Alexio
Active Member
Its been driving me crazy lately... But it seems like more and more new people come to this forum with preconceived notions or ideas about tortoises and tortoise keeping. I'm not just talking about the "old ways" of keeping them dry , or on sand , or feeding cat food or fruit. But the number of people who are totally fine with sticking an adult redfoot or an adult Russian in a 40 gallon or equivalent with no other housing. Or who want to put two or three tortoises in a tiny tank . I admit i originally wanted get a bunch of tortoises and put them all together and have them be the cutest best friends that there ever were. But i did research on this forum, and found that just because I wanted something didn't make it the best thing to do.
I guess I'm not even sure what my question is. I just feel like the amount o people who come here who don't want to hear any advice or evidence to the contrary is mind boggling.
Imagine sitting through your first day of medical school and going into your doctors office later in the day and try to tell him\her that they are wrong about whatever advice they are giving you because now you've had some tiny bit of knowledge imparted on you. That's how i feel literally every day here watching new members say things like " well i read from many sources that..." Or my other favorite, " well the breeder i got the tortoise from said it was fine \ they did that too" .
I also own many snakes and belong to a very similar forum as this but for snakes. I have to be honest it feels sometimes like there is a night and day difference between how newer people acted there vs how they act here. For example a very common question that comes up with snakes is that they aren't eating. Many times the husbandry is the issue, people with the temps not correct or ironically the snake is in too large of an enclosure (large enclosures can makes snakes feel insecure and not wat to eat). So many times the best advice is to move the snakes to a smaller enclosure and try feeding again later. When that advice is presented to a new person they never respond with things like "well i read this size tank is fine on the internet" or "my friend has snakes they have had for years and they are in this same cage with no problems" . This is a tone i feel a lot of new people here take. I feel like many times people don't come here for advice but just for a pat on the back or just to brag to people who might be more interested in their new tortoise than their facebook friends.
Is the difference that in some cases you have to be sure of something being really wrong before you act? Like the person who comes here a few days in with a few questions who thinks they know everything and leaves in a huff only to return a few weeks later when the tortoise has stopped eating for days or dies.
The part that really churns my stomach is the amount of people who leave the forum angrily, subjecting the tortoise to a sometimes horrible and probably all too often short lived life just because the person was just too arrogant? Or cocky? To take anyone's advice. The number of tortoises blinded by coil uvb bulbs who's owners were too prideful to return to the forum to admit they were wrong is probably more than i want to guess at.
I guess in resolution i ask angrily, why... ?
Is it simply too much bad information over too long of a time? Too many people have been doing too many things "wrong" for so long the few people with the "right" knowledge are trying to cut the lawn with scissors? Or is it they are just not astute? They cannot see the harm they are causing or the signs that some people can see that something is wrong with their tortoise?
Is it a problem with how tortoises present themselves perhaps? Dogs and cats are conditioned to whine, bark, purr, or growl to "help" give clues to humans and other animals as to their disposition. Tortoises don't makes much for noise unless their squeaking which generally isn't good. Do people try to apply too much non applicable information? Like because i can have 3 dogs and two cats i can have 5 tortoises together and let them run on the floor?
I digress. I guess this just drives me crazy, so instead of attacking people individually i just wanted to toss it out there . I am curious as to others opinions and whether anyone thinks I'm way off base here.
I guess I'm not even sure what my question is. I just feel like the amount o people who come here who don't want to hear any advice or evidence to the contrary is mind boggling.
Imagine sitting through your first day of medical school and going into your doctors office later in the day and try to tell him\her that they are wrong about whatever advice they are giving you because now you've had some tiny bit of knowledge imparted on you. That's how i feel literally every day here watching new members say things like " well i read from many sources that..." Or my other favorite, " well the breeder i got the tortoise from said it was fine \ they did that too" .
I also own many snakes and belong to a very similar forum as this but for snakes. I have to be honest it feels sometimes like there is a night and day difference between how newer people acted there vs how they act here. For example a very common question that comes up with snakes is that they aren't eating. Many times the husbandry is the issue, people with the temps not correct or ironically the snake is in too large of an enclosure (large enclosures can makes snakes feel insecure and not wat to eat). So many times the best advice is to move the snakes to a smaller enclosure and try feeding again later. When that advice is presented to a new person they never respond with things like "well i read this size tank is fine on the internet" or "my friend has snakes they have had for years and they are in this same cage with no problems" . This is a tone i feel a lot of new people here take. I feel like many times people don't come here for advice but just for a pat on the back or just to brag to people who might be more interested in their new tortoise than their facebook friends.
Is the difference that in some cases you have to be sure of something being really wrong before you act? Like the person who comes here a few days in with a few questions who thinks they know everything and leaves in a huff only to return a few weeks later when the tortoise has stopped eating for days or dies.
The part that really churns my stomach is the amount of people who leave the forum angrily, subjecting the tortoise to a sometimes horrible and probably all too often short lived life just because the person was just too arrogant? Or cocky? To take anyone's advice. The number of tortoises blinded by coil uvb bulbs who's owners were too prideful to return to the forum to admit they were wrong is probably more than i want to guess at.
I guess in resolution i ask angrily, why... ?
Is it simply too much bad information over too long of a time? Too many people have been doing too many things "wrong" for so long the few people with the "right" knowledge are trying to cut the lawn with scissors? Or is it they are just not astute? They cannot see the harm they are causing or the signs that some people can see that something is wrong with their tortoise?
Is it a problem with how tortoises present themselves perhaps? Dogs and cats are conditioned to whine, bark, purr, or growl to "help" give clues to humans and other animals as to their disposition. Tortoises don't makes much for noise unless their squeaking which generally isn't good. Do people try to apply too much non applicable information? Like because i can have 3 dogs and two cats i can have 5 tortoises together and let them run on the floor?
I digress. I guess this just drives me crazy, so instead of attacking people individually i just wanted to toss it out there . I am curious as to others opinions and whether anyone thinks I'm way off base here.