Should I buy a pet store tortoise?

[Heliopteryx]

Hello, everyone, this is my very first post here. I will most likely be getting a small tortoise in the next few months. Today, I went to a Petco, just to see what kinds of tortoises, enclosures, and furnishings they have (after weeks of researching tortoises online, I haven't found many good things about pet store chains). There were about five Russian tortoises that were 4-5 inches long in a fairly small tank (2-3 square feet, difficult to tell because it was pentagon-shaped). They didn't seem to have anything wrong with their shells, the few heads and feet i could see looked fine, but. . . in the few minutes I was there, the only movement I saw was one blinking. However, the tank thermometer said it was about 75 degrees (room temperature, no special heating), so maybe they were just sluggish from the cold.

They are $100, and, though they don't seem glaringly unwell, I would like to know if I should consider buying them. If I do not buy a tortoise from the pet shop, I will buy one from turtlesupply.com, which is much more expensive.

 

[Jacqui]

I am in the group of folks who see no reason, not to buy from a pet store. I can honestly say, if I walked in a store right today and saw an animal I wanted, I would be walking out with it. Not considering it a rescue, but as a purchase the same as if I bought it from a breeder, a dealer, or a rescue.

I have bought many tortoises and turtles from pet stores, in fact my first several tortoises came from pet stores. You hear warnings of how sick pet store tortoises are, well with all of my purchases, I have yet to get one who was sick. The only exception being ones I knew were sick, when I took them in (the store offered to me because they knew they were sick and I could help). I can not say this same thing for animals I have bought from dealers.

The Russians you saw, were WC (wild caught) animals. Does that cause you any moral issues? Once more it doesn't me, because I would rather see them being sold with a chance of living rather then to be put into somebody's crock pot for supper. People will still be harvesting them from the wild as long as their is money to be made from them whether it be for future pets/breeders or supper. Many species don't actually have a safe natural environment to be surviving in any more in the wild, captive animals may be the species only real chance of survival. Future "wild" stock (once areas are back to being habitable for wild tortoises), may have to come from captive populations being released back out.

If you think they are inactive due to the colder temps, ask the store employees if they would place them in a warm water soak. That normally will get them active and you can see heads and things better. You may also get to see them eat after a warming soak also, which is another good thing to get to witness for yourself. Check to see if the store has a return policy, so you can take the animal home and see for yourself how it looks and acts, even go to a vet with it if you desire.

 

[wellington]

I am on the opposite end of Jacqui's post. Mainly because of puppy and kitten mills. However, I feel it pertains to all animals. I don't like the way most pet stores, especially chains like Petco, Petsmart, etc gets their animals and cares for them. I feel GOOD breeders are the only way to go. If everyone stopped buying from pet stores, they would no longer sell them. Also no more impulse buying and miss handling/information. I am also against wild caught. There are enough available without taking them from the wild. Also the captive bred are healthier and usually will not come with the illnesses/parasites that is just about a guarantee with wild caught. You get what you pay for. Just my opinion. Also for the record. I have visited, several times, the warehouses that sell to pet stores, Petco, Petsmart. The animals they get are not hand picked by the stores, but are what is left over after the specialty/family owned pet stores have come in and hand picked theirs. Which means the lesser quality, less healthy goes to pet store chains.

 

[cherylim]

I agree with Jacqui. My opinion is that you can't stop these things once they've started. Those tortoises are in that shop, and people avoiding buying them isn't going to get them back into the wild or turn back time so they were never born. I purchased Emrys from a pet store, and believe he had a calcium deficiency when I got him. He has some pyramiding, and he's certainly noticeably healthier now than he was when I got him. He was living on a sand substrate in a small-ish viv with no water bowl, and with three of his siblings, but he wasn't in a terrible state so I imagine he got the basics if nothing else. He could've survived I'm sure, but in taking him from that environment I imagine I've done him a huge favour.

That's not to say I don't agree with rescuing or purchasing from independent breeders, but rescue regulations are very tight here, and I imagine my having a full-time job would've caused me to be rejected even if one of the local rescues had a Hermann's tortoise in (I checked, and they didn't at the time). I've seen excellent pet owners be turned down by rescue centres in the past, and it's ridiculous considering these same centres regularly complain about a lack of space and funding. As for breeders, that was my first port of call. They're fairly few and far between in the UK, but I found a few I could get to and I e-mailed seven or eight in total. Only one bothered to reply to my contact, and even then promised things and didn't live up to them. I couldn't wait around forever, so I told them eventually not to bother. I then went online and found information about this breeder's personality that made me feel I'd made the right choice. From what I know, they were a reputable breeder but had a bad attitude that made me feel I was right to be suspicious. You have to also remember that some breeders are only in it for the money and will supply more than the demand.

I think there are excellent choices out there for all of us. Sometimes, we know exactly how we want to do things and sometimes things don't go to plan, but I've certainly had nothing to cause me to regret my pet shop purchase. I've helped Emrys out, and he's given me wonderful companionship in return - that's all I could ask for.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Heliopteryx:


Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!

What would you like for us to call you?

Also, when we know approximately where you are, it helps us design our answers to better fit your questions.


If no one bought animals from pet stores, soon the pet stores would quit selling animals. How reasonable is that? We all know that a pet store is in the business of selling animals.

Here is my order of importance to me:

1. Get a tortoise from a rescue
2. Watch the Craig's list type ads
3. Find a reputable breeder
4. Buy from a pet store.

 

[Utah Lynn]

I have to agree with Jacqui and Cheryl. I have 2 RT's. 1 is from Petco; the other is re-homed. Both are very healthy and happy. They can only be as good as the care given to them.

