back, but eventually had to concede and build him a 24/7 outdoor pen (where he is far happier and thriving). So, I can understand how challenging it must be for people in colder climates who have to worry about housing their tortoises indoors for months. Thats makes a tortoise a super high maintenance animal. There are so many things to worry about when trying to keep a tortoise indoors. You essentially have to create a whole artificial environment to mimic a natural, outdoor environment. Not easy stuff. And things go wrong, often. When I see sick tortoise posts on this forum, its seems like 90 plus percent are indoor tortoises. These are tortoises who get RIs from cold environments, or soft shells from lack of UV. Its tough to get everything perfect. So, as was previously pointed out, the relative ease of caring for a tortoise depends entirely on an individual's situation and environment.

Hatchlings, unlike adults, are difficult no matter were you live or how much space you have. I would never recommend a hatchling as a first tortoise.

My pet peeve is the misconception about the ease of caring for some of the smaller tortoise species, such as Russians. I see people on this forum and others recommending Russians as starter, easy, or indoor/apartment tortoises. This irritates the cr*p out of me. Russians are high-energy tortoises. They require ALOT of space for grazing and exercise. Its unfair to the tortoises to assume that they can be easily cared for indoors. Its not easy to keep any tortoise indoors, and especially difficult for a high-energy tortoise. Its takes alot of time, patience, space, and craftsmanship to create a suitable indoor environment. While it can be done, its not easy and its irresponsible for us to give newbies the impression that it will be easy... but now I'm ranting.... LOL!

When recommending tortoises as pets (and I do, often), I make sure I understand the person's situation. Tortoises can be an easy pet or a difficult pet, but it all depends.

 

[DesertGrandma]

Another thing my friends are always surprised at is how much it costs to house a baby tortoise. Yes, and how much it can cost to build an enclosure inside and outside. Also the time it takes to build the enclosures. It's not as easy as just getting a tortoise and putting it in your backyard. It is truly a labor of love and not just a whim. I always tell everyone that it is a lot more expensive than they would imagine.

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Great topic BTW.

 

[surie_the_tortoise]

i wouldnt call it difficult , just that new owners need to do the research on the size some get or specifics such as humidity and lighting each needs

 

[TortoiseWorld]

All indoor pets are difficult or not difficult it depends who his keeper is.

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I agree with DesertGrandma, to do it right it's an expensive hobby in both time and money.

 

[Madkins007]

This is all relative and very subjective. I will grant you that they are more difficult than some people think they are, but I still think they are relatively easy compared to most pets. This does depend on the species and a persons area. For example: Put a book case on its back, add some substrate, a water dish, a heat lamp on a timer a hide or two, and you've got a decent enclosure for a desert tortoise or a russian. Throw in a handful of weeds and change the water daily and you are good to go.

By contrast, starting babies, or keeping adult redfoots in an area with frozen winters is going to be more of a challenge, but I'd still consider that pretty easy with the right set up. At least easy in comparison to some animals.

I agree that the requirements should not be over-simplified, but it shouldn't be made to sound overly-difficult either.

You see, in my mind, you sort of made my point for me.

Here in Omaha, if I used an open topped table in my coolish, dryish winter-time home, I would NEVER be able to adequately heat it with just a heat lamp- even for a Russian, and you are downplaying the issues of things like construction- a plain 'assembled-it-yourself' fiberboard-backed book case on its back, over something like a couple sawhorses, would fall apart pretty quickly just from the load of the substrate.

What kind of substrate- it will take a BUNCH of those bags of bark chunks from the pet store- can I use cheap pine shavings? Handful of weeds? Even in the summer, my yard is pretty weed free- what do I do now? Store-bought lettuce looks fresh and is a plant, right?

And you say I am doing all this for an animal that will hide 75% of the time, and not really appreciate me picking it up much? Uhhhh...

-----------------------

To be fair- it IS easy for a lot of us- we have the space, decent conditions, access to good food, a basic understanding of the needs. And one great thing about tortoises is that to a large extent, once you get the housing and environmental controls right, you can pretty much 'set it and forget it'.

And, as I brushed on earlier- I would bet a chunk of money that this same discussion is happening on almost every pet forum in one way or another. I know that 'real' betta fish keepers are furious over the idea of keeping the beautiful fish in tiny jars, etc.

BUT- if you look at other advice forums, like Yahoo Answers, you see a LOT of 'tortoises are easy' threads that really downplay the issues and challenges involved.

 

[TortoiseWorld]

I agree, the proper practice of herpetology can be quite a daunting challenge. My suggestion is to visit a real zoo, in their reptile house, and get what's to be gotten. Zoologist conservationists who work at the zoo are qualified to build proper enclosures, and environments. The only way to properly keep a non-hibernating tortoise in a Northern cold climate is to build a closed chamber enclosure, big enough like and indoor green house. Tortoises need a lot more walking, climbing exercise space than many us provide.

 

[mctlong]

My suggestion is to visit a real zoo, in their reptile house, and get what's to be gotten. Zoologist conservationists who work at the zoo are qualified to build proper enclosures, and environments.

I wish that were true. I've seen some poor husbandry methods in zoos.

 

[Tom]

I see your point Mark. To me, personally, all the things you mentioned are "easy" and obvious. I guess it is all going to depend on how each person defines "easy".

I think rather than label something easy or hard, we ought to just spell out for people what is necessary. Some will say, "Oh. Well that's easy." While others will hear the same words and declare, "Oh. That's far too much work, expense, space and effort."

