Some questions

[Heliopteryx]

Hello, everyone. I am having some slight difficulties convincing my parents that I can properly take care of a reptile. I am 15 years old (almost 16) and will be learning to drive in the summer. Next school year, I will (hopefully) be doing the IB diploma program, the most rigorous academic path this school has to offer. Which my parents also have some doubts about.

1. How much will heat and light cost for one small tortoise, if the house's temperature is about 65-70 degrees and going outdoors is not an option?

2. How much time daily does it take to feed, change the water of, spot clean, soak, and let a tortoise out for exercise?

3. How much will the average vet visit cost?

4. How much "quality time" does a tortoise need to have? By that i mean, would a tortoise be perfectly happy if your only interaction with it was feeding and cleaning? (no being taken out to play on the floor or in the yard, spraying instead of soaking, etc.)

5. Will there be a noticeable increase in the water bill?

6. Can tortoises be brought over the Canadian border? From what I've read, the answer would seem to be no, but laws and other official things are a little difficult to read for hours on end.

 

[nicoleandrocky]

1. If UV lights like the power sun UV which i have is 60 it also gives heat. I let him out all through the summer and he comes back inside during colder months i let him out if its hot outside (70-80)

2. It takes about 5 minutes to feed a tort, if you have everything you need, changing water bowl is less than 5 min, spot cleaning takes about 1 minute for me because he always poops in the same spot, soaking is about 30 min, every other day or every 3, i let my tort out 3 hours a day if the weather is nice for exercise

3. Depends on the vet, if you have a sick tort it may run high, but if they are healthy checkups are around 30-40 dollars depending on the tests you get

4. Dependss on the personality, some torts may only want that kind of interaction some may want attention (they are very much like dogs! lol)

5. ? for what reason?

6. I think you have to pay a fee and have a permit 30 days in advance.

good luck!

---

One more thing i forgot to add,
If you know its going to be cold out for a couple days/weeks, build him an enclosure on the floor of your room
I lay out some towels and gate it off with a ferret gate and let him roam

 

[Heliopteryx]

Thanks for the reply. Keeping tortoises sounds much easier than I feared. XD

My dad was wondering how much water tortoises need when I mentioned soaking.

 

[Jacqui]

There could be some increase in the light bill depending on what kind(s) of light and for how many hours you use them. Some folks complained at the start of winter of their bills raising $100. Is this tortoise going to get time outside? Just a warning, the high cost will be building it an enclosure and buying the needed supplies. To give you a better idea, we need to know what species and what age your thinking.

It can be easy if: your lucky enough to get a hardy animal, to not have one get sick and have to spend over a $1,000 on the Vet. Do not think this is an animal which can be ignored. You do have to think a bit about their diet, be ready to change it's environment with seasonal changes, and be very aware of changes with the animal.

They need a water source at all times which they can get into and out of easily. Water should be as deep as where the two shells meet. Young or sick animals need more soaking then older ones.

 

[Heliopteryx]

There could be some increase in the light bill depending on what kind(s) of light and for how many hours you use them. Some folks complained at the start of winter of their bills raising $100. Is this tortoise going to get time outside? Just a warning, the high cost will be building it an enclosure and buying the needed supplies. To give you a better idea, we need to know what species and what age your thinking.

It can be easy if: your lucky enough to get a hardy animal, to not have one get sick and have to spend over a $1,000 on the Vet. Do not think this is an animal which can be ignored. You do have to think a bit about their diet, be ready to change it's environment with seasonal changes, and be very aware of changes with the animal.

They need a water source at all times which they can get into and out of easily. Water should be as deep as where the two shells meet. Young or sick animals need more soaking then older ones.

I am planning on buying a young-ish (not hatchling) Hermann's tortoise from Tortoisesupply.com, but I would rescue a tortoise from craigslist or a shelter if it was healthy and a species that stays small (Greek, Russian, Hermann's).

What would you recommend for lighting? I would be able to let the tortoise outside during the day in the summer, but I would bring it in at night due to predators.

I live in Washington State, where the weather is not exactly tortoise-friendly for much of the year.

 

[nicoleandrocky]

I suggest buying a power sun UV light, it has UV which is needed for shell growth, heat and UVA. It's expensive but my last one lasted me a year and they have a warranty so if anything happens your covered. I suggest you get a russian, they are starter torts.

