Why a Tort?

[KaitlinKeefe_]

I have been asked so many times over the years what made me get my tortoise Randall. Why a tort?

Well i thought it would be interesting to hear everyones stories, new tortoise owners to those of you that have kept tortoises for many years.

Here is our story

6 years ago i rehomed two very young aquatic turtles. Though i did my best one succumbed to the poor care it had had before living with me and the vet and i could not undo someone elses mistakes. I was devastated to say the least, but i felt badly for the other turtle. i kept thinking it was lonely. questions about adding another turtle lead me to this forum. once i started i was hooked. i found advice that lead me to the decision that my turtle was not lonely and that she did not need a "friend", however i was INFATUATED with the beautiful tortoises i saw and could not get enough information about them. after alot of consideration and determining if i had the space, money and time for one i decided that a russian was ideal for my first tortoise. shortly after posting my interest i was contacted by the nicest women in new hampshire (it is VERY hard to find tortoises here in vermont!) and she was looking to rehome her adult russian tortoise. i drove three hours to meet her and was thrilled to meet my Randall. from the start he was a member of the family. he is literally the kindest, most gentle creature i have yet to meet.

fast forward 4 years, i was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and anxiety disorder. after hospitalization after hospitalization and many other hardships i was taken off of a highly addictive anxiety medicine and left to cope with debilitating anxiety, but one thing that always made things better was the control i had over Randalls care and how happy he was when things were correct for him. to cope with my anxiety i manage his humidity, temperatures and diet. it feels nice to have control over something in a positive way that benefits a life rather then cause harm. the better i cared for him the better i felt.

after months of pondering getting another tortoise i decided on another russian. Randalls personality and gentle nature had won me over. i also chose to search for a male because i was fearful of fertilized eggs and the care that that entails. a friend at work heard about my search and knew a very nice man in florida that had russians an WHALA fedex brought me my younger male Gordon.

since adding Gordon to our family i have never been happier!

my tortoises have really made my life more fulfilling and are my rays of sunshine on a stormy day

 

[dmmj]

I love Turtles and tortoises ever since I was a little tyke. I got my very first red-eared slider @ 8 years old had it for 30 years it died a few years back.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Lovely story, Kaitlin.
You may not , but many others will have heard Tidgy's tale.
We went to the house of a friend here in Fes, Morocco, 5 years or so ago and saw a child twisting the legs of a tortoise and using it to play cars. He then threw it to the floor where it lay still.
wifey was horrified but I knew it was just a plastic toy.
i was wrong, it moved!
The family had two tiny tortoises that the children used as toys, they were fed meat fat and left overs (they were vegetarian Greeks.the tortoises, not the family ) and the adults would kick them out of the way as they wandered around the house, frantically trying to escape the children.
The second tortoise had a twisted neck and one of the carapace scutes had been cut out to make a necklace.
In Morocco, if you admire something enough it is polite to offer the object to the admirer.
So I admired this tortoise.
They offered, i took, but they wouldn't give me the other one, as it's actual owner wasn't present. (a cousin). this one died a few days later.
On the way home I stopped at the Cybercafe and looked up Tortoise Forum (years before i actually joined) and as much info as i could find.
Then i took "Tidgy" home.
Spent hours a day tending her wounds, speaking softly to her, trying to get her to eat. it was touch and go for a week or two and it took months for her to fully recover.
Now she is lie the daughter wifey and I never had.
i wouldn't be without my darling Tidgy.

 

[Tom]

This is the first evidence I can find of the obsession. This was just prior to my second birthday. That is my Dad with the stylish hair and me with the stylish bell bottoms. My fashion sense never got any better…

 

[Big Charlie]

For me, it was a general love of animals. We had a dog when I was a child and there was an incident where he bit someone so we gave him away to a family who lived in the country. My father bought a pure-bred dalmation without researching their temperament and needs. After that, we weren't allowed to have any pets.

