Share your "Why I got a tort" stories

[doletorts]

I wanna know what made you get a tortoise/turtle out of all the other possible pets. It doesn't matter if your story is super interesting or a little dull, I still want to know why you chose these incredible little guys.

I'll start. So i was 11 and i was hanging out with one of my lifelong friends on a rainy day. We were just walking around our very small neighborhood in raincoats talking about whatever 11 year olds talk about lol, and as we were walking past my house i saw this dark lump on the sidewalk with wet grass on it and just as i was planning to step on it and splash my friend i saw it move a little tail. So i stopped and bent down to investigate and sure enough it did have a tail, a little turtle tail. Then my friend, Taylor, bent down with me to look and we were a little confused at why an extremely tiny turtle (it was about 1-2 inches long) was in the middle of the sidewalk. There have been adult snapping turtles in the empty field thing behind my house that my neighbors have stumbled upon while 4 wheeling, that we guessed have come from our little creek that comes out of the kishwaukee river. I picked up the little guy and we brought him to a puddle where we cleaned him off and discovered he was probably a baby snapper. We then (being 11) decided to make him a house so we put him in a cardboard box top while we were getting a plastic bin. We had found rocks and grass and put them on one half of the enclosure and filled the other half with about .5 inches of water with a little rock and grass island in the middle. We put the little guy in it and decided he needed a friend so we went back in my house and looked for a turtle in all my plastic animals and when we found one about 10 minutes later we went back out to the porch where he was at but we couldn't find him. We searched in the bin and all around it for like 20 minutes until we finally decided that he wasn't there. The bin was pretty shallow so I guess he could have climbed out. After that I became so interested in torts and turtles and for the next 2 years i put "turtle" on my birthday and christmas lists until last year at christmas when "tortoise" was the only thing on my list and on black friday i got my early christmas present, George my red foot.

So there's my story hope you liked it and share your own stories for others to read.
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[leigti]

I had a turtle briefly when I was a kid, my aunt found it on the side of the road and picked it up and took it home then gave it to me. It, ran away, from home when I put it out in the yard and didn't watch it. I have no idea what kind it was I was only about eight years old. Many decades later I was at my local pet store and saw a baby Sulcata and totally fell in love. After doing some research I realized that that was not the type of Tortoise for me, I could not provide it the enclosure it needed. So I got a Russian tortoise and am very happy with her, and last week I also got a box turtle. I enjoy designing their enclosures and learning all I can about their care. So I guess the Tortoise/turtle bug has bitten me.

 

[doletorts]

I had a turtle briefly when I was a kid, my aunt found it on the side of the road and picked it up and took it home then gave it to me. It, ran away, from home when I put it out in the yard and didn't watch it. I have no idea what kind it was I was only about eight years old. Many decades later I was at my local pet store and saw a baby Sulcata and totally fell in love. After doing some research I realized that that was not the type of Tortoise for me, I could not provide it the enclosure it needed. So I got a Russian tortoise and am very happy with her, and last week I also got a box turtle. I enjoy designing their enclosures and learning all I can about their care. So I guess the Tortoise/turtle bug has bitten me.

It's nice to see that someone else started young

 

[Yvonne G]

Mom, Will You Take My Turtles?

By Yvonne G.



Many years ago, my son bought a home of his own and started to accumulate his own pets. First of all he “rescued” (read bought) a female box turtle with puffy eyes that was being kept in the water turtle enclosure in a local pet store. Then another such box turtle, then a Gopherus agassizi that a co-worker’s father had run over with the disc in his vineyard….well, you get the idea.

Things went along smoothly for months. He built separate pens for each kind of turtle he had. He nursed them all back to health and he had a happy, healthy family of turtles and tortoises.

But then came the desire to get a rottweiller puppy. Big mistake! The puppy decided that all these little crawly, wiggly things in “his” backyard were just wonderful to chew on.

I doubt my son gave a second thought to which came first, the turtle or the pup. He had fallen in love with the pup, and the turtles just had to go! “Mom, will you take my turtles?”

