# Anyone got a tortoise?



## heebiejeebies (18 February 2013)

Something I've been considering for a while now is getting a tortoise, have done some research on keeping them etc but wondered if anyone here has any advice or photos or anything?


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## Maisy (18 February 2013)

My daughter had one for her birthday in May.  I thought she was ready for the commitment of one having looked after a hamster really well for its lifetime.  Unfortunately the novelty appears to have worn off, so I think it might be looking for a new home, since it is only a juvenile and 70 years is a long time to be cooped up and not bothered with....and I have enough to do!!


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## heebiejeebies (18 February 2013)

Aww that's a shame, so common with kids though. Have you got any pics? I'm interested in other peoples housing set ups so I can work out the best way to go about it! Where abouts are you? If you're not too far away I could be a potential adopter


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## marmalade76 (18 February 2013)

I have one. Can't understand how you don't have time for it, Maisy, Torty is the most low maintenance pet I've ever had! I'll happily take him off your hands if you really don't want him.

Mine lives in the garden, he has a wooden box in the greenhouse (he _loves_ the greenhouse) and during the summer he goes in and out as he chooses. There's lots for him to graze on in the garden, he loves clover and dandelions in particular. His fave foods are cucumber and bananas. In the winter he hiberbates in the shed in a shoe box which is put inside a larger box filled with insulation. 

I love him, he's so cute! He is literally solar powered, the warmer and sunnier it is the faster he moves!































Devonshire Dumpling on here is a tort expert, she's the one to talk to 

You might find this thread helpful,  I certainly did!

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=487303


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## Maisy (18 February 2013)

I can't post (or rather can't remember how!) pictures on here, but if you let me know your email address I can send you pictures!!

Its not that I don't have time for it (still don't know if its a boy or girl!!)....but I have enough pets that are my responsibility, I have no real interest in it (that sounds harsh....I would if my daughter did!), and I certainly don't want to be responsible for it for years and years if she is bored already!!!

Ours is too young to be left out in the garden if its not warm enough, and we didn't hibernate it this winter, though it slowed down a lot, so might be ready next year!!!

eta my daughter is 12 so *should* be old enough to take responsibility for it!  I didn't buy it for a 5 year old or anything!!!  I'm concerned that I sound uncaring, but I am thinking of the poor tortoise!


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## GinaB (19 February 2013)

I would love a tortoise, but the hibernation scares me!


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## Karran (20 February 2013)

The hibernation scared me too the first time around, but now its fine. 
Just brought all the summer plants to get in my garden for when he wakes in two or three weeks!


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## heebiejeebies (20 February 2013)

Marmalade I love him, so CUTE!! Makes me want one even more haha  How old is he?

Could I keep it outside overnight? Would it not be too cold for it? I was thinking of getting it a house for indoors with a lamp and letting it outside when it's nice weather, although here in Scotland that's pretty rare... Your greenhouse idea sounds like it works well, I've not got one, if he was going outside I'd try and build some sort of enclosure or even get a rabbit run for it to go into. I have a cat, dog and inquisitive (heavy handed!) toddler, so I wouldn't be able to let it roam free in he garden I wouldn't have thought.


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## Buds_mum (20 February 2013)

Mine ran away...... 

Apparently its quite common!


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## LucyAmelia (20 February 2013)

I have a tortoise, Herbie his name is. I would really reccomend getting one so low maintenance but not as boring as people may suggest. Mine is a right little character!


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## Karran (21 February 2013)

heebiejeebies said:



			Marmalade I love him, so CUTE!! Makes me want one even more haha  How old is he?

Could I keep it outside overnight? Would it not be too cold for it? I was thinking of getting it a house for indoors with a lamp and letting it outside when it's nice weather, although here in Scotland that's pretty rare... Your greenhouse idea sounds like it works well, I've not got one, if he was going outside I'd try and build some sort of enclosure or even get a rabbit run for it to go into. I have a cat, dog and inquisitive (heavy handed!) toddler, so I wouldn't be able to let it roam free in he garden I wouldn't have thought.
		
