How'd you get your start with tortoises?

[Josh]

this thread is per poster Cam's request. It will be interesting to the different stories on this subject. Feel free to write about your experience but lets try to stay on topic so we can hear everyone's story.

How old were you when you purchased/were introduced to your first tort?
And how/where did you first become interested in torts?

 

[cvalda]

Well my eldest son (who is 13) had been wanting a pet of his own. We have dogs and cats, and that eliminated most types of other pets - rodents and birds and fish, especially. We were at a petstore over the summer and he was looking at a Russian Tortoise and said, "Can I have a Tortoise?" I looked at it and thought, well yah, sure... I told him if he saved up his money, and did his research, he could get a tortoise.

Well as he was reading up on them on the internet, I read with him so I could know what he was getting into. Well over the summer of research, I fell in love with everything I read about them! So I decided I'd get one too - we'd get two Russians and have them together!

So we finally got our first ones in early August, and we both FELL HARD for them! I just loved everything about them, and I LOVED the change of responsibility and attitude I saw in my son, especially with his school work! He kept saying the tortoises motivated him, now he wants to be a Herpatologist when he grows up, so he's trying extra hard in school to get good grades for college.

It's just done wonders for him, and for me, being the mom of nine kids, sitting and watching my tortoises brings peace to my rather hectic days. They give me a chance to unwind and chill.

 

[jlyoncc1]

I started with my sulcatas first. Decided to do some research on them because I was not happy with their shells pyramiding and while doing that started reading about other torts. I found this forum and I was completely done after that! Since joining the forum this fall I adopted 7 more torts! My family thinks I am nuts they just don't get my interest. But, I have learned so much from everyone and the sulcatas and all my new ones are on the right path. Just had a reptile workup on one of my sulcatas and got the thumbs up!

 

[Fiddlerchick]

I have always been a “cat person” (in fact our boy cat is convinced that I am really a big cat with no fur!), but had been interested in tortoises for many years. I grew up in San Diego, CA and a friend I met in college had a tortoise. However about the time some ten years ago that I was seriously considering getting one and bought a couple books to read up on the subject, I got kicked out of my apartment and shortly thereafter moved to Tokyo for seven years.

I forgot about the tortoise plan in the meantime (moved back to the US/Los Angeles about three years ago with husband imported from Japan), but just about a month ago our lovely little Farishta (Russian girl tortoise) wandered into the yard in front of our apartment and adopted us, so the tortoise adventure has just begun! I found this forum about a week later and have since been greatly enjoying taking care of Farishta. My husband and our two cats are interested in her as well.

It has been especially rewarding for me since slowing down to her pace when sitting with her as she takes her baths and goes for her outdoor walks gives me an experience I have never had before in my otherwise high-speed runaway train of a life. The kitties (both young, energetic and playful) find her bathing and walking ritual fascinating, and are very nice to her. Jaco even occasionally reaches out with his paw and pets her gently on her back while she is in the tub! I’ll get a video of that one of these days soon. It is easy to see how people get addicted to these beautiful, gentle creatures, and we have already raised the subject of getting a boyfriend for Farishta once we establish a successful programme for taking care of her and she completely settles in.

 

[Itort]

Back 1974 (the dark ages) having always been fascinated with herps, I bought a golden tegu. Several months and scars later , I decided he had to go. Now while in a pet, I saw a pair of redfoot tortoises. Now at that time, there was a great demand for medium sized man eating reptiles, so I traded for those "boring" tortoises. Well I had those "boring" tortoises until last March when I lost them in a housefire. I was so bored with them that I am bored 11 times over.

 

[Redfoot NERD]

Sometime in the early '50's my grandmother bought me my first turtle.. it had a palm tree painted on his back. I fed it dried flies and ant eggs out of a cardboard box.. I guess I should fast forward to 1976 when I had water and box turtles in the 2nd bedroom of our first apartment.

Then in '96 I met some folks from Florida and went to visit and met a few importers. One actually flew to Africa to put together a group to go into the bush to collect sulcatas! He had several [ 25-30 ] HUGE adults on his property. I wish I had kept a group of the hinge-backs that he had imported. Adult breeder size for $15. I've seen several tortoises since then.. before the laws [ and the prices ] were as crazy as they are now.

Terry

 

[Iluvemturts]

My fasination started when I was a kids with painted turtles. Painteds are very common around here so I was always finding them and trying to keep as pets . I always let them go after they wouldnt eat for 2-3 days I was afraid they'd die on me.
As Terry stated...fast forward to 2003 when I went to Florida on vacation and saw the Gopher torts and wanted one.....no one said they were in trouble. Of course I didnt find any - so I went home to read up on them. I was very overwhelmed with all the info but then got into turtles.
So I think my first tort was a Christmas gift 2 years ago. It was a baby Hermanns......its all history from there...
I'm HOOKED! LOL

 

[JustAnja]

Ive always had Box Turtles/Water Turtles and the likes along with my bazillion other reptiles and amphibians. I loved finding box turtles as a kid in Arkansas. (well that and everything else, dont even get my mom started about the snakes I used to hibernate in boxes in my closet as a small child!)