I had a couple tortoises when I was first married, forty or fifty years ago, but I never really had an affinity for them. It was just something you had out in the backyard. But I had become a more sensitive person in my old age, and decided if I were to start caring for these animals, I needed to do some research and find out how they should be cared for…do it the right way. This was before computers…you know, the olden days! I bought every book I could find on the subject, some good – some bad – some in between. I was one of the first subscribers to Reptiles magazine. I started a turtle club in my city. And guess what? I discovered you can’t just have one or two turtles.

When people find out you like turtles, they bring you more. Or when you go to the pet store for cat food and see a different kind of turtle, you just have to buy it!

I’ve been in the “turtle business” for about 35 years now. I have reached the point where I realize I have to say “no” occasionally. I have stopped diversifying and have settled into keeping only a few different species. My whole property is covered with turtle and tortoise pens. There is no “front yard,” only tortoise pens. There is no “back yard,” only tortoise pens.

I recognized quite early on that there was a need for a turtle rescue in my city. At first I operated the rescue through the local turtle club, but now I’m totally on my own. I have a long list of people waiting to adopt, and I receive turtles and tortoises weekly. I keep them for a period of two weeks just to make sure there isn’t a previous owner looking for them. During this time I make sure the animal is eating and looks healthy.

When it’s time to find a home for my animals, I make an appointment and go look at the prospective owner’s habitat.

I try to place water turtles in a home where they can be outside in a pond, and I like for tortoises to have their own separate pen, not to be allowed to roam freely in the yard. The majority of the animals I receive have been lost & found. This means the previous home was not secure. Either a gate was left open or he dug out under the fence, or whatever. This is why I caution people to build him a separate pen.

I believe that each different type of turtle or tortoise needs it’s own enclosure, and I don’t adopt to people who plan on mixing species. I think that animals from different continents have different micro-organisms inside them that might prove harmful to other species.

This is a labor of love for me. I’m retired now, and spend all my free time with the turtles and tortoises. And, after all these years, I still have that first rottweiller chewed box turtle, and the disc scarred desert tortoise.

Clovis Turtle & Tortoise Rescue
Clovisturtlerescue.tripod.com

 

[doletorts]

That was a very nice story. I have a feeling my mom may turn out the same but not to that extent lol, because i can't take George with me to college so he'll have to stay at home for those years with my parents

 

[wellington]

Always wanted a large tortoise since I was a kid to walk and live in my yard? Had turtles and did the catch, play release back then, but no tortoises where I am from or live now. With the Internet, the opportunity came to see all the different species available and went from there. My only regret, I didn't do it sooner then I had.

 

[doletorts]

Well, better late than never lol

 

[Flipper]

Turtles have always interested me My mom wouldn't let me have one as a child because she said they were "germy" They've always been bumping around in my mind Then, one faithful day at the most amazing pet store in Michigan (while on vacation) I saw a RF and was instantly locked in I didn't get that baby redfoot, but spent a few months researching when I got home and joining this forum Last month, I bought Tallula my Hermann's tortoise from Chris, the breeder in NJ I've been smitten ever since!

 

[kball]

I've always loved reptiles. My fav Elena's turtles but then my cousin got one and I fell in love. (Same cousin that is taking horrible care of hers now) So I begged my mom for one and she got me mine and I love them both very much.

 

[kball]

My fav was turtles. I hate auto correct

 

[naturalman91]

my story starts about 16-17 years ago when i FIRST moved to Mountain home Arkansas from Oregon i'd never seen a turtle in my life before and when we first moved here we lived with my grandma as to help my parents get on they're feet,
it all started with my grandma being a very strict women (she's a religious nut, not that they'res anything wrong with that!) we lived in the middle of the woods MILES! from anything me and one of my older brothers got in the habit of going and exploring out in the woods that's when i first saw a turtle for the first time i believe they were 3 toed eastern box turtles and they were def mating when i came across them from that moment on i was hooked on turtles i got my first turtle when this old hunting Beagle dog of my grandma's brought one home in's a mouth with its front right leg missing the wound was healed and obviously old but i kept that guy for a long time now fast forward to my 16bday and moving back to oregoni went and bought myself a russian tortoise and it's been all down hill from there

i really blame teenage mutant ninja turtles for my obsession tho lol

 

[smarch]

My story is pretty much the definition of bad ideas. But the ending is much different.