 

[MORTYtheTORTY]

The cost of a tort is going to be pricey first starting out so IDK if your parents are willing to shell out and help or if you work and can pay for things on your own? Starting out can cost you $200-300 with equipment and depending the cost of where you buy your tort. Have a vet handy just in case something happens or if your tort is sick. I've heard of folks never having to take a tort to the vet but under diff circumstances you might be one of the folks who might have to take em in...you never know so it's a 50/50. gluck and hope your parents help you with this and I hope you are ready =) If your parents aren't in it with you then I say wait till you have a place of your own! Your going to be 16, so this tort will grow and need to be outdoors and by the time your off to college then where would you keep it then? If your parents aren't in it with you then you might either rehome him later or not give it the time it needs so gluck and hope things work out for you =)

 

[LLLReptile]

Hello, everyone. I am having some slight difficulties convincing my parents that I can properly take care of a reptile. I am 15 years old (almost 16) and will be learning to drive in the summer. Next school year, I will (hopefully) be doing the IB diploma program, the most rigorous academic path this school has to offer. Which my parents also have some doubts about.

1. How much will heat and light cost for one small tortoise, if the house's temperature is about 65-70 degrees and going outdoors is not an option?

Depending on where you get the supplies from, anywhere from $50 to $100 for the actual supplies. From there, it depends on how much electricity costs for your area. I live in an area with relatively cheap electricity, and my average bill running 4 powersuns, 6 compact fluorescents, and over 200 feet of heat cable is less than $80 on an average month. In the actual city, I believe it was only about $20 more than I pay currently. You can actually find out how much it'll cost to run the electricity - ask your parents to see the next electricity bill, then do the math to find out how much electricity a 100 watt bulb will pull per day and so on.

When I still lived with my parents and had a single powersun for the monitor I kept at the time, my dad tried making me pay the difference in the electricity bill. When we did the math, that one bulb cost only about $5 a month.

2. How much time daily does it take to feed, change the water of, spot clean, soak, and let a tortoise out for exercise?

Not much. Without the exercise part, 5 - 15 minutes, depending on the length of soak. Once you get into a routine, it takes hardly any time at all, especially if you have the food pre-made.

3. How much will the average vet visit cost?

That varies immensely. Average cost just to visit the vet is anywhere from $40 to $60, and that doesn't include the medicine. Fortunately, as long as you take proper care of your tortoise, the need to see the vet is an unlikely one. Set aside the money just in case, but it is an unlikely occurrence.

4. How much "quality time" does a tortoise need to have? By that i mean, would a tortoise be perfectly happy if your only interaction with it was feeding and cleaning? (no being taken out to play on the floor or in the yard, spraying instead of soaking, etc.)

In a large cage with "enrichment" provided (changing of decor, different foods, etc), honestly the tortoise would probably be just fine. They do seem to benefit from things that vary their routine and generally provide interest, but this can happen only a few times a week as opposed to multiple times a day as mammals generally require.

5. Will there be a noticeable increase in the water bill?

Doubtful. Unless you're hosing it down multiple times a day, you're really only replacing the water bowl and soaking the tortoise in a bit of water. It's about as much as if you drank 2 extra glasses of water a day.

6. Can tortoises be brought over the Canadian border? From what I've read, the answer would seem to be no, but laws and other official things are a little difficult to read for hours on end.

I don't believe so, that would technically be exportation. But if you were just driving over and you weren't stopped... If you are stopped though, it is illegal to transport them without going through whatever red tape the government requires.

-Jen

 

[Heliopteryx]

(space-saving measures were taken for this post)

Thank you for such a detailed reply!

 

[Jacqui]

1. How much will heat and light cost for one small tortoise, if the house's temperature is about 65-70 degrees and going outdoors is not an option?

Depending on where you get the supplies from, anywhere from $50 to $100 for the actual supplies.

-Jen

Jen, my math is not up to your apparently today, so could you walk us thru what it would cost at your store to get these supplies, because I come up with more then that.

We need an enclosure itself, the UVB light and holder, a CHE or something for the night heat and it's holder. Then substrate, a hide, a water and food dish, hopefully a plant for hiding.

 

[nicoleandrocky]

1. How much will heat and light cost for one small tortoise, if the house's temperature is about 65-70 degrees and going outdoors is not an option?

Depending on where you get the supplies from, anywhere from $50 to $100 for the actual supplies.

-Jen

Jen, my math is not up to your apparently today, so could you walk us thru what it would cost at your store to get these supplies, because I come up with more then that.

We need an enclosure itself, the UVB light and holder, a CHE or something for the night heat and it's holder. Then substrate, a hide, a water and food dish, hopefully a plant for hiding.

My supplies cost a ton :/ but saved some money when i bought a bookshelf to make a tort table I spent around 250 for supplies and 100 for him