Why did you choose to have a tortoise?

[Tom]

i did that too! I so wish i had a picture of me riding them!

I used to ride the Galapagos tortoises at San Diego Zoo when I was a little boy. That is my first memory of them. I hounded my mother into buying me a box turtle when I was 7. Been fascinated with them ever since.

I know pictures were taken, but I can't find a one. I'm sure my mother has them stashed away somewhere, but she can't find them either.

---

"The Looney Tunes". Once I saw Bugs Bunny knock on his tortoise friend's shell, where they would go inside and there would be a couch, tv, and a kitchen, that was it for me.

I remember that! Loved that one.

We are all influenced by so many things... There is a street up here where I live that goes nuts with all the lights. The whole neighborhood is converted into "The Night Before Christmas" every December. As my little girl and I walked though the story, she pointed out a half dozen turtle and tortoise characters. I never really noticed before.

 

[StudentoftheReptile]

I often ask myself "Why have I not chosen to have a tortoise before now?!"

For nearly decades, I was a passionate "snake guy" while keeping the occasional lizard. I did have a few turtles here and there early on, usually either aquatic turtles given to me, or a box turtle that just lived in the backyard. I was never really into the chelonians because unlike a snake or lizard, you really can't pick them up and mess with them (I mean, you can, but they don't really like it!). You can't drape a tortoise around your neck or perch it on your shoulder.

This past spring, I really cannot explain it but I just caught some itch to have a tortoise. Perhaps it was because I was listening to Tyler Stewart on Reptile Radio, and found them interesting but I just suddenly really wanted a tortoise. I ended up adopting a baby sulcata from our local herp rescue and named him Kobe. This about the time my son was born in April. I now find it very cool that he has a pet he can share his entire lifetime with (if he so chooses). Ironically, my little redfoot is about the same age, so he has TWO tortoises that share the same birthday (athough I suspect the sulcata will surpass the RF in longevity). I just thought about it the other day; seriously, if all goes well, I'll probably die before my sulcata does!

But back to the question...these tortoises just have a personality that just is so endearing that it totally makes up for not being able to pick them up. I said it on another thread, but after years of snake keeping, I actually find these guys more enjoyable than my snakes! Who'da thunk it?

 

[Tom]

You might have to change your username now...

 

[StudentoftheReptile]

You might have to change your username now...

No kidding! That was the name of my little business when I was breeding and selling snakes. Now, I'm even letting the domain name expire. I dunno...might be too much trouble, and I dunno what I'd change it to anyway.

 

[Melly-n-shorty]

A co worker brought me shorty. He was only a couple weeks old. Shorty's mom and dad were owned by a lady who was living with her boyfriend. She left the boyfriend and took the adults. She never came back for the eggs in the incubator. Just after shorty hatched the man gave shorty to my co worker's x husband. The x husband gave shorty to his daughter who broght shorty home to her mom's house (my co worker). My co worker brought shorty to me because she accidentally caught her last tortoise on fire and didn't want another. Shorty made it from the time he hatched till I got him living in a box with no heat or lamp. I was only going to foster him but after doing tons of research decided to keep him because I can more then provide for him and I felt he deserved a forever home.

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

Inherited my Grandfather pet Hermann's 38 years ago, and had her for the last 19 years of her life...after that, not having at least one tortoise around was weird...they're kinda addictive, really.

 

[dmarcus]

I owned a couple RES as a kid but as an adult I wanted something that didn't require me to change out the tank water. I considered a box turtle but was pulled in by the cuteness of a hatchling sulcata...

 

[Cherbear]

I bought a res for my daughter several years ago when I knew nothing about turtle/torts. It has snowballed from there. Now it's my passion.

 

[Baoh]

I found my first tortoise when I was six. Before that, I had already been keeping RES, map turtles, and EBTs. With tortoises, they have always held some manner of ancient charm with me.

 

[L484TAE]

I wanted one after watching clips on videos a few years back and seeing how funny and cool the look.

Also, it helps that like most reptiles, it wont run right up your arm and off it goes so your not afraid to take it out, You can put it on the floor while cleaning its tank (if you know you wont stand on it) and it wont go too far or run up a wall, they don't mind if you don't pick them up, and they don't mind if you do. And they don't try and escape from your hand.