We'll start by saying it was definitely an impulse thing. My cousin had had turtles for as long as I could remember, and she loved turtles. I never particularly felt the same but I thought they were cool.
In late spring/early summer 2012 I fell into a really deep depression, I was already diagnosed and treated for depression but this episode was bad! One day I just didn't get out of bed, my parents had a mini-intervention, there were a lot of tears on my part and by the end the last thing I said was "I want a tortoise". I honestly can't remember what made me say that, or why I thought of a tortoise originally. But I'd had fish, but fish don't live very long, and you can't pick up a fish, and that was my original theory; I want a tortoise because they live long.
The next weeks were full of research research and more research. My parents never said yes, they never said no, they only ever once said "we'll think about it" but being young and dumb I decided I didn't care, as long as they didn't say no it was a go ahead for me. I began telling them little facts about tortoises, one day said "i'll be home late from work I'm going to get Franklin's house" (yes he had a name before I even got him) they still didn't say yes or no. A week later I went out, and on the way out I said "i'm going to get Franklin today" went to our local petco, and got a call from my dad "I heard you weregetting a tortoise today... you better not be." my response was "I already did" (not entirely true) then I got him and took him home.

It was love at first sight. He was still terrified of me, but caring for him and slowly bonding with him kept my depression away.

My love for tortoises grew when I found this site.

My story most likey doesn't start like anyones here, since impulse buying is usually quite bad for the torts that end up in that situation. But I was aware of the commitment, I have no problem revolving my life around him, he's pretty much my world right now and I don't see anything ever changing that.

Not only is watching and caring for franklin good for depression, but just like a dog or cat he knows when you're down. Usually when i'll put franklin on my chest he'll curl up and sleep, but when i'm really sad or down he'll walk forward a little, head out and just look at me. Its Franklin's personality that keeps my interest in Russians huge, and also introduced me to the love of Sullys.

 

[Turtlepete]

For me it wasn't really my choice. I'd been around turtles and tortoises for as long as my memory goes back…..I grew up swimming with reticulated pythons and riding sulcatas, haha. I think it was when I was about 6, my sister (who is 2 years older then me) decided that she thought I should get a red foot tortoise. I don't really remember why. After researching them and learning as much as two young kids could, my aunt got me one from a pet store. My sister had a green iguana as well, Zippo. We ended up building them a huge outdoor enclosure and letting them live together. Well, that was 11 years ago, and that same red foot still lives with me today, and has actually produced offspring for me here last year….Which is pretty awesome .

I honestly kind of fell out of interest of the whole turtle and tortoise thing for a while. I had red foot's breeding in the backyard and a pond with a dozen different turtles that had been given to me as ex-pets. Probably about 6 years ago the whole love for tortoises and just reptiles in general came back to me. I read every single thing I could ever find relating to turtles and tortoises, learned about new species, and their plight in the wild. The plight of turtles and tortoises in the wild, the danger they face of extinction, and mostly the hobbyists/conservationist that work with them, just amazed me. I was a 10 year old with an interest in conservation of endangered species. I decided I would love to devote my time to something like that, one day, typical kid with a not-so-typical "when I grow up" dream...The hobbyists that double as conservationists for many species, the ones that work with animal's that the zoo's don't, that whole story just amazed me.
I'm still young, of course. I'm only 17 after all. But I still have that same dream, from when I was a kid.

 

[lisa127]

Back in the early 70's my brother got a box turtle as a pet. This was back when they were in pet stores still. We were young kids and I just fell in love with that turtle. When people would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up I told them I wanted to be a turtle trainer.

