Irritation

Maggie3fan

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My irritations this Christmas...
Don't call a tortoise a turtle. That's like calling a Zebra, a horse sorta
I don't recall ever giving a tortoise a 'bath', I soak mine
People who ask for advice then argue about it
Sully or Boxie...it's Sulcata and Box turtles (yeah, I know it's just me)
Newbie's who post a picture of their new hatchling with their dog,
and when we try to tell them about dogs and tortoises they say their dog is different, Bowser and Bulldozer love each other and they sleep together. A dog and a hatchling? Oh god
Well, I'm irritating myself now. I'm just grateful I'm around people on this forum who are just so special to me...have a good Christmas my friends...
 

Tom

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My peeve is when they get a tiny enclosure, we tell them its way too small, and they say they don't have space for something bigger or can't afford another enclosure. THEN DON'T HAVE A TORTISE IF YOU CAN'T MEET ITS BASIC ENCLOSURE NEEDS!!!
 

JoesMum

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My peeve is when someone asks for advice and it becomes clear that what they’re actually looking for is justification for doing things their (wrong) way and they never had any intention of taking up the advice they’re given.

Why bother asking if you have no intention of changing things? * sigh *
 

Chefdenoel10

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My irritations this Christmas...
Don't call a tortoise a turtle. That's like calling a Zebra, a horse sorta
I don't recall ever giving a tortoise a 'bath', I soak mine
People who ask for advice then argue about it
Sully or Boxie...it's Sulcata and Box turtles (yeah, I know it's just me)
Newbie's who post a picture of their new hatchling with their dog,
and when we try to tell them about dogs and tortoises they say their dog is different, Bowser and Bulldozer love each other and they sleep together. A dog and a hatchling? Oh god
Well, I'm irritating myself now. I'm just grateful I'm around people on this forum who are just so special to me...have a good Christmas my friends...

????????????????????????????
You are sooooo right on allllll of that!!
You mean you missed the post where the person said, “ my dog Bulldozer just gave my 4 month old sulcata Budwiser a good night kiss! He just licked him right up his back!” “ it was soo cute!” ??????
 

Chefdenoel10

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My peeve is when new people ask the same question over and over.
Tom answers
Yvonne answers
Pastel answers
Maggie answers
Blackdog answers
Chubbs (who never comes on here) answers——all the same answer.
(And a handful of other people who KNOW WHAT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT...)
and the person says ...
that’s not what I was told on Facebook, Instagram, tweetie,etc....or the like...
they all do it the way I do.
Now ... why again do you say to up the temps?
ok....ok....but why are the temps 90degrees?
Ok...but the thermometer says 90?
Is that right?

???
 

Jon G.

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My irritations this Christmas...
Don't call a tortoise a turtle. That's like calling a Zebra, a horse sorta

Maggie,
The following excerpt in quotes was taken from Wikipedia under the subject "turtle/naming and etymology" regarding naming of different types of chelonians. I believe this is accurate and reflects my understanding that it is not technically wrong to call a tortoise a turtle. This Wikipedia entry (Turtles) in it's entirety is very informative and contains a wealth of information for anyone interested in the classification of and natural history of the different types of chelonians (turtles) including tortoises.

"Naming and etymology
The common terms "turtle", "tortoise" and "terrapin", depending on the English dialect used,[5] are common names and do not reflect precise biological or taxonomic distinctions.[6] "Turtle" may name either the order as a whole, or to particular turtles that make up a form taxon that is not monophyletic, or may apply only to aquatic species. "Tortoise" usually means any land-dwelling, non-swimming chelonian.[7] "Terrapin" is used for several species of small, edible, hard-shell turtles, typically those found in brackish waters.

In North America, all chelonians are commonly called "turtles",[8][7] just as in Spanish, they are all called tortuga.[9] "Tortoise" is used only in reference to fully terrestrial turtles or, more narrowly, only those members of Testudinidae, the family of modern land tortoises.[8][7] Terrapin may refer to small semi-aquatic turtles that live in fresh and brackish water, in particular the diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin).[10][11][12][13] Although the members of the genus Terrapene dwell mostly on land, they are referred to as box turtles rather than tortoises.[6] The American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists uses "turtle" to describe all species of the order Testudines, regardless of whether they are land-dwelling or sea-dwelling, and uses "tortoise" as a more specific term for slow-moving terrestrial species.[5]

In the United Kingdom, the word turtle is used for water-dwelling species, including ones known in the US as terrapins, but not for terrestrial species, which are known only as tortoises.

The word chelonian is popular among veterinarians, scientists, and conservationists working with these animals as a catch-all name for any member of the superorder Chelonia, which includes all turtles living and extinct, as well as their immediate ancestors. Chelonia is based on the Greek word for turtles, χελώνη chelone; Greek χέλυς chelys "tortoise" is also used in the formation of scientific names of chelonians.[14] Testudines, on the other hand, is based on the Latin word for tortoise, testudo.[15] Terrapin comes from an Algonquian word for turtle.[8][16]

This article uses "turtle" for the entire order, which is a single clade."

I'm not trying to be a know it all...just trying to provide accurate info for the benefit/education of everyone who follows this forum.
 