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I would be very careful getting a tortoise with a toddler.
They do carry the salmonella bug in them naturally. Its not as bad as perhaps with terrapins, but I wouldn't want to risk it with a young child.


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## LucyAmelia (21 February 2013)

We have a toddler and a tortoise and they are fine together, obviously we checked it out with vets. And at first he slept in the kitchen but now he has a large run in the garden with a wooden box which he sleeps in and he is verry happy


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## Karran (21 February 2013)

Guess it depends on the toddler! Not having a child myself! I just have visions of them poking it and putting their hands in their mouths! The risk is supposed to be fairly small!

The big danger around my tortoise would be getting their feet eaten!  He has such a foot fetish and is big enough to hurt now!


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## LucyAmelia (21 February 2013)

Karran said:



			Guess it depends on the toddler! Not having a child myself! I just have visions of them poking it and putting their hands in their mouths! The risk is supposed to be fairly small!

The big danger around my tortoise would be getting their feet eaten!  He has such a foot fetish and is big enough to hurt now!
		
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haha mine too! he never used to but now he chases your feet around the garden lol


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## Karran (21 February 2013)

I'm so glad its not mine! He will "Sprint" across the living room to get them. 
He is also sneaky and circles under the sofa and then gets my ankles


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## LucyAmelia (21 February 2013)

Karran said:



			I'm so glad its not mine! He will "Sprint" across the living room to get them. 
He is also sneaky and circles under the sofa and then gets my ankles 

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haha! its funny because he only dies it to certain people, me being one of them!


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## heebiejeebies (24 February 2013)

Haha I never ever thought I'd see 'tortoise' and 'foot fetish' in the same sentence!! 

Ooh I'm getting more and more tempted.... has anyone else got any more photos of their tortoises and enclosures?


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## Harveydales (2 March 2013)

I have 2 tortoises. One I've owned for 50 years!!! and the other is a young one I was given when a friend's child lost interest. The poor little thing had been kept in a fully enclosed vivarium, no UV lights and wrong diet so was weak and slightly deformed but is now doing very well.

Initially I kept the little tortoise in a propper "tortoise table" but now it has joined my old one. They live in my greenhouse through the colder months. I've planted it up as a "tortoise world" with UV/heat lamps, tortoise friendly plants, rocks for them bask on and plenty of shaded bits for them to hide under. Then, on warm days I have a similar outdoor enclosure for them. Will try and get some pics on here.


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## sonjafoers (2 March 2013)

I'm really sorry but I'm going to hijack this thread just for a minute 

I've 2 horsfields which are the bain of my life! They are very unhappy when kept indoors & having spoken to the Chelonian Society at depth it seems they don't do well indoors or in the wet although they can cope with colder weather.

So over the years I've tried many types of outdoor accomodation for them, all of which have failed and although I love the idea of them coming & going as they please they are now being kept indoors which they hate. I didn't hibernate them this winter due to the awful summer they had so they're now roaming around my spare room.

Can anyone give me any tips as to outdoor living for them, or in particular an outdoor shelter. They have a patch of garden where I've changed the soil to a sand mix which is what they need & I've grown the correct plants for them which they totally ignore. The issue is making a shelter they can live in full term (apart from hibernation ) and get out when they want to. I've tried wood with a perspex top which leaked & made the substrate too wet for them, I've tried a cold frame with a greenhouse heater in which got so much condensation in they were virtually floating, and I've tried a simple wooden box but of course if it's too cold & they don't come out they don't get any UV etc. I haven't really got room for a greenhouse but even if I did it would have the same condensation issues as the cold frame and cost a fortune to heat.

In addition to the housing issue they refuse to eat anything they should, I've tried EVERYTHING and all they will eat is romaine lettuce, pak choi & pellets none of which is any good for them.

They get regular vet check ups to make sure their beaks don't need trimming & the vet tells me they're healthy but I still worry about them constantly.