About 18 years ago, when my own children were small I got my first two box turtles as an adult. Those two boxies led to a love of not just chelonians but all things reptilian. So I've been keeping herps now for 18 years, but my original love of turtles/tortoises is still the starting point. They are still my favorites.

 

[jeffjeff]

i cant remember when i first decided i needed one but i was young. my parents would never even consider it. i always planned to get one as soon as i had my own place but other things always got in the way. i'd get the idea in my head do loads of research then for one reason or another it never happened and i'd almost forget for a while until for some thing reminded me and i was off again reading and looking at the different species ect. it this went on for 20 years or more. up until me and the wife where in a pet shop looking for gold fish for one of our daughters and they had 2 Russians in a small tank and one was trying to climb up the glass the wife who had always been against the idea because "they don't do anything" though it was cute as it looked like it was waving and wanted to go with her. i took that as the perfect opportunity to change her mind. so that day i got the enclosure and all the bits needed took it home got every thing set up and ready for the little guy/girl and went went to collect him a couple days later. it was only a couple days later while looking for as much info as possible that i stumbled up on this forum and have been on every day since.

 

[Shakudo]

Okay here it goes... get your popcorn and drinks and sit back and relax and read the long account of Joey, three decades of the third age of this World, living in the West of the Middle part of this Earth ( sorry New Line cinema I like my own story please )

I feel like I am writing my autobiografy
Sorry, I will try and make this interesting read as best as I can.

Background...

Ever since I was a child I was obsessed with animals.
When I first came in to contact with turtles I was very , very young and I got two little sliders complete with the whole horrible plastic round cage with the island and the palm tree. Nobody knew back then, what they exactly needed, and it was a hype, in the early nineties.
Sadly I lost them. I was too young and irresponsible.
The interest however always remained.

When I was older and learned more responsibility, my mother permitted me to get another turtle and I have kept red eared sliders, sawbacks, Reeves' Turtle, and have had several specimens.
Eventually I quite the turtle hobby and focused on other interests.
Through the years I have kept reptiles, amphibians, avians, rodents, fish, invertebrates, insects, you name it.

I was known for my " zoo like" house and personality....

The now.....

I am now almost 30 next March and I haven't had turtles in a long time, but I have been living on my own for a year now and I have been busy with scorpions for a few years.
Sadly a lot of them died in a short while, and I found myself having to replace the animals, but not being able to breed them. Luckily I still have some scorpions left, but finding myself dealing with the possibility of losing them so quickly made me sad.

I have enjoyed my Ball python Nagini, for 11 years now and my Redrump Tarantula for also, 11 years, and I consider them a part of my family , and I tend to get attached to animals quite quickly and that bond goes deep beyond being able to explain such a phenomenon.

I like the term "Life companion", I am alone a lot, and have a lot of baggage, so to speak, sometimes even the most basic things people do, are a challenge for me. I have seen many things in my Life for good and sadly very bad too, and have the scars to show for it. So in a way I created my own family which is my source of strength and Love which keeps me going.

I tend to not always feel comfortable in large crowds, or with people in general, again the baggage, and the fact I am an HSP or Indigo child (highly sensitive person) makes Life a very big challenge for me.
I am drawn towards animals, and I feel very comfortable with them, as in and with Nature, which is for me, the very essence of being.

How I got to tortoises?
As long as I can remember, I couldn't get one particular school book out of my head.
I was 9 or 10 years old and I read a book about a boy who had all sorts of adventures with/about/connected to a Greek tortoise.

Funny fact:
Where I live we have other informal naming for animals than the English speaking, for example, a Greek tortoise, is most of the time Testudo Hermanni, and we call Testudo Greaca, " Moorse landschildpad" which you could translate into Moorish Tortoise. I don't exactly know what species the Greek tortoise actually was in the books, it was a children's book so taxonomy was a bit redundant


I have never been able to recall the title of the books, nor do I remember anything other than the boy and the tortoise.
I was absolutely mesmerized by the idea of an animal as exotic as a Greek tortoise.
For me as a child in the nineties, a Greek tortoise was as exotic as an African Elephant

I have been enamored by the idea of having a tortoise for almost 2 decades, but never ever dared to, nor had permission or the means to actually keep one.