When I got married and started a family, I realized I could finally get all the pets I wanted. I started with a dog. Then someone gave us a kitten. We started making weekly trips to the pet store just to look. I bought a guinea pig, who we ended up mating with a friend's and had 19 babies in a very short period of time. I was starting to build a menagerie. One day at the pet store, they had just gotten in some baby sulcatas. They were adorable and I fell in love. Without knowing much about them or doing any research, I took one home. Over the years I've had other pets but now Charlie, the tort, is the only one left. He is 17. I never get tired of looking at him. Just watching him walk around makes me smile.

 

[Yelloweyed]

Here's my story - my older sister was house shopping about twenty years ago. One of the homes had several (maybe 7 of them) CA desert tortoises in the back yard. I couldn't believe how beautiful but sad it looked. The torts were gorgeous and smooth but the yard was tiny and barren. Basically, when the housing development began, the construction workers consolidated all the tortoises to one spot - this one backyard. My sister didn't buy the house but I never lost my love and interest for tortoises!

 

[Gillian M]

Lovely story, Kaitlin.
You may not , but many others will have heard Tidgy's tale.
We went to the house of a friend here in Fes, Morocco, 5 years or so ago and saw a child twisting the legs of a tortoise and using it to play cars. He then threw it to the floor where it lay still.
wifey was horrified but I knew it was just a plastic toy.
i was wrong, it moved!
The family had two tiny tortoises that the children used as toys, they were fed meat fat and left overs (they were vegetarian Greeks.the tortoises, not the family ) and the adults would kick them out of the way as they wandered around the house, frantically trying to escape the children.
The second tortoise had a twisted neck and one of the carapace scutes had been cut out to make a necklace.
In Morocco, if you admire something enough it is polite to offer the object to the admirer.
So I admired this tortoise.
They offered, i took, but they wouldn't give me the other one, as it's actual owner wasn't present. (a cousin). this one died a few days later.
On the way home I stopped at the Cybercafe and looked up Tortoise Forum (years before i actually joined) and as much info as i could find.
Then i took "Tidgy" home.
Spent hours a day tending her wounds, speaking softly to her, trying to get her to eat. it was touch and go for a week or two and it took months for her to fully recover.
Now she is lie the daughter wifey and I never had.
i wouldn't be without my darling Tidgy.

Hi. Sorry to say that even here in Jordan torts are considered toys for children. And I have noticed that the poor torts get mistreated at times. Too bad.

 

[Gillian M]

I have been asked so many times over the years what made me get my tortoise Randall. Why a tort?

Well i thought it would be interesting to hear everyones stories, new tortoise owners to those of you that have kept tortoises for many years.

Here is our story

6 years ago i rehomed two very young aquatic turtles. Though i did my best one succumbed to the poor care it had had before living with me and the vet and i could not undo someone elses mistakes. I was devastated to say the least, but i felt badly for the other turtle. i kept thinking it was lonely. questions about adding another turtle lead me to this forum. once i started i was hooked. i found advice that lead me to the decision that my turtle was not lonely and that she did not need a "friend", however i was INFATUATED with the beautiful tortoises i saw and could not get enough information about them. after alot of consideration and determining if i had the space, money and time for one i decided that a russian was ideal for my first tortoise. shortly after posting my interest i was contacted by the nicest women in new hampshire (it is VERY hard to find tortoises here in vermont!) and she was looking to rehome her adult russian tortoise. i drove three hours to meet her and was thrilled to meet my Randall. from the start he was a member of the family. he is literally the kindest, most gentle creature i have yet to meet.

fast forward 4 years, i was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and anxiety disorder. after hospitalization after hospitalization and many other hardships i was taken off of a highly addictive anxiety medicine and left to cope with debilitating anxiety, but one thing that always made things better was the control i had over Randalls care and how happy he was when things were correct for him. to cope with my anxiety i manage his humidity, temperatures and diet. it feels nice to have control over something in a positive way that benefits a life rather then cause harm. the better i cared for him the better i felt.

after months of pondering getting another tortoise i decided on another russian. Randalls personality and gentle nature had won me over. i also chose to search for a male because i was fearful of fertilized eggs and the care that that entails. a friend at work heard about my search and knew a very nice man in florida that had russians an WHALA fedex brought me my younger male Gordon.

since adding Gordon to our family i have never been happier!

my tortoises have really made my life more fulfilling and are my rays of sunshine on a stormy day

Love the story.