Ghazan

Active Member
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Jun 5, 2016
Messages
136
Aren't all tortoises by definition turtles.....but not all turtles are tortoises.
 

Jon G.

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Chubbs...thanks for the great video. This guy obviously knows what he is talking about. In general, I tend to be wary of YouTube videos in that anyone can post an opinion that may or may not be accurate. It is always good to verify "facts" from a couple of different sources.
 

Chubbs the tegu

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Ma
Chubbs...thanks for the great video. This guy obviously knows what he is talking about. In general, I tend to be wary of YouTube videos in that anyone can post an opinion that may or may not be accurate. It is always good to verify "facts" from a couple of different sources.
Agree. I dont follow a lot of youtubers.. but Clint knows his stuff
 

Byrrde

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
May 14, 2015
Messages
1
My irritations this Christmas...
Don't call a tortoise a turtle. That's like calling a Zebra, a horse sorta
I don't recall ever giving a tortoise a 'bath', I soak mine
People who ask for advice then argue about it
Sully or Boxie...it's Sulcata and Box turtles (yeah, I know it's just me)
Newbie's who post a picture of their new hatchling with their dog,
and when we try to tell them about dogs and tortoises they say their dog is different, Bowser and Bulldozer love each other and they sleep together. A dog and a hatchling? Oh god
Well, I'm irritating myself now. I'm just grateful I'm around people on this forum who are just so special to me...have a good Christmas my friends...

But a tortoise is a turtle although not all turtles are tortoises.
 

Yvonne G

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Maggie,
The following excerpt in quotes was taken from Wikipedia under the subject "turtle/naming and etymology" regarding naming of different types of chelonians. I believe this is accurate and reflects my understanding that it is not technically wrong to call a tortoise a turtle. This Wikipedia entry (Turtles) in it's entirety is very informative and contains a wealth of information for anyone interested in the classification of and natural history of the different types of chelonians (turtles) including tortoises.

"Naming and etymology
The common terms "turtle", "tortoise" and "terrapin", depending on the English dialect used,[5] are common names and do not reflect precise biological or taxonomic distinctions.[6] "Turtle" may name either the order as a whole, or to particular turtles that make up a form taxon that is not monophyletic, or may apply only to aquatic species. "Tortoise" usually means any land-dwelling, non-swimming chelonian.[7] "Terrapin" is used for several species of small, edible, hard-shell turtles, typically those found in brackish waters.

In North America, all chelonians are commonly called "turtles",[8][7] just as in Spanish, they are all called tortuga.[9] "Tortoise" is used only in reference to fully terrestrial turtles or, more narrowly, only those members of Testudinidae, the family of modern land tortoises.[8][7] Terrapin may refer to small semi-aquatic turtles that live in fresh and brackish water, in particular the diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin).[10][11][12][13] Although the members of the genus Terrapene dwell mostly on land, they are referred to as box turtles rather than tortoises.[6] The American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists uses "turtle" to describe all species of the order Testudines, regardless of whether they are land-dwelling or sea-dwelling, and uses "tortoise" as a more specific term for slow-moving terrestrial species.[5]

In the United Kingdom, the word turtle is used for water-dwelling species, including ones known in the US as terrapins, but not for terrestrial species, which are known only as tortoises.

The word chelonian is popular among veterinarians, scientists, and conservationists working with these animals as a catch-all name for any member of the superorder Chelonia, which includes all turtles living and extinct, as well as their immediate ancestors. Chelonia is based on the Greek word for turtles, χελώνη chelone; Greek χέλυς chelys "tortoise" is also used in the formation of scientific names of chelonians.[14] Testudines, on the other hand, is based on the Latin word for tortoise, testudo.[15] Terrapin comes from an Algonquian word for turtle.[8][16]

This article uses "turtle" for the entire order, which is a single clade."

I'm not trying to be a know it all...just trying to provide accurate info for the benefit/education of everyone who follows this forum.
That may be so, but it still bugs some of us to hear tortoises being called turtles!
 

SasquatchTortoise

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Okay, I will admit that I made a lot of the amateur mistakes, but we are building our 3 y.o. a 20X20 enclosure with a greenhouse for winter. I wish people would just take the advice.
 
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Cindyberm

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Aug 21, 2018
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La Center, WA
Thank you Jon G for showing us that a tortoise is, indeed, a turtle. Just wanted to say something about the unheeded advice, the endless excuses for why people mistreat their pets. It is heartbreaking, for sure. But I am sure there are readers out there who benefit from your advice who never post here, people who realize that taking a turtle for a pet is a much bigger commitment than, say, caring for a cat or dog. I did not realize what I was really doing when I bought a precious little Sulcata from a pet store. But thanks to this forum I learned what is right and what is wrong and though I HAVE made mistakes, I think my turtle’s home is better than adequate. (If I didn’t live in WA, it might be perfect.) BTW, what do you think about a 5-6 yr old Sully (HA) who is pushing 50 lbs? Overfed? Or might he be the dreaded Sudanese variety?

Also, with global warming, I expect in a few years SW Washington will be a haven for Sulcatas and there will be a highway of tortoises racing up here for the fabulous habitat! (A girl can dream...)
 

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