What do you need to look after a tortoise?

Answer 1

If you can't take the time to read this you can't take care of a tortoise

I'll just provide care for the very common Russian tortoise since you didn't specify (if it's a Sulcata /African Spur Thighed tortoise, do research on their care and you won't want a Sulcata anymore). First of all, I'd recommend an open top, 4ft. by 2ft. by 1ft. (length by width by height and keep in mind this is a minimum- it should be bigger) cage made custom out of wood (it's actually pretty easy). Find a way to suspend a heat lamp directly upside down (must be this way) over one side of the cage. Put a 100watt Zoo Med Powersun Mercury vapor bulb in the heat lamp. Petco and Petsmart sell them, but over charge by $30. Buy off Amazon or drsfosterandsmith.com. Replace this bulb every year regardless of if it still produces light. Your pet will die a very slow, morbidly painful death without proper light. Do not feed the commonly recommended lettuce (Romaine or otherwise) or fruit (fruit is a very, very occasional treat). Feed dark leafy greens (all that I use are: bok choy, kale, collard greens, mustard greens, dandelion greens, and spinach) from a grocery store on a plastic tupperware lid. Feed every day as much as it will eat. Put the food tray in the middle of the cage. Have two hides: one on the heated side and one on the cool side. You can simply use those half log things at pretty much any store that sells reptiles (although they're ridiculous for other reptiles). Have a shallow water dish. Surprisingly, the ones marketed for reptiles aren't as good as just a shallow tupperware bowl. Shallow means one to two inches in depth. For the bedding use alfalfa pellets which are commonly available for rodents but work great for tortoises. Bury a stepping stone in the bedding under the heat/UV lamp. This replicates how they bask in the wild. You don't have to hibernate/brumate your tortoise. Be prepared to spend a lot of money on this animal- it's a commitment. DON'T TAKE SHORTCUTS! And have fun!

By the way, I have cared for reptiles for 9 years, and have worked with some of the greatest herpetological and veterinary minds in the country.

Answer 2

You need to feed it meat and turtle pellets and give it new water every 2-3 weeks.

If your turtle's shell is bendy that means it is lacking calcium. You can get calcium supplement powder from pet shops that you can mix into your turtles food.

Get your turtle something to play with like some fake floating plants or a tube or rock. I gave my turtle a PVA tube and he loves crawling into it.

It is best to get a filter to help clean out the feces and leftover food from the water. You should also make sure that your turtle has some source of UV light over him. You should also have a thermometer to check that the temperature of the water is right but that is optional.

If you think your turtle is bored, take him out and put him outside for a wander around. Make sure that there are no Spiders or sharp edges around where the turtle can injure itself.

If you see layers of your turtles shell coming off, don't worry. It's natural. They have to shed their shell to make room for a better and bigger shell underneath.

I hope that helped.

You will need:-

3ft Tortarium

Light fitting

Reflection

Uv 30" and a 30 watt Starter

Tortoise Pool

Food Bowl

Habba Hut (hide)

3 Bags of Tortoise Bedding

Calcium Powder

Mixed Greens from Super market £2.00-£4.00 a week

= £180 (ruffly)

+ Tortoise £100-£300

Answer 3

If you are keeping it in an indoor enclosure, you will need a heat lamp to make the enclosure over 20 degrees c. You will also need a uvb bulb to simulate the sun and give it calcium. You will need to a calcium supplement to sprinkle over their food every other day (I recommend Nutrobal).

They CANNOT constantly be kept inside an indoor enclosure as this can be extremely unhealthy for them. Any area they are kept in should be 10 times their size.

You will also need to have an outdoor enclosure and make sure the tortoise can absorb some natural sunlight as this can be healthy for any reptile. It also needs some shade.

You will also need to check on your tortoise regularly because if it has flipped onto its shell under a heat bulb or in the sun, it can cause fatal overheating.

As for the diet, you can feed them fruit and veg. They really like any leafy veg like lettuce or cabbage.

Answer 4

Well, first of all, tortoises need what all animals need - food and drink. They eat mostly 'green food' - there are a lot of weeds which they can eat, such as dandelion leaves (there are many others which you could look up), and they can eat cabbage leaves, lettuce, and cress as well. I'm not sure about the cabbage, but lettuce and cress, along with strawberries, should be given sparingly and as a treat only, because though many tortoises find it really yummy, it doesn't really have any nutritional value and the only thing that it will do for your tortoise/s will make it/them a little bit overweight! Also, be careful, because I know from personal experience that tortoises can be fussy eaters, and they may choose to eat lettuce and nothing else if they like it enough!

It is good to put a shallow bowl of water (you can buy 'tortoise baths' for the same purpose) with small rocks in and around it in the tortoise's pen/box, so that there is always a drink available there for them if they need it, but you should also spray water onto their food, just to make sure that they are definitely getting the moisture that they need. This will also stop the food from drying out.

Another thing that is vital for tortoises is a heat lamp. Many pet shops sell them, and you can buy them online as well. Getting a heat lamp for your tortoise/s is very important, because tortoises are reptiles, and reptiles are cold-blooded. Cold-blooded creatures need heat to be able to move and eat - without heat, they cannot survive - and so this is obviously where the heat lamp comes in. You will need a thermometer as well, to put in the tortoise pen and see if it is the right temperature for the animal/s (you will have to also look up online what temperature is best).

Also, you may choose to have a regular lamp - one that produces light more than heat - shining down on them as well, so that the tortoise/s is/are not left in the dark. Just make sure it is not positioned too close, because I am sure you don't want a blinded tortoise!

Those are the vital things out of the way - but added comforts include lots of rocks to roam around on (as well as some large ones positioned under the heat lamp for the animals to sunbathe on, and those bendy wooden pet-bridges are good too), and a pen to put outside when the weather is warm enough for them to go out. Again, you will have to check the temperature, but if it helps, I've been told that if it is warm enough to go outside with just a t-shirt on, then it is warm enough for tortoises to go outside.

And another thing (sorry, this is going on forever) - but this is very, very important. If a tortoise falls over onto its back (which, unfortunately, can happen quite a lot if the tortoise is quite adventurous and there are a lot of rocks etc. in its living area), and is left there for a few minutes, it is usually fatal, so try and reduce as many risks as possible. If there is something in the tortoise pen which the animal can fall off of, take that thing out if you have to leave the house, and when you are at home, check regularly to see if the tortoise/s is/are alright.

If the worst happens and a tortoise does fall onto its back, don't panic, but slowly lift the animal up and put it back the right way up. It is VERY important that you do it slowly, because if it happens suddenly, it can have some bad effects on the tortoise (I'm not sure what, exactly, but I think it's got something to do with the brain).

And, FINALLY, if you are planning to buy a tortoise, remember that they are happiest with another tortoise to keep them company (and it is best that the two tortoises have lived together and known each other before you buy them).

So, there you are! A little guide to tortoise-keeping. I hope it helps!

Above all, be happy with your tortoise and love it! Tortoises can be brilliant, amusing, interesting pets!