I'd been thinking of a pet for quite long. I'm scared of dogs, I'm not very fond of cats, and I did not want a bird. There was not much of a choice in a country where there is no/little care for animals/pets. Let alone that, there are vets for dogs only, here! I went to a shop (that I cannot call a pet shop). Found a couple of birds, fish, and a tort.........Oli. I didn't have to think that much, and I bought him on the spot. This took place about 5.5 years ago.

(By the way, I think that a similar thread was posted a couple of years ago. An interesting one).

 

[Gillian M]

Lovely story, Kaitlin.
You may not , but many others will have heard Tidgy's tale.
We went to the house of a friend here in Fes, Morocco, 5 years or so ago and saw a child twisting the legs of a tortoise and using it to play cars. He then threw it to the floor where it lay still.
wifey was horrified but I knew it was just a plastic toy.
i was wrong, it moved!
The family had two tiny tortoises that the children used as toys, they were fed meat fat and left overs (they were vegetarian Greeks.the tortoises, not the family ) and the adults would kick them out of the way as they wandered around the house, frantically trying to escape the children.
The second tortoise had a twisted neck and one of the carapace scutes had been cut out to make a necklace.
In Morocco, if you admire something enough it is polite to offer the object to the admirer.
So I admired this tortoise.
They offered, i took, but they wouldn't give me the other one, as it's actual owner wasn't present. (a cousin). this one died a few days later.
On the way home I stopped at the Cybercafe and looked up Tortoise Forum (years before i actually joined) and as much info as i could find.
Then i took "Tidgy" home.
Spent hours a day tending her wounds, speaking softly to her, trying to get her to eat. it was touch and go for a week or two and it took months for her to fully recover.
Now she is lie the daughter wifey and I never had.
i wouldn't be without my darling Tidgy.

Hi Adam, Wifey and Tidgy.

If I've understood correctly, vets for torts are available in Morocco, right?

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Hi Adam, Wifey and Tidgy.

If I've understood correctly, vets for torts are available in Morocco, right?

Not that I'm aware.
Possibly in Casablanca or Rabat, but not anywhere near me.

 

[Gillian M]

Not that I'm aware.
Possibly in Casablanca or Rabat, but not anywhere near me.

Oh GOD, not even there.

How did you manage to deal with Tidgy's injuries etc. at the time? if I may ask.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Oh GOD, not even there.

How did you manage to deal with Tidgy's injuries etc. at the time? if I may ask.

Patience, care, love and understanding.
Just keeping her open wound clean and sterile, and gently rubbing her neck.
Letting her alone when necessary, so she began to feel secure.
Offering the tastiest tidbits and making life so good that she just wanted to live.
Sorry for the hijacking, Kaitlin.

 

[RosemaryDW]

I've always liked reptiles but not so much I'd ever considered owning one.

We found Adila in the street last October. While we were looking for an owner, she dug down in our yard and hibernated. When she reappeared, I was thrilled and relieved. I'd done my research by then and realized we have a great climate for housing a Russian, along with an existing and secure outdoor space, full of safe foods. We even have a great vet nearby!

We would never have intentionally sought out a tortoise. But now that she's here, we love her rhythms, her strength and stubborness. I could watch her all day; she's meditative for me. For my husband, she also provides an opportunity to be handy, as he's built a night box and a burrow; and escape proofed the yard. Soon he'll be setting up a fridge for hibernation.

Now we just need to figure out how to find her next home; I expect her to outlive us. Fortunately we have several decades to think about it!

 

[KaitlinKeefe_]

Patience, care, love and understanding.
Just keeping her open wound clean and sterile, and gently rubbing her neck.
Letting her alone when necessary, so she began to feel secure.
Offering the tastiest tidbits and making life so good that she just wanted to live.
Sorry for the hijacking, Kaitlin.

No problem at all! i am just loving hearing everyones stories and how things differ around the world!

very interesting!

