What got you interested in tortoises?

[CourtneyAndCarl]

I think i was born this way....My first turtle was a Florida Box when i was like 4 years old (Froggy) that my grandfather gave me, the rest is history!

Agreed. It is definitely genetic.

I don't know about genetic, my mother hates them and my grandfather thought that a land turtle was called a "toad"...... -_-

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

I've loved turtles ever since my dad brought me home a couple of Greek tortoises when I was only 2 years old.

 

[Blakem]

I don't have much of a story. We had 2 box turtles when we were younger. Then, I got into high school and thought "hey, these guys are cool". Then, my dad saw box turtles for sale in the newspaper, so I got one. People started to think i was obsessed with turtles and I was receiving figurines like crazy (I counted, and have 28) each time they saw one, they thought of me and would get it for me. I also got my sea turtle Hawaiian tattoo, which didn't help the looking like I was obsessed. I have since accepted it and have came out of my denial towards my love for these reptiles.

I am the one in the middle



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[TortoiseBoy1999]

My friend always had some he loved them to death and since he was my friend (he's 5 years older than me and I was 7) I loved them too! I've only just recently got some of my own!

 

[Nixxy]

I've ALWAYS been huge on animals. But what really, really, really got me into reptiles was the one and only Steve Irwin. That man is an inspiration and will always be my hero.

 

[kanalomele]

I have always loved animals. When I was about 8 my big brother found a boxie somewhere and brought it home, we had it for a few days and I of course wanted to keep it. My mom has never been much for animals, so the answer was no. However it went to live with an elderly friend who had turtles and tortoises for years. When I went to her place and saw them all I was very interested. I did not own one for myself until I was an adult and my daughter wanted one. I decided on a tort, she was given a slider... So a slider it was, until it was time for it to move into a friends pond, we got two Russians that I still have. Incidentally, the first boxie from when I was young came back to me when it became to much work to care for them for my now very elderly friend. I was thrilled to have him for the rest of his life.

 

[Mgridgaway]

Probably Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Probably. I remember finding a baby box turtle when I was little kid (maybe 3 or 4) and always wanted one. When I got a little older I expressed an interest in owning one and my father, who works with the State Highway Administration, starting saving them from the roadside (keep in mind, this was in the 90s, before everyone found out this was generally a bad idea).

At any rate, he ended up "saving" many over the years, though many found their way out of my outdoor enclosure (aka, the privacy fence). We stopped collecting them in the early 2000s, and the remaining 6 adults have lived fairly pampered lives ever since.

Throughout everything, though, I still have my very first box turtle, Tiamat. She was already an adult in 1995 when we found her, and now, 17 years later, she's still going strong. We have no way of knowing her age, but probably at least 30.

 

[l0velesly]

I got interested in tortoises when I saw some baby sulcatas in the pet store. They looked like they wanted to get out and they weren't kept in the best environment. I just fell in love with them at first sight and I began visiting them almost every week.

 

[Kristina]

The first thing I can remember is riding and feeding the Galapagos tortoises at the San Diego Zoo when I was around 6 years old. There is a picture of me riding one that first time. My mother can't find it now, or I'd post it here... Got my first box turtle when I was 7.

Being 3rd generation SD native .....Tom, I bet I sat on those same torts!

Does that make you and Tom butt-buddies???

I really can't remember for sure, and for me that is odd. I have extreme long term memory, and I can remember things back into my early infancy. I just know I always loved them. I remember when I was two I had this tiny ceramic turtle that was my little "pet." (I still have it.) I also read comprehensively at a very young age (I wrote my first short story in kindergarten, it was about my rabbit though, not a turtle ) and I was given a copy of "Turtles and Tortoises of the World" for my 7th birthday (I still have that too.) I fell IN LOVE with the Florida Gopher after reading about it. Fate had it that my first tortoise was a Florida Gopher, lol. I have just been hooked on them my whole life. I guess I was born this way as well!

 

[Tom]

The first thing I can remember is riding and feeding the Galapagos tortoises at the San Diego Zoo when I was around 6 years old. There is a picture of me riding one that first time. My mother can't find it now, or I'd post it here... Got my first box turtle when I was 7.

Being 3rd generation SD native .....Tom, I bet I sat on those same torts!

Does that make you and Tom butt-buddies???

No. No it does not.

 

[N2TORTS]

The first thing I can remember is riding and feeding the Galapagos tortoises at the San Diego Zoo when I was around 6 years old. There is a picture of me riding one that first time. My mother can't find it now, or I'd post it here... Got my first box turtle when I was 7.

Being 3rd generation SD native .....Tom, I bet I sat on those same torts!

Does that make you and Tom butt-buddies???

No. No it does not.

No ...and that was odd , why would that even come to your mind ? I was refering to the old tortoises from the San Diego Zoo...by far One of the best herp zoo's in the world and the tortoises they have are some of the oldest in captivity, hence when Tom and Myself were young in the 60's 7o's those Big torts were an Icon at the Zoo...... WTF Butt Buddies?

