I want a tortoise but it seems too difficult

gillsims

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Wow thank you so much for sharing that, I love the characters of these animals and feel they could be perfect in a natural environment but obviously cared for. He is a handsome chap
 

Tom

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I have purchased books, read up on equipment and even contacted sellers for advice. I decided to join this forum for advice as I so want to do the right thing. It is so complicated though. Just met a friend who’s neighbours tortoise is 93 and lives outside so I’m going to contact him and see how he keeps it so well, I was looking for natural environment for my tortoise not a glass cabinet, and even read they have to be extremely large for them, that I can’t do. If I can’t do the right thing then I will just have to hold tortoise owners in admiration instead of owning.
Books and sellers are likely to give you the wrong, old out dated info. As are the people who've put a tortoise outside and left it there, and had it mange to survive that way.

Tortoise keeping isn't complicated. Its simple. You just have to provide them with some means of obtained the correct temperatures and conditions each day regardless of your weather or climate. There are no wild tortoise species living in the UK. This is an indicator that the climate, without some electricity and ingenuity from the keeper, is not suitable to sustain life. With the right help from you, the tortoise should do fine.

No one is recommending indoor glass tanks to you. Those are too small. If you wanted to keep the tortoise indoors part of the year, you would need something much larger than a glass tank. If you want to keep it outdoors, you'll need a temperature controlled shelter of some sort, and you'll need to learn how to manage the tortoise before, during and after hibernation. All doable, and not complicated. There is a detailed explanation of how to do this in the care sheet that I linked for you. An insulated outdoor night house where the background ambient is controlled and there is a basking lamp for the tortoise to warm up under during cold clammy rainy days. We will also be glad to help you understand more and answer any questions you might have about it all.
 

KronksMom

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Like Yvonne said, as long as you choose a species that brumates (the reptile equivalent of hibernation), you should be able to make your dream a reality. The tortoise would live outside during the warmer months, then when it starts to get colder you would help him get ready by limiting food and water, and then keeping him in a box in a refrigerator dedicated to him. Look into brumation and see if that's something you think you could manage. I definitely would not leave my tortoise alone outside all winter for predators to come across though. They cannot defend themselves in any way when they are brumating.
 

gillsims

New Member
Joined
Jul 29, 2020
Messages
12
Location (City and/or State)
Staines-on-Thames
Books and sellers are likely to give you the wrong, old out dated info. As are the people who've put a tortoise outside and left it there, and had it mange to survive that way.

Tortoise keeping isn't complicated. Its simple. You just have to provide them with some means of obtained the correct temperatures and conditions each day regardless of your weather or climate. There are no wild tortoise species living in the UK. This is an indicator that the climate, without some electricity and ingenuity from the keeper, is not suitable to sustain life. With the right help from you, the tortoise should do fine.

No one is recommending indoor glass tanks to you. Those are too small. If you wanted to keep the tortoise indoors part of the year, you would need something much larger than a glass tank. If you want to keep it outdoors, you'll need a temperature controlled shelter of some sort, and you'll need to learn how to manage the tortoise before, during and after hibernation. All doable, and not complicated. There is a detailed explanation of how to do this in the care sheet that I linked for you. An insulated outdoor night house where the background ambient is controlled and there is a basking lamp for the tortoise to warm up under during cold clammy rainy days. We will also be glad to help you understand more and answer any questions you might have about it all.
Thanks so much for all this advice. I think I read about glass tanks on an advice page in another forum on here, sorry for my mistake. It scared me to think it couldn’t be as natural as possible obviously with lots of help from me. How do I see the advice sheet you mentioned, I’m new on here.
 

KronksMom

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Oct 7, 2019
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347
Location (City and/or State)
Illinois
Go back to page one, Tom's first post, and click on the green letters. It will take you there.
 
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