 

[hoopytortoise]

Why a tort? My story is a little long. First off I have 3 kids. My husband always said he wanted a tortoise. I always ignored him, not realizing they were out there easily available for purchase. When my 3rd son was born as a preemie he had a host of health issues. The one thing that has hung on over the years is his allergies to almost everything. Food and enviromental. We had to re home our cat... had to separate my dog I've had for 11 years from the rest of the house. She is only allowed in kitchen basement and down stairs. No matter what you do if my son touches a furry animal he breaks out in an eczema flair up or sometimes even hives.
We went to visit my step mom and she had just bought a tortoise hatchling (she has always had water turtles) while there my 2 youngest sons were just enamored by him. My youngest got to hold him and his skin didn't do anything. No rash to eczema nothing. He loves animals but never can touch them. This sealed it for me. I started reading about the different species. Regardless of living in the midwest we went for the Sulcata.
Mainly because I just loved watching the sulcata videos on youtube. I have the space.. big backyar, big garage for winter housing.. we are planning on building a 3 foot tall wall around the back yard with privacy fence in the front to deter theives. By the time our Sulcata gets super big my 11 year old dog will most likely no longer be around.
When I told my husband I was falling in love with tortoises he got super excited about it. Not to the extent I was, but he didn't say no to me at all. We have no desire to take any more tortoises in. Just one is all we ever need. If some of my sons health problems begin to get better there is always the chance we will move farther south or our west.. my husbands family is all in Southern California. Until then we are working out to make our home the best home possible for our tort.

 

[Big Charlie]

I've always liked reptiles but not so much I'd ever considered owning one.

We found Adila in the street last October. While we were looking for an owner, she dug down in our yard and hibernated. When she reappeared, I was thrilled and relieved. I'd done my research by then and realized we have a great climate for housing a Russian, along with an existing and secure outdoor space, full of safe foods. We even have a great vet nearby!

We would never have intentionally sought out a tortoise. But now that she's here, we love her rhythms, her strength and stubborness. I could watch her all day; she's meditative for me. For my husband, she also provides an opportunity to be handy, as he's built a night box and a burrow; and escape proofed the yard. Soon he'll be setting up a fridge for hibernation.

Now we just need to figure out how to find her next home; I expect her to outlive us. Fortunately we have several decades to think about it!

One of the things I love most is that Charlie will most likely outlive me. I'm tired of the pain of the loss of all my other pets. My daughter's cat has 2 months to live and I dread what is to come.

 

[Speedy-1]

Wow , so many wonderful stories I am almost embarrassed to tell mine . We were at a reptile show and I really liked those big Sully's they had on display ! Of course my wife said no way !! So we went home and I sniveled and pouted

until she gave in and let me get Speedy !

 

[Gillian M]

One of the things I love most is that Charlie will most likely outlive me. I'm tired of the pain of the loss of all my other pets. My daughter's cat has 2 months to live and I dread what is to come.

I agree with that, although I am not at all an emotional person.

 

[Gillian M]

Wow , so many wonderful stories I am almost embarrassed to tell mine . We were at a reptile show and I really liked those big Sully's they had on display ! Of course my wife said no way !! So we went home and I sniveled and pouted

until she gave in and let me get Speedy !

So you and of course Speedy won the war.

 

[Loohan]

I love dogs, cats, rabbits, ferrets, but as an adult, the only pets i'd had were rats. And i loved them very much but they have very short lives!

I don't want a dog, even though i love them, largely because they constantly demand attention. They want to play, they may bark annoyingly, they might chew up wild boxies.
I love cats but they would eat all the lizards, etc. that i have scampering around.

Plus, providing food i consider of acceptable quality to carnivores would be a big challenge. Then there is a high likelihood they get injured or sick, and need vet care. Then there's vaccines... for diseases like Parvo and Rabies.

I have always loved turtles and torts. And they are long-lived. And they are so much more convenient. A turtle is quiet, doesn't demand your attention, doesn't usually get into much trouble. Doesn't get vaccines. Might require a vet at times, but then again, if you take good care, with a bit of luck, maybe not.

And yes, my boxies are totally gentle and kind and benevolent, except toward small wiggly critters. (I do keep them apart too.) Not all turts and torts make friendly pets, but many do.