In 2003 I picked up a few different tortoises and did some water turtle dealing throughout the summer. I was picking up all the water turtles I could afford from the mexicans that worked on a large commercial fish farm where I lived and reselling them into the pet trade. Anything I didnt buy went straight to the Asian food market truck each week. It was heartbreaking that I couldnt afford to purchase them all! I got burned out on that and continued keeping a few tort and box turtles here and there. Earlier this year I decided I was going to pick up a few torts to mess with again. And the rest....is history! lol

I am finally enjoying my torts and turtles far more then I ever have before. Its nice to go down each night and feed and sit and watch them eat. Its my little relaxation time.

 

[TestudoGeek]

The first experience I had with turtles was back in the 80's when I was about 11. Someone offered me 2 RES in a Palm Tree tub with some dried shrimp for food... not surprisingly, they soft-shelled and died within a couple of months...

That was that for me. I've always had pets, but no more reptiles.

Then, last year (and to our amazement), my girlfriend was offered a tiny Ocadia Sinensis water turtle, inside a Palm tree tub (20 years did not help the portuguese pet trade industry, when it comes to turtles).

It wouldn't eat it's shrimp for a whole month, so I started to read up on turtles and got him set up correctly. During this research I found out about torts, but found I had no room to keep one.

When the now not so tiny Ocadia "ran" away on the last day of our summer vacation (we had him on the yard, insde a kid pool), I started reading about torts again.

I finally decided to buy a Western Hermanns only to find it a lot more fun to keep.

 

[Rees2]

Humpfree was a Christmas present to me and I loved him from the start and still do.

 

[T-P]

I was first ever introduced when i was really young, my mothers tortoise toby.
Sadly he ran away a few years later.

Then i wanted another tortoise 2 years ago, and my parents got me Jerry the hermanns tortoise for christmas.
Sadly i was stuborn and took wrong care of her and she died, another tortoise was brought after jerry whilst she was alive, and that one died for an odd reason of lungworm the vet said.

Then the petstore had given me looi for free because we lost 2 tortoises, he is healthy now.
Soon to be taken to the vets for a beak trim.
Then a friend had daisy and didnt want him no longer so i took daisy in!
And thats how i come about all my tortoises.

One day i hope to have a trio or quads of hermanns tortoises, and 2 horsefield tortoises.

=]

 

[Jacqui]

In the craze of the 50s, I went into a local dime store (for you youngins think something sorta like a mini mini tiny WalMart...without groceries) with my Mom. Of course had to go to the pet department. They had what must have been about a 20 gal aquarium with 50 hatchling Red Ears. Proudly brought mine home in a little square white box like leftover Chinese food comes in...lol.

His home was one of those oval plastic bowls with an island complete with palm tree. We did as we were told and feed the dead flies and ants. Then learned we should also feed raw hamburger and iceberg lettuce. Lights? What light? What came in thru the windows was suppose to be enough. Sure enough his shell got soft, he went blind, and died.

Hate to know how many thousands died for our ignorance. What is sadder yet, is even tho we know so much more about keeping these guys, folks are still getting bad information and those tanks are still being sold.

About the same time I started walking over to a local zoo, which was free at the time. For an animal lover with no money it was heaven. Unfortunately think lots of urine smells and cement square box like cages with iron bars...poor animals. In a back corner was a tiny room...dark and sorta musty damp like a cave, it housed the reptiles. There I fell in love. They had two very large torts in a raised pen about 4 by 4...no lights, no fresh air, barely room to move. They were posted as Galapagos Tortoises. Those gentle dinosaurs caught my fascination.

Was like 8 with the above things. I got into training and showing dogs, school then work and kids, forgetting about torts until one day as the kids and I were driving down the road an ornate turtle crossed our path. Yes we took him home with us.

That was about 20 years ago. I became very into turtles/torts, but information was still hard to get. My husband got jealous of them and to try to save my marriage, I got rid of almost all of them...including my breeding colony and hatchling Bells Hingebacks. One of the biggest regrets in my life. Well I got smart, divorced that husband and slowly am getting back into torts/turtles.

 

[Crazy1]

In the craze of the 50s, I went into a local dime store (for you youngins think something sorta like a mini mini tiny WalMart...without groceries) with my Mom. Of course had to go to the pet department. They had what must have been about a 20 gal aquarium with 50 hatchling Red Ears. Proudly brought mine home in a little square white box like leftover Chinese food comes in...lol.

