# Tortoise needed for First grade class



## Jessy11 (Sep 23, 2016)

Hello me and Mr.Guzman the first grade teacher are looking for a tortoise for the classroom, we can only have a tortoise to reside in the classroom,is a policy from Milwaukee Public Schools,our kids are excited and eager to have a pet in the class room this year, Thank you for your consideration- Jessie


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## JoesMum (Sep 23, 2016)

Hello

It's good that your students are excited, but tortoises are not good classroom pets. 

They really struggle with the noise and attention. 

A tortoise, even the smallest species, needs a minimum of 4' x 8' enclosure space. They have very precise temperature and humidity needs. They also don't travel well, so weekends and vacations are an issue. 

I recommend a rethink 

If you want to learn more, please read our Beginner Mistakes thread
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/


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## Yvonne G (Sep 23, 2016)

Hi Jessy, and welcome to the Forum!

An indoor tortoise, being a cold-blooded animal, depends upon an external light/heat source to stay warm. When his inner core temperature drops down to what a class room's room temperature gets to over the week-end or after hours when the lights are turned off, he can't digest his food and it's not healthy for him. He slows down and eventually gets sick.

I'm not a big fan of keeping a tortoise or turtle in a class room.


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## ZEROPILOT (Sep 23, 2016)

How about something more social and warm blooded?
A rat or a hamster? 
Maybe if you want a reptile...A small docile snake. A milk snake or a common scarlet king snake can be very colorful and live under a reptile light.
They can live in smaller areas and don't mind human interaction.


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## ShellyTheTortoise71 (Sep 23, 2016)

Tortoises are not a good option for classrooms. They do not like noise, excessive handling, or small enclosures. If possible, we always try to provide and outdoor enclosure that is at least 7 feet by 7 feet. And that is the bare minimum for a tortoise. They are also very expensive to upkeep. Please consider a different animal, that will be healthy in a classroom.


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## mctlong (Sep 23, 2016)

I love the idea of introducing kids to tortoises early, but am inclined to agree with the above. Keeping torts inside a classroom gets complicated and costly due to the humidity, temps, and UV requirements. You'd need to bring it home on weekends and be prepared to bring it with you when you retire since their lifespan is counted in decades. 

What if you got a pet tortoise for your home and just brought it into the classroom occasionally for short visits with the kids?


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## Lyn W (Sep 23, 2016)

I don't know about the US, but in my UK school we would not be allowed to leave the necessary heat lamps on overnight as it would be a fire hazard, and the same would apply for unattended uvb lamps during the days on weekends.
I have taken my tort into school once for a couple for hours when we were studying reptiles for our Classification topic. He was a bit stressed by it, pooped all over his travelling box, and I won't do it again.


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## Mel1234 (Oct 19, 2016)

We're seeking a caring, lifelong home for our African spurred tortoise. He's about 16/17 years old (big!) from Minneapolis, Minnesota. He has a good life with us, with full access to our large, fenced-in yard during the warmer months and a double-decker cage in a first-grade classroom during the year. However, he's getting too big and distracting for the classroom (maybe you have room for a larger cage at your school than we do?) and we don't have room for him in our house. He's healthy and funny, too.


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## Mel1234 (Oct 19, 2016)

P.S. I recommend getting one of those small tortoises that don't grow large for your first-grade classroom. However, if you do need a large one, Torty is accustomed to living in a first-grade classroom during the school year and he's well loved. He would need to be in a large, fenced-in yard during the warmer months, though. He loves to explore (and he's super smart — always trying to escape — too).


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## Yvonne G (Oct 19, 2016)

Mel1234 said:


> We're seeking a caring, lifelong home for our African spurred tortoise. He's about 16/17 years old (big!) from Minneapolis, Minnesota. He has a good life with us, with full access to our large, fenced-in yard during the warmer months and a double-decker cage in a first-grade classroom during the year. However, he's getting too big and distracting for the classroom (maybe you have room for a larger cage at your school than we do?) and we don't have room for him in our house. He's healthy and funny, too.
> View attachment 189842
> View attachment 189843



I really don't recommend putting a large tortoise like this in a classroom situation. This tortoise needs to be outside all the time.


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## ZEROPILOT (Oct 19, 2016)

Ask a lot of questions to any possible interested parties.
Ask to see their tortoise yards, etc. Ask questions that will expose experience levels, etc.
Sadly, not every person is looking to keep a tortoise forever or is even able to.
A Sulcata is a very sought after animal. I'm sure you'll find plenty of interested folks.
(The O.P. hasn't been back since she posted this)


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## Mel1234 (Oct 19, 2016)

Yvonne G said:


> I really don't recommend putting a large tortoise like this in a classroom situation. This tortoise needs to be outside all the time.


Thanks for the tip!


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## Mel1234 (Oct 19, 2016)

ZEROPILOT said:


> Ask a lot of questions to any possible interested parties.
> Ask to see their tortoise yards, etc. Ask questions that will expose experience levels, etc.
> Sadly, not every person is looking to keep a tortoise forever or is even able to.
> A Sulcata is a very sought after animal. I'm sure you'll find plenty of interested folks.
> (The O.P. hasn't been back since she posted this)


Thanks so much for these helpful tips. Yes, I so want to make sure he goes to a great home, and not to a breeder or to someone going through a tortoise phase. Yvonne said he should be outside all the time, and that really would be ideal, too. Bummer that he can't be outside all the time where we live, otherwise we'd be able to keep him for life, too. He loves our backyard, but still would like to explore even more.


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## Yvonne G (Oct 19, 2016)

Everyone - please remember, this is Jessy11's thread.


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## MPRC (Oct 19, 2016)

mctlong said:


> What if you got a pet tortoise for your home and just brought it into the classroom occasionally for short visits with the kids?



This was my thought - or finding someone who can bring animals for a visit like 'show and tell' I still remember getting to play with a pile of awesome large snakes in first grade, it was a real treat. I believe they belonged to one of the crossing guards.


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## Walter1 (Nov 9, 2016)

Jessy11 said:


> Hello me and Mr.Guzman the first grade teacher are looking for a tortoise for the classroom, we can only have a tortoise to reside in the classroom,is a policy from Milwaukee Public Schools,our kids are excited and eager to have a pet in the class room this year, Thank you for your consideration- Jessie


It would be nice if more children had this learning opportunity! great idea


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## wellington (Nov 9, 2016)

Walter1 said:


> It would be nice if more children had this learning opportunity! great idea


A tortoise in a class room is a very bad idea. Let's think about the poor animal. There are many ways to educate kids on animals and tortoise without one living poorly in a class room. Even the smaller species need a larger space then what any class room could probably provide.
Anyone considering this, please reconsider and think about the poor animal.


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