Then I got thinking about turtles again....

I was attached to a particular Reeves' turtle I once had which I called Ma'el after an important character out one of Gene Roddenberry's SF series. I really have been sorry for years, that I gave him to a pet store when I quite the turtle hobby many years ago. I still think about him sometimes and hope he is well.

A few months ago after thinking about Ma'el again, I decided I would really like a new turtle and I went and got myself a Loggerhead musk turtle, which is a hoot in behavior, personality and just very fun to have. Nemo, is quite the character. He really knows how to show you he is hungry and won't give up trying to get attention when the little clown is seemingly famished, which is apparently, at all times.....


And eventually the tortoises hopped back into my mind.... never been really gone at all ....

After a while, I started toying with the idea of getting a tortoise.
It first started with browsing adds on the web, reading about them and remembering the craving I felt for having one.
I decided I preferred a Russian tortoise because of it's size and beginner friendly husbandry.

Eventually I responded to an ad which was a little tortoise which was presented as a male and came with an aquarium and everything in which he already had lived a few years.

After mailing back and forth negotiating the previous owner and myself came to an agreement, and I went to get him accompanied by my big strong friend, who I desperately needed to help me lift the heavy stuff.

He was called "Franske" , which you could loosely translate to little Francis, and was very exited to get him.
At that time, I was studying tortoise husbandry daily for several hours.
As I was and am still studying and learning about them daily, I quickly learned here that he was in fact a " she" and in fact in need of a habitat makeover.

I have had a lot of experience with turtles, so I knew sufficient to set up and keep Nemo and be confident enough with him to not worry too much....

And Yoshi quickly became my new obsession, and I love/worry/obsess/spoil... you name it, even moping about her bulldozing the set up like an annoyed father looking at a loved child who makes him want to pull his hair out...

(In the beginning she constantly defied all hides and dug at all times with all effort possible under the feeding tray as some point there always was tortoise butt sticking out the substrate and I worked so hard creating the hide and habitat.... but then again, a tortoise will be a tortoise.... )

After renaming her to Yoshi, I decided that she was in fact the tortoise of my imagination, and together with Nemo, are like my Sun and Moon of the chelonian world. One for the Water and one for Land. They are each others counterparts in every way. And I love them dearly for it.

They remind me of the duality that is also in me and try to see it in a good way
So in a they teach me about myself, in the quest to better understand them.
I hope that I can share my Life with them for as long as it is meant to.


Take care,


Joey

 

[doletorts]

Joey, that was an incredible story i really loved it

 

[Shakudo]

Joey, that was an incredible story i really loved it

Thank you so much

 

[doletorts]

Thank you so much

Thank YOU so much for posting it lol

 

[yillt]

I know you all love tortoises with a great passion and that is the thing that brings us tortoise folks together. But how did you find about about your love for these little shelled creatures and what species,age and name was associate with your first tort. For me it all started when I wanted a dog. I was only about 8 at this point. I begged my mum for a dog and said I would do everything for it. The answer was a simple plain NO.I was on the Internet when I was searching pet rabbits for sale at pets at home and I came across a page on tortoises.By now I had just turned nine and was sure I could take the responsibility of my first ever pet for myself. We had a cat whom I loved but he was mostly my sisters because she fed him.I googled tortoises and came across the tortoise shop.Ater a while we settled on marginated tortoises. We placed the order and I waited for months and months. Finally one day I got home from school to find Billy (Tilly back then) waiting for me. I picked a fresh dandelion for him and he munched on it. I enjoyed the first year so much and it's only got better. I am now 11 and Billy's three and we've both grown a lot since then. And hopefully we will grow up together. I'm very lucky to have discovered tortoises at such a young age.