They're just cool. I wanted one years ago and it was four days ago when I asked if I could have one (not ever thinking i'd be allowed one because I wasn't when I asked a few years back) and I was allowed one. I looked it up on google, how to look after them, planned out what to keep it in, how much it's going to cost and when out and bought one right away.

And that is why I bought my tortoise.

 

[Yvonne G]

I wanted one after watching clips on videos a few years back and seeing how funny and cool the look.

Hi L484TAE:

Won't you please start a new thread in the "introductions" section and tell us a bit about yourself?

 

[tyler0912]

I came across some posts on google from TFO and i read and read!
Then talked my parents into lettind me have one 2-3years down the line i have 2 beuaties!

 

[Shelly]

My first was an unexpected rescue. Additional ones were obtained because I love having pets that are essentially wild animals, and require little or no care. I enjoy my tortoises just like I enjoy the squirrel that I give peanuts to every day, the frogs in my pond, or the jay that often visits.

 

[81SHOVELHEAD]

Found this forum approx.4 yrs ago .
Lurked around for a couple of yrs reading posts ,
Found the Redfoots has the same basic diet as my Bearderd Dragons & love Humidity ,(Galveston County)
Walked into Petco December 2010 & seen they had 2 redfoots housed in a 20 gallon with 4 russians . Knew from reading several post this was not good so i bought the redfoots ( Archie & Edith) 4"scl ,
Walked into same Petco in March 2011 & they Had a 7 1/2 scl Male (BUBBA) & 4" SCL female all yellow head(Blondie) & decided i needed these 2 also .
October 2011 Exotic Dr, & I met up & Houston Reptile show & i purchased a Male & female Bermese Brown Mountain tortoise.
They are addicting & now my wife & family are accusing me of being a tortoise Hoarder?
But as long as i can provide a proper home & husbandry for these little creatures (which i can) why not .
At least i know if i am succesful & get lucky enough for my red foots to lay eggs there won't be anyone from south america lurking aroud with garbage bags collecting the eggs for some type of religious ritual to deplete this beautiful resouce nature has provided .
Mike D,

 

[wellington]

Always played with turtles when I was a kid camping. Always wanted a tortoise. My neighbors always had Box and I never got one. Now I am able to have one Wanted the biggest I could get for where I live. If I ever move to a proper place for Aldabra's, I will have at least one

 

[ajlec2000]

I think the question should be why have anything else.

I mean:
Dogs- protein gobbling feces factories.
Cats- song bird gobbling feces factories.
Fish- born dying.
Lizards- run up the wall first chance they get.
Birds- loud, feathers everywhere and the cats keep trying to gobble them.
Rats- they're rats
Mice- escape and get into things
Snakes- boring, except when they are going after the mice.

 

[Zamric]

Cathie and WalkingRock came as a package deal... I wouldn't part with either one!

 

[Floof]

My first was a kind of unexpected "rescue." I'd read up on tortoises previously, having an interest in chelonians spurred on by a preexisting love for the reptilian kind, and decided the space requirements were just too much for me as a high school student. I already had one space-hogging, UVB-demanding reptile who I couldn't just thaw a frodent out for once a week; doubling that didn't sound terribly appealing at the time.

Then, a year later, a girl from school asked if I wanted her brother's tortoise. (I probably brought it on myself, what with having a 4' boa hanging out around my neck at the time!) I told her maybe, that I'd take a look and go from there. Then I saw what they had her in, and just couldn't leave her there!

And the rest is history. So... I didn't so much "choose" to have a tortoise, and I can't explain for the life of me why I chose to keep having tortoises, either. I just know I love 'em.

Lizards- run up the wall first chance they get.

If my lizard starts running up walls, I will eat my shirt.

 

[ajlec2000]

Having to eat a shirt, even your own, is another reason to avoid lizards.

 

[StraightEdge Rurouni]

I'm a quiet person, as tortoises are quiet animals, while you do have to take care of them, they can also have their times to themselves as often as you can have fun with them, kind of like cats only cats will tear your furniture up. That, and it helps that they're just awesome, since I've gotten Fluffy there's been plenty of fun with her, not just with by myself, but with the entire family