Tips For New Tortoise Owners

Tips For New Tortoise Parents!

Becoming a tortoise parent can be a blessing. However, if you do not research the species it can be a nightmare!

If you have finally decided to give in and adopt or purchase, the first step is to research.

Research tortoise types:

• Life-span

• Size

• Diet

• Housing requirements/indoor or outdoor

Research yourself, your capabilities, your abilities:

• Do I have the space?

• Do I have the ability to care for a forever pet?

• Do I have the $$ to provide all of the necessary items to keep “it” healthy, not the minimum requirements. This includes, food, lighting, substrate, vet bills and who will care for “it” once I CAN no longer do so.

Research the species: once you have decided what species you are equipped to care for, you need to prepare for their arrival:

• Enclosure type and size, bigger is always better!

• Lighting, all lighting are NOT created equal

• Temps, different species require different temps

• Humidity levels, different species require different humidity levels

• Soaking, all babies SHOULD be soaked daily

• Substrate: types, appropriateness

• Diet: what diet is appropriate for my species

• Supplements

• NO feeds

• A GREAT Herp vet

Research your vet and make sure you schedule a first appointment within the first few weeks upon arrival:

https://arav.site-ym.com/search/custom.asp?id=3661

Research your breeder!

***Buying from a pet store can be a heartbreaking experience! ***

If you purchase from a pet store, make sure that you already know the species requirements. Pets stores are infamous for “incorrect” information, as well as selling unneeded, overpriced and even toxic products.

Things to look for when purchasing from a pet store:

• runny noses or eyes

• red or cloudy eyes

• lethargy

• black spots on shell or head

• white patches on plastron or edges of carapace where the top and bottom meet.

If you are buying from a breeder, research the breeder. Ask around, look at ratings and reviews, if available. Ask for any available FB pages or groups where you can ask about prior experiences with this particular breeder. Always have a backup breeder that is also researched. Only because they are breeding them, doesn’t mean they are 100% correct, no one is. Take the good and apply it, and throw the bad in the GARBAGE, where it belongs.

Questions to ask about the breeder:

• How did you receive your tortoise?

• Were there any complications?

• Was the breeder available for follow-up questions?

• Would you buy from this breeder again?

Things to ask the breeder:

• Prices

• Care advice to compare with what you already know

• Are you available for follow-up care?

• Is there a vet that you recommend?

• Did this baby have any complications after being hatched?

• How is the appetite?

• How is the activity level?

Things to look for:

• overcrowded pens

• runny eyes and noses

• lethargy

• white or black patches on head, plastron and ridge of carapace

• red eyes

• cloudy eyes

Once you have selected a breeder, prepare their new home:

Housing type

• Glass aquariums are made for fish and able to be used for turtles. However, not appropriate for tortoises.

• Glass overheats, does not allow for an appropriate temperature gradient and hinders their ability to thermoregulate.

• Many tortoises species, if not all, have difficulty interpreting glass, they tend to bang into the glass or rub their noses raw.

• Glass is also more difficult to keep clean and can contribute to fungus.

• Tortoise tables are great if the size is appropriate.

• Many people purchase the recommended minimum size for their species, this seems to be a mistake that people quickly find out. You want an enclosure that your tortoise can grow into. “bigger is always better”

• Tortoise tables can be made into closed as well as open chambers to accommodate your species.

Totes or tubs

These types of accommodations are temporary for many species.

Christmas tree totes are great for Russians and some smaller species.

Substrate

• Most mulches, chips and shavings are toxic especially when heated (heat bulbs)

• Mulches, chips and shavings are not appropriate for burrowing species and can cause impaction if ingested. They can also cause injury to their eyes or body.

• Sand can also cause impaction and eye injuries.

• Pellets mold and are a forever source of unneeded processed food, not to mention that they are like walking on gravel.

An appropriate substrate is safe, does not mold, provides humidity and allows for burrowing:

• Organic top soil

• Sphagnum peat moss

• Coco coir

Lighting

Different species require different lighting, temps and humidity levels. These guys are poikilotherms and rely greatly on their circadian cycle. They need a cycle of appropriate lighting, usually 14 hours per day. They need a dual climate that allows for a drop in temps at night. In order to provide this, you must:

• Have the appropriate lighting for the species:

• Ceramic heat emitters are great for nighttime heat if needed. Tortoises require a certain amount of visible light to be able to have a functional circadian cycle. This cycle is responsible for appetite, digestion, activity levels, immune system and even reproduction.

• Red lights, if used during the day, can interfere with their circadian cycle because it does not provide enough visible light. If used at night, it can also interfere with their cycle because it is still visible enough for them to see.

You want to make sure you have the appropriate amount of UVB for the species:

• 10% for desert species

• 5% for tropical or forest species

Have the appropriate measuring tools:

Temp Gun

Hygrometer

Digital thermometer

Humidity and Temps

Different species require different humidity levels:

Too much of a good thing is not so good: If your humidity is high and your temps are low, your tortoise can suffer from RI.

If your overall enclosure is the same temp, there is no room for thermoregulation and this can cause illness.

• RI

• Dehydration

• Overheating

• Lethargy

• Loss of appetite

Hydration

• There is no such thing as “it’s too early” to provide water.

• Babies need to be soaked daily: 20-30 minutes per day for the first year or so.

• They do NOT get their water from their food.

• They do not get all of their hydration from soaking.

• Dehydration causes many ailments including stones.

• Make sure your water bowls have easy access to enter and exit.

• Make sure that they are not directly under your heat lamp.

• Make sure that your “daily soaking” is in an appropriate, supervised container/bowl.

Humid hides/hides

All species require a place to feel safe and secure. There are many types of hides available or can be DIY. Species that require high humidity can utilize humid hides, but not providing the correct temp can cause illness. Other species can have hides that are their “safe place”

Cohabitation

This is a very touchy subject for many people! They

• do not need friends

• can be competitive, aggressive, dominant and territorial

• Mixing species can be fatal.

• Many species can carry Tortoise Herpesvirus, which can be fatal in most cases.

• They carry different bacteria.

• They have different requirements.

Diet

• Diet is as important as lighting.

• Too much or too little is going to result in an unhealthy tortoise

• Feed an appropriate, varied diet.

• Do not over supplement

• Make sure cuttlebone is readily available.

• Hindgut fermenters should NOT have fruit of any kind.

• The term “treats”, is a human term and is not applicable to tortoises.

• Herbivores should not have animal matter of any kind.

Supervision is of utmost importance! Always supervise your shelled kids during the following activities:

• Soaking

• Outings

• Eating/babies

Health Checks: Health checks are very important and should be done:

• Weekly

• After medicating

• During egg laying season

• After periods of being left alone

• If red flags are witnessed

Handling: Handling can be very stressful and can lead to illness:

During the first year or so, hatchlings should not be handled frequently unless it is needed. The following are times that handling is required.

• Feeding

• Soaking

• Health checks

• Maintenance

Once you have gotten your new tort settled, give him/her a good carrot or mixed veggie soak. This will hydrate and give them a boost. You will want to get your shelled kids on a routine for both soaking and feeding. Pick a good time, preferably early morning. Stick to it, and they will adjust. New hatchlings up to 1 year and newly adopted torts should be soaked daily.

Finally, enjoy your shelled baby and remember that all creatures are creatures of habit and need time to adjust. Whether you are bringing home a hatchling, juvenile or adult, they may not eat until they have acclimated to their new home.

https://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/