Pet Tortoises

If you are thinking of getting a pet tortoise there are a number of factors to
consider, not least the type of species of tortoise that would be best suited to
your lifestyle but also the amount of space you have available to build its
enclosure.

Tortoises are part of the Chelonian species which includes turtles. Chelonian
is a Greek word and refers to tortoises and turtles whether they live in the
ocean or on land. Specifically a tortoise is a chelonian that lives on the land
and do not venture into the sea but they do enjoy bathing in water and of
course drinking it!

Tortoises can range in size from a tiny little one weighing less than a pound to
ones weighing 600lbs or more! All species though have one thing in
common, they are all herbivores. They eat plants and vegetation as opposed to
live animals and insects. Common to all tortoises are their shells. However,
there are some tortoises which do have softer shells. Most though have a hard
shell that protects them from most predators.

All chelonians are ectothermic (cold blooded) they require an external heat
source therefore you must provide a heat and light source to mimic the
sunlight for your pet.

The tortoise shell is unique and as we have said, acts as a protective covering
for the tortoise from predators. The shell is not one whole piece but is made
up of sections called scutes. As your tortoise grows keratin layers form around
the outside edges of the scutes forming rings like rings on a tree. Although the
rings can give a rough estimate of the age of the tortoise it is not a definitive
measure and will give only a rough estimate of your tortoises true age.

The shell of the tortoise depends on its lifestyle and habitat in the wild. Land
tortoises usually have a hard domed shell for protection although the pancake
tortoise does have a softer shell in order to squeeze between rocks to escape
from predators.

In order to protect themselves tortoises can also often pull in all their limbs
and their head. This means there are no vulnerable areas left for predators to
attack. There are also some species of tortoise that have a hinge on the top of
the shell which enables then to protect themselves even more effectively. They
also may have a type of armor on their limbs which is hard and difficult to
penetrate.

The shell is vulnerable however to an aggressive predator or a pet dog or cat
that wants to ‘play’ therefore you will have to be aware if you have a dog or cat
that they must be supervised.

The keratin scales do protect the tortoises limbs to a certain extent and some
of the spurs can be quite pronounced and will afford the tortoise a greater
degree of protection. The desert dwellers also have the ability to retain
rainwater.

Tortoises have five toes usually although it is known that some do only have
three or four but most have the five toes. Chelonians have a birdlike beak
which enables them to bite off food and chew although they do not have
teeth. They have hard bony plates but mostly they swallow food whole.

Tortoise fossils have been discovered from the Triassic period so your little pet
tortoise has an ancestry reaching as far back as the dinosaurs!
Tortoises are not fluffy!

Most owners of tortoises celebrate the uniqueness of their pet. If you want a
fluffy pet that wants to play fetch then a tortoise is obviously not for you.
However, although tortoises may at first appear to be relatively easy to keep
they do need to be housed in a very specific and controlled manner.
There are so many different species of tortoise for you to choose from to keep.
However, you have to ‘do some homework’ at first to see what each specific
species requires as they are very different.

Tortoises have lived ant thrived on most continents except Antarctica.
However, in recent times their survival has been uncertain. By choosing to
keep and care for a tortoise you are helping to maintain the species. You are
taking on a big responsibility when you decide to keep a tortoise and have to
be aware of what it needs to remain healthy. In the wild many tortoise species
are threatened by the destruction of their habitat. In these cases it is
important for us to provide breeding programmes in captivity with the
knowledge of where the tortoise’s natural habitat is.

By acquiring a tortoise from a reputable breeder you will be helping to
support the ethical breeding programmes for these exceptional creatures. This
hopefully will help to reduce the capture of wild tortoises that are in danger of
extinction. The more captive tortoises bred will provide more tortoises for the
pet owner. This is why choosing to keep and care for a tortoise is something
you have to think about seriously and find a tortoise from an ethical and
hopefully registered breeder. In this way we as tortoise enthusiasts can do our
bit to help sustain this species as a whole.