 

[Edna]

I've ALWAYS been huge on animals. But what really, really, really got me into reptiles was the one and only Steve Irwin. That man is an inspiration and will always be my hero.

+++++++ Steve Irwin ++++++++
Crikey, Mate! What a guy!

 

[Kristina]

The first thing I can remember is riding and feeding the Galapagos tortoises at the San Diego Zoo when I was around 6 years old. There is a picture of me riding one that first time. My mother can't find it now, or I'd post it here... Got my first box turtle when I was 7.

Being 3rd generation SD native .....Tom, I bet I sat on those same torts!

Does that make you and Tom butt-buddies???

No. No it does not.

No ...and that was odd , why would that even come to your mind ? I was refering to the old tortoises from the San Diego Zoo...by far One of the best herp zoo's in the world and the tortoises they have are some of the oldest in captivity, hence when Tom and Myself were young in the 60's 7o's those Big torts were an Icon at the Zoo...... WTF Butt Buddies?

It was a joke. You both had your "butts" on the same tortoises. I didn't need a lengthy explanation, I understood what both of you posted. Sorry I tried to be funny.

 

[cemmons12]

Poor Kristina.
A family friend has a 40lb-50lb Sulcata (George), and as I sat on the floor feeding him, and then went over to their house to be around him more and more, I saw just how much personality he had and from there I was hooked and dead set on getting me my own Sulcata. So I got Cooper and then I rescued Ophelia sometime after that. Now if I just had room enough to get me a few more I would be thrilled!

 

[The4ts]

My husband had a three toed turtle for 4 years before we got together that he had in a 20 gallon glass tank on sand with no UVB light (he insisted she didn't like the light) and fed her only meal worms.... And then I came along with no prior experience or knowledge of turtles but I knew that she didn't look happy and the cage seemed small. So I did research and research and changed everything for the turtle and then fell in love with them. We now have one more three toed and a Russian, and I take care of housing, food, lighting, etc not my husband anymore. Lol

 

[cmitch]

When I was in 4th grade my parents got me a female three toed box turtle the sweetest turtle ever soon after had eastern and ornate with her I know now they were not in the ideal enclosure they seemed to love each other though and would follow me when I took them out in the lawn to play. I also gave them "baths" weekly just cause they seemed to like it I had no idea what soaking was or if it was good for them. I had them till I was 18 and pregnant with my son. At the time I was stressed and on my own so I gave them to someone who I thought could care for them better than me. I don't know what happend to them now I wish I could have kept them. It has made me sad for years every time I saw a turtle or tort. I just got a redfoot after just reading and seeing the species I fell in love my boyfriend thinks I'm so weird but I'm dedicated to make sure I do things right this time.

 

[ChiKat]

When I was in 4th grade, we had a Sulcata tortoise as our class pet. His name was Speedy, and he was awesome. ;D I got to bring him home during spring break, and I fell in love!
I wanted a tortoise during high school, but my parents never let me get one.
I got my tortoise Nelson when I was 21.

 

[cmitch]

When I was in 4th grade, we had a Sulcata tortoise as our class pet. His name was Speedy, and he was awesome. ;D I got to bring him home during spring break, and I fell in love!
I wanted a tortoise during high school, but my parents never let me get one.
I got my tortoise Nelson when I was 21.

Aww my first turtles name was speed lol

 

[feline8]

This is really weird but when I was little, I had tortoises and turtles following me everywhere. Two different tortoises/turtles followed me home (they weren't even mine). One was a large 20 pound sulcata, most probably someone's lost pet, but I didn't know at that time. The other was a box turtle, but I didn't take him home; he just hung around in the backyard. Also, I have somehow accumulated an assortment of tortoise trinkets, toys, figurines, and even an ocarina without knowing XD. Perhaps tortoises and I were meant to be?

 

[DrewsLife727]

Two days before my 22nd Bday, I found poop all aroundmy driveway. I thought it was a dog that ate grass so I picked them up to throw them away. As I was walking to my backyard entrance, I found the source. An 8 1/2 inch Sulcata Tortoise. This was my first encounter with a tortoise and I really did not know what kind it was. (I didnt know any kinds at that point) I brought it to Petco to find out what it was and they said it was a Russian Tortoise. I believed them haha! I cant believe how wrong they were when I eventually found out it was a Sulcata, the 3rd largest in the world. I post flyers and went door to door and no one knew who it belonged to. I later found out she was abandoned by her original owner so I rescued her =] She was underweight according to the vet but after a week and a half with me she gained 8 oz! She had some pyramiding going on but now Im dedicated to giving her a new life! Mercy started my fascination with Tortoises and Ive been researching and falling in love with these guys since that fateful day. I am now a proud owner of 5 tortoises including my big little girl Mercy the sulcata tortoise =]