I agree with your intent on this thread. I have talked many people out of sulcatas, and recommended people NOT get a tortoise when it's obvious they don't have the time, space or resources necessary to take care of them. One man's "difficult", is another man's "piece of cake", is my point I guess.

 

[TortoiseWorld]

About the zoos, keep the good leave the bad, like I said it depends on who the keeper is. I imagine there is probably many breakdowns in some zoos.

 

[cherylim]

About the zoos, keep the good leave the bad, like I said it depends on who the keeper is. I imagine there is probably many breakdowns in some zoos.

Ah, but the issue with giving this advice to someone considering getting their first tortoise is that it's not easy to see what 'good' and 'bad' are.

When I look at a tortoise in the zoo, see it lying on concrete in a small space, notice that it has no water and all the wrong foods, I know its care could be much better.

If I'd seen the same three years ago, I wouldn't have had a clue. I wouldn't have known how much space a tortoise needed, or what it should be eating, or that they like to dig and need places to hide. Zoo enclosures often upset me NOW because I know that things aren't right.

If you have no knowledge of what's really involved in keeping an animal (any, not just a tortoise), you can't tell when the information you're given is wrong.

I found this forum when I was researching before I purchased Emrys, and I wasn't willing to buy until I knew I could provide good care, but many people think that visiting a zoo or asking at a pet shop is the best way to learn about an animal.

As Tom has shown, I think, once you've been doing something for years you tend to forget what's not obvious to someone new.

 

[Yvonne G]

I've been keeping turtles and tortoises for over 40 years, and I have learned quite a bit over the years, and even though I have a lot of experience, I still can't keep babies alive. I started out this year with 21 baby box turtles and I'm now down to 12. I used to ship all my baby tortoises up to my sister for her to head start for me because I just can't keep them alive for any length of time. So, its not good to tell folks that tortoises are easy keepers, because its different for each individual person. We all have to learn on our own, not as a group.

 

[Laurie]

I think "easy" is the wrong word. Are they easy to keep? Sure, once you do enough research and have everything setup properly for them. However, that research at least for me, was extensive. I spend countless hours reading about them, talking to people here and elsewhere with way more experience than me in an attempt to keep all of my guys healthy.

Was it easy to find the information and apply it, yes.

I do think what should not be downplayed is the amount of work and money they require. They do cost money to feed, heat, and vet costs should be considered. I have four separate indoor enclosures setup right now and easily spend an hour or two a day maintaining those enclosures. They have to be cleaned daily and reasonably free of dangerous spots. It's also a big commitment, that "work" will hopefully go on for years.

Easy? Somewhat,but absolutely a lot of work. Personally I enjoy THAT work very, very much

 

[DaisyDuke]

As enthusiasts, we often encourage people to get tortoises, and often have lively discussions as to which tortoises are the best first pet, etc.

However, are we doing tortoises or new keepers any favors by suggesting that they are easy pets?

Granted, there are a lot of situations where this discussion will not apply- mostly for people with tortoises in very tortoise-friendly locations or even keeping them in their natural range- but for most of us, like me here in Omaha, keeping a tortoise alive and healthy for more than a few years is NOT easy.

I saw a rather interesting study some time back, and they found that it is usually best NOT to downplay the challenges in any given endeavor (however, I cannot cite a source right now.) The idea was that people are more successful at overcoming a challenge if they know the risks and difficulties going in.

You want a tortoise? Great! You should know...
- It needs a lot of space, even if it mostly seems to just stay in a corner.
- You need to provide a pretty regulated environment- including the right kind of light. And know that a simple heat lamp or two is probably nowhere near adequate.
- Feeding it a healthy, varied diet is kind of a pain and that pet store and grocery store food is not the first choice.

And so on. To be fair, we tell people the same oversimplified line with lots of other pets, too. (Goldfish? Oh yeah- a small bowl, some cheap food, done!) But we (the tortoise-keeping community as a whole, not us on the forum specifically) are here to support both the tortoises and the keepers, so maybe we should be a bit more 'it is a challenge' than we usually are?



(Sorry if this is not coherent. I logged on at 10:30 locally to write this, and got caught up in other stuff. It is now 1:45am!)

I never encourage people to get tortoises. In fact I am very honest with people and so far all have backed out. I know a few people who have told me they wanted a tortoise who I know would never care for one well enough. Once they find out the basics of space, cost, etc, they realize for themselves that they aren't a good fit.

So I guess I don't fit into the category you mention above. But I wanted to speak from the "other side" and say that personally, I feel some people are too encouraging without letting people know the basic struggles. We've seen so many tortoise owners unable to care for their tortoises or caring for them poorly and I think that is in part due to the fact that sometimes people feel it is a lot easier than it is since they were so encouraged.
I wouldn't say I was discouraging to others, I never said "don't do it." But by being honest living in the North East about, humidity issues, size, space, cost, etc, etc, people have been able to make the proper decision that a tortoise isn't right for them. Sometimes people just say, "go for it, they're awesome, you will love it." People make that leap and that's sometimes when tortoises get hurt or tossed out, etc.

I did a lot of research on my tortoise before I found Tortoise forum. This forum just further enhanced my knowledge and offered up some alternatives by getting advise from others who learned as they went along. Unfortunately most people don't do any research before getting a tortoise or coming to this forum and that is something people need to remember. You can tell someone simply "do your research" but that doesn't mean they will so while you have their attention it is best to inform them of what tortoise ownership often entails.