 

[dmarcus]

Hello and welcome to the forum...

I agree with everyone to an extent... Now if the pet store is your only option, then I see no problem with it. Just do your research and make sure you are getting a healthy animal...

 

[Heliopteryx]

Hi Heliopteryx:


Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!

What would you like for us to call you?

Also, when we know approximately where you are, it helps us design our answers to better fit your questions.


If no one bought animals from pet stores, soon the pet stores would quit selling animals. How reasonable is that? We all know that a pet store is in the business of selling animals.

Here is my order of importance to me:

1. Get a tortoise from a rescue
2. Watch the Craig's list type ads
3. Find a reputable breeder
4. Buy from a pet store.

Call me Helio. I live in Washington State (very tortoise-unfriendly weather, and nighttime temperatures in the summer are sometimes a litte too cold for tortoises).

Thanks' for the advice!

 

[Heliopteryx]

Thanks for the advice, everyone! I'll probably be buying a pet tortoise from a breeder. I do have a slight moral issue with wild-caught tortoises, as well as not wanting to deal with the medical issues a wild-caught tortoise may have.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Helio:

When you get a chance, go through our "for sale" and "sold" sections and make a list of all the folks who have sold your type tortoise here on the forum. Then when you're ready, you can contact them to see if they have any for sale. Most of our members who breed to sell, also ship.

 

[wellington]

Hi Heliopteryx:


Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!

What would you like for us to call you?

Also, when we know approximately where you are, it helps us design our answers to better fit your questions.


If no one bought animals from pet stores, soon the pet stores would quit selling animals. How reasonable is that? We all know that a pet store is in the business of selling animals.

Here is my order of importance to me:



1. Get a tortoise from a rescue
2. Watch the Craig's list type ads
3. Find a reputable breeder
4. Buy from a pet store.

My dream come true, if pet stores left selling animals to breeders only. My second dream would be for all breeders to have to buy a yearly license that would cost between 2-5 hundred.

 

[Redstrike]

Thanks for the advice, everyone! I'll probably be buying a pet tortoise from a breeder. I do have a slight moral issue with wild-caught tortoises, as well as not wanting to deal with the medical issues a wild-caught tortoise may have.

This is my hang-up with pet store animals (especially reptiles) as well. I'm happy to see you have issues purchasing wild-caught animals, I would argue that this is one of a few other factors largely responsible for global turtle/tortoise declines.

I'm not on some high-horse. I keep two redfoots that I purchased from a breeder, and those came from wild stock some generations ago. I simply feel that if we are interested in keeping tortoises, we should strive to purchase captive-bred individuals and/or adopt. I don't see the need to continue taking wild animals, there are more than enough captive-bred animals available. Purchasing from chain pet stores keeps the wild-caught market open - we're providing the demand for these corporations to keep paying folks to harvest wild animals for us to buy.

Lots of good breeders right here on the forum, I hope you have fun finding your tortoise, whichever route you choose.

 

[Tom]

My preference is to buy from a reputable breeder who starts them and houses them the way I think they should be housed.

But like Jacqui, if I walk into a store I know and see a healthy looking animal that I want, I will buy it. My issue is not a moral one, it is a care/health one.

 

[tortoises101]

I agree with purchasing from a reputable breeder. Not only will their animals be healthier (in Canada it's like this 100% of the time, I don't know about America) but you'll also get your questions answered and not get any misinformation. As much as I would like to purchase from a breeder, we Canadians sometimes don't have any choice but to purchase from a pet store.

 

[Jacqui]

Thanks for the advice, everyone! I'll probably be buying a pet tortoise from a breeder. I do have a slight moral issue with wild-caught tortoises, as well as not wanting to deal with the medical issues a wild-caught tortoise may have.

Just remember even buying from a breeder is no guarantee against buying a sick animal, we see that sadly all the time in here... along with horrible advise from breeders.

No matter where or from whom you get an animal, you need to look at the animal and look at it's surroundings before buying. If your buying from a breeder ask around about them and see how comfortable you feel with them. Ask to see how they house their adults (but keep in mind, unlike the pet store where you may walk in on them at their worse, nobody is going to send you pictures of their enclosures except when just cleaned, so you won't see the real deal on housing). Also be aware when buying sight unseen, sometimes they do not actually show you pictures of the animal you will be getting. Often they also have a much shorter health guarantee then many pet stores. It's a buyer beware world out there, from all sources.

 

[codyv34]

when i was into fish keeping, i always had much more luck with the Local fish stores rather then the big chain stores, im new to torts so i can have much input based on experience. My take on buying from chain stores vs. Smaller dealers/local breeders etc, affects the initial quality of the animal. But in the end its about how you take care of it. I could buy from the best breeder in the country, but if i fail to take good care of the tortoise, its no better off then the "lesser quality" chain store tort.

either way good luck and have fun, i am loving this new hobby, and the people on here are super helpful

 

[jojodesca]

Hi...

I do not see any reason not to get your tortoise from a pet store. They more than likely were not moving around because of the crowding in the tank, also they probably lay low because of all the activity of people walking around and looking at them..it may also be a safety mechanism for them like "playing opossum" Always trust your gut feeling, I have been looking for another box turtle for 6 years and just now am getting one next week. If you have the opportunity to check out craigslist in your area you should. A lot of ppl are getting rid of their tortoise/turtles and re-homing is a great thing to do. I am getting my new turtle from Craigslist. Also you just need to use caution that you don't get a sick one. The good thing about a pet store is that you are almost guaranteed the health of your new pet.