theboardwalkbody
New Member
- Joined
- Sep 18, 2014
- Messages
- 21
Hello everyone! The name's Manda. I've been in love with reptiles, and turtles/torts specifically, since I was 10 years old and a man known as The Crocodile Hunter appeared on my TV screen one day. Thanks to him I know have a severe love for turtles and torts as well as snakes and all other kinds of reptiles. Unfortunately due to living with parents who are less than thrilled about reptiles I was unable to get a tort for myself (something about 'blah blah salmonella' and 'blah blah they smell'). Now however I have busted out on my own - living the bachelorette life (sorta - I've moved in with my grandma to be closer to the university I'm going to since I can't afford a dorm - but hey it's hard makin' a livin' nowadays!). Anyway, I've got a huge yard and an entire room in the house to dedicate to a tort of my own but now my only problem is....I'VE GOT NO TORT. 
I spent all my July paycheck on a tort enclosure including food dishes, hides, substrate, heat lamps - the works (13 years of research under my belt, mind you) - and now I've settled into my new "sort of bachelorette" life. I've got a stable job set up and now I just need to get myself a little baby tort.
I stumbled upon this forum and decided to sign up for the following reason: I get really paranoid in animal care. I need to make sure I am doing everything right so that I am taking the best possible care of my pets and I am undoubtedly going to have hundreds of questions. Research or no. I realize that research doesn't mean you know what you're going to expect upon receiving a tort and that both the tort and I are going to take months to get accustomed to one another. Sure I'll know that 'oh he'll need to eat this and that and he needs to be this temp' but when it comes to behavior every animal is different. There's probably going to be a day when I wake up, check up on my tort and he's going to be sitting there looking at the ground, which is probably the most common thing ever, and I'm going to FREAK out and think SOMETHING MUST BE WRONG - I NEED TO ASK SOMEONE! (ok maybe not for that but I mean, until I learn what is and isn't normal behavior I am going to ask LOADS of questions until someone reassures me that nothing is wrong and that the behavior I am seeing is normal). Which is why I feel like this is such a good place. I'll have people to ask - people who are more experienced than I am. I get really attached, see, and I really want my babies to grow and be healthy. Healthy and Happy is my top concerns.
Now on for my next problem: Why don't I have a tort yet? I simply have no idea where to get one. I live in NJ and have read so many conflicting things about what the laws are that I don't know which end is up anymore. Some places say it's illegal to sell them IN the state and others say it's only illegal to sell them TO RESIDENTS. Which are two completely different things, one of them being a problem for vendors and the other being a problem for ME. I am hoping that this thread will help me sort out which is the correct version and help me find out WHERE I can legally get a BABY tort? Any insight would really help me because I may know my basics for tort care but I lack the basics of the LAW (woah boy not good).
As for which tort I am planning on getting: I've been looking into the Greeks recently. More specifically the Ibera or Jordanian Greeks. The only thing is when I was skimming this forum before joining I read that they are very difficult to own and are very prone to illness. Is this true? Due to my over-paranoia about health would it be better to possibly look into a different species? I've also been looking at Hermann's and Cherry Head Red Foots. (though smaller = better currently). SO I was just wondering which are better for beginners and where a NJ resident would obtain HATCHLINGS. If anyone can help I would greatly appreciate it.
I spent all my July paycheck on a tort enclosure including food dishes, hides, substrate, heat lamps - the works (13 years of research under my belt, mind you) - and now I've settled into my new "sort of bachelorette" life. I've got a stable job set up and now I just need to get myself a little baby tort.
I stumbled upon this forum and decided to sign up for the following reason: I get really paranoid in animal care. I need to make sure I am doing everything right so that I am taking the best possible care of my pets and I am undoubtedly going to have hundreds of questions. Research or no. I realize that research doesn't mean you know what you're going to expect upon receiving a tort and that both the tort and I are going to take months to get accustomed to one another. Sure I'll know that 'oh he'll need to eat this and that and he needs to be this temp' but when it comes to behavior every animal is different. There's probably going to be a day when I wake up, check up on my tort and he's going to be sitting there looking at the ground, which is probably the most common thing ever, and I'm going to FREAK out and think SOMETHING MUST BE WRONG - I NEED TO ASK SOMEONE! (ok maybe not for that but I mean, until I learn what is and isn't normal behavior I am going to ask LOADS of questions until someone reassures me that nothing is wrong and that the behavior I am seeing is normal). Which is why I feel like this is such a good place. I'll have people to ask - people who are more experienced than I am. I get really attached, see, and I really want my babies to grow and be healthy. Healthy and Happy is my top concerns.
Now on for my next problem: Why don't I have a tort yet? I simply have no idea where to get one. I live in NJ and have read so many conflicting things about what the laws are that I don't know which end is up anymore. Some places say it's illegal to sell them IN the state and others say it's only illegal to sell them TO RESIDENTS. Which are two completely different things, one of them being a problem for vendors and the other being a problem for ME. I am hoping that this thread will help me sort out which is the correct version and help me find out WHERE I can legally get a BABY tort? Any insight would really help me because I may know my basics for tort care but I lack the basics of the LAW (woah boy not good).
As for which tort I am planning on getting: I've been looking into the Greeks recently. More specifically the Ibera or Jordanian Greeks. The only thing is when I was skimming this forum before joining I read that they are very difficult to own and are very prone to illness. Is this true? Due to my over-paranoia about health would it be better to possibly look into a different species? I've also been looking at Hermann's and Cherry Head Red Foots. (though smaller = better currently). SO I was just wondering which are better for beginners and where a NJ resident would obtain HATCHLINGS. If anyone can help I would greatly appreciate it.
(also i just found this emoji and I love it. <3)