His home was one of those oval plastic bowls with an island complete with palm tree. We did as we were told and feed the dead flies and ants. Then learned we should also feed raw hamburger and iceberg lettuce. Lights? What light? What came in thru the windows was suppose to be enough. Sure enough his shell got soft, he went blind, and died.

I guess we went to the same dime store (Woolworths I think), at about age 6, that’s how I got my first and sadly how it also died. My second was a soft shell I found while camping. I was able to keep it for the month we camped by that lake then I let it go. We had various other reptiles Snakes, alligators lizards. When I was about 14 my father brought home Clyde a Cal. Desert tort. We had Clyde for about 4 years, one day he was in the yard then he wasn't.
Fast forward to 2000, I was diagnosed with Cancer (chemo, sick the whole bit) my friend thought I needed a pet so that I didn't give up. I thought about it after chemo. I thought well fish-no, cats out because of allergies, a snake maybe. No, a turtle, Yep that would work. But she insisted I get something cuddly. 7 months later I had my puppy Jazz, whom my daughter (who has the mom dog) and my friend conspired to get me to adopt. 2 yrs later I rescued Smoky a Pomeranian. Three years ago I was able to go to Mexico and release green sea turtle hatchlings. What a thrill. So I had gotten bit by the Turtle bug. I did lots and lots of research two years worth, on and off, and decided I wanted a land dwelling small tort. I found my two in a reptile only pet store. I bought Echo and Ajax my Greek Tortoises in Oct. 2005. This November they gave me Comet and now I have three fertile eggs in an incubator. Three Foster DT currently in hibernation and a Foster Sulcata in my computer room. Yep I got bit by that Tort bug alright. And my daughter now has 4 RES and knows that some day she will inherit my menagerie, Lucky girl.

 

[Jentortmom]

I was first hit by the turtle bug when I was 9 and my sister and I found a little turtle on the side of the bank of the pond, and what do kids do that have every animal take it home, we cared for it for the winter and then in the sring we were by the pond trying to catch food for it and it got out of my sisters hand.
I also didn't really think about them until my husbands uncle came to thanksgiving one year and asked if any of us wanted a turtle, he had no idea what kind they were but someone had dumped them on his doorstep. So of course I said yes and my hubby said NO, we brought three boxies home, then in the spring I brought the other two home, then 3 RES that I have rescued from vets or other unwanted homes, along with another boxie I rescued from the pet store that was really sick, and my three russians, and then my little sulcata that another pet store gave me cause he had a soft shell. Needless to say I am very happy in my peaceful turtle and tortoise home.

 

[ngumpet]

hmm.... allow me to share my experience with tortoise. i wasn't interested in tortoise at first, i still prefer turtles. but my colleague love tortoise, and sometimes we go to reptile shows and i started to take a look at tortoise. until one day i saw an aldabra and the seller said it can grow to more than 1meters long. i was so amazed and eversince that i'm learning about tortoise from various websites. and until i found out that sulcata is claimed to be number 3 biggest in the world. and the price is very reasonable. so i decided to get 2 of them. and it's been a month since i adopted these 2 sulcatas. i really hope they can grow big real fast. hahaha.....

 

[Cam]

I grew up with a siberian husky and have always been interested in mammals. As a young kid I was the one running at top speed at the sight of any type of reptile or bug.
More recent times now...got married to a beautiful caring person with horrid allergies. Had 3 human boys...Still felt like having a pet for the kids to help care for and receive the unconditional affection from was an important part of growing up.
We had a corn snake, then rankin beardie, then fat tailed gecko.
When the corn died our son wanted something that was opposite of a snake so that it would not be compared to his beloved corn.
After researching turts and torts we landed on the tortoise. He held several at the pet store adn after much thought we brought home our first tortoise.
We adore Calvin (our greek). He is comical yet relaxing to watch and hang out with.
I agree with all of you, they make you slow down, relax and enjoy the simple things...like it or not

 

[K9KidsLove]

In 1997 I started working at a vet hospital that has an exotics specialist. In this area we have a real problem with box turtles trying to sun themselves on the pavement. People hit them with cars, sometimes on purpose I believe, & good samaritans bring them to the hospital. We had several at the hospital being medicated, needing soaking,etc. The other techs were aggravated with having to take care of them cause they weren't interested in them so I asked the vet if I could bring them home where they could have the proper heat and better care...I was never sure they got proper care on my days off!! I had one with a feeding tube cause his face was broken. He got meds and baby food thru the tube. They heal sooo slowly. I had him 2 years before he finally gave up on himself & died. I cried for several days.Since then I have rehabed several others. I think it was '99 when I went to my first Reptile Show & fell in love with all of them. We had had 2 Sulcatas that weighed about 125 lb each at the hospital. My first tort purchase was a hatchling Sulcata. The same year but next show I got a Redfoot. She is beautiful. I now have 3 torts/turts in rehab & 10 more of my own. They kept me sane last year when I had both my hips & a knee replaced.
Patsy