I have been at my wits end with them for years now & keep threatening to rehome them but I can't because they are so lovely really! If anyone can give  me a workable idea for keeping them outdoors I'd be over the moon


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## marmalade76 (2 March 2013)

I don't provide mine with heating, providing it doesn't drop below freezing inside their box they should be fine outside without. Try putting their box inside a bigger shelter of some kind and put it in an area that gets the morning sun. Perhaps a small lean-to type thing, open fronted with a perspex roof so it would warm without the condensation? I put shavings in mine's box as he does like to half bury himself when he goes to bed.

Re food, I've never given my tort pellets 'cause they're only recommended for those who are very underweight or ill. Mine loves cucumber and bananas most and gobbles them up, he also spends a lot of time grazing. He likes rose petals too, ever tried them? Will they not graze or eat what's good for them if there's nothing else available? In other words, remove any 'bad' stuff so they'll be more tempted by the good.

Would just like to add that I'm no expert, I have only learnt how to look after mine via the net and via him himself!

ETA mine does not have an enclosure, he has the run of the garden and it seems that this is not always enough for him!


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## sonjafoers (2 March 2013)

That's interesting that you don't provide any heating marmalade76, I would worry that they aren't warm enough for the majority of the time - perhaps I'm too soft, is our weather warm enough without an extra heat source? I have a builder coming round next week to quote for a brick building with double glazed front & roof but I think it might be out of my price range. I'm trying anything to keep them warm & dry with no condensation but we've spent so much money over the years that it's getting to be a last resort really.

I've tried only offering them what they should eat which is the plants I've grown specifically for them & not offering them anything else, however they just don't eat them. I've bought plants from the garden centre, I've dug up & grown grass/dandelions/clover from the yard in case they don't like the garden ones, I've bought & propogated a pack of specialist tortoise seeds but they just have no interest. I've tried rose petals just to temp them with something sweet but they didn't eat them or the clover flowers I thought they'd love.They do eat the odd dandelion head but not ones that are growing, only if I pick them & lay them in front of them.The vet has told me not to worry because they only eat for 15 minutes a day during a small part of the year but it does worry me so I end up putting out a romaine lettuce and then they eat non-stop.

Before I got them they were kept in a vivarium & fed only pellets so it was a culture shock for them to live outside with proper food & despite having had them for a few years now they've never really adjusted. They have complete free range of the garden with whichever shelter we're trying at the time and a few little shelter things in their sand patch. I'm really trying to give them a natural life but they don't seem to appreciate it!

What have you done with yours in terms of living outside with the wet cold summer we've had?

I just want to do what's best for them but out of all our animals they're the ones that have given me the most grey hairs!


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## marmalade76 (2 March 2013)

He was fine last summer, if it wasn't warm enough for him he'd stay in the greenhouse, if fairly cool he quite often wouldn't get up at all! I wouldn't worry too much about them not eating, AFAIA they're a bit like snakes, they don't need to eat every day. 

As for wet and damp, I thought they needed a bit of this as my vet told me that they absorb a certain amount of the moisture they need through their skin.

Do they make use of the garden, explore, etc? On a warm day mine will go round the garden several times, stop to graze for a few minuets, then wander around again, chase anyone who might have food for him..


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## sonjafoers (3 March 2013)

My vet echoed your thoughts on the eating, he said they must be eating something because they are a healthy weight so not to worry too much.

Yes they do make use of the garden, and the warmer it is the faster they motor round it. The problem is the horsfields are a breed that really can't tolerate wet unlike the hermans which are quite happy with a bit of damp weather.

Thank you for your replies, if this new design house is out if our price range I'll think about a small greenhouse with a shelter box in & try not to worry about the condensation!


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## heebiejeebies (5 March 2013)

Harveydales said:



			They live in my greenhouse through the colder months. I've planted it up as a "tortoise world" with UV/heat lamps, tortoise friendly plants, rocks for them bask on and plenty of shaded bits for them to hide under. Then, on warm days I have a similar outdoor enclosure for them. Will try and get some pics on here.
		
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That sounds perfect! Have you got any photos? Pretty please..??


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