OK, for those of you un-Familiar with the ways of Montessori teaching.... (at least in this school) All classrooms have a pet that the children care for under a teachers guidance. Some classrooms have many such pets... my wife's class has and aquarium and 2 birds, one room has a snake, we have several Guinnipigs and other rodents... we got most all bases covered.... with one exception!
we have a teacher (we'll call her Ms Smith) that has had problems with every pet under her care. She is from China and sees ALL rodents (or anything with a long hairy tail) as RATS, See has killed off several hundred dollars worth of fish, Hermit Crabs lasted 1 year in her classroom and her current pets (2 finches donated by a family in her class) are way loud for her classroom.
On Monday when I brought Eros and Gaia to school to show them off, her eyes lit up and she was in love. She even explained the facination with Tortoises in her homeland and she used to visit the Temple just to see the Aldebras living there. I idea hit me like a ton of bricks! I've been lookin' for the perfect pet for her room for about 5 years now! I went to the Head of School and told her the situation (she is VERY aware of Ms. Smith animal avertion) and got permission to get Ms Smith a tortoise if she was interested... when I told her today of my actions and the Directors dissition, she was beside herself and even hugged me (Very out of charictor for this very subdued person!)
This is what I have for long term keeping. An outdoor enclosure that is 4'x8' that used to be used by a box tortoise a couple of years ago. It is very shady during the summer because of the tree that is growing in it (the enclosure was built around the tree) It has high walls (3' tall) made from heavy plastisized rubber and looks like a Trellis.
Indoor inclosures will have to be built by me and I think I can handle the husbandry for all of it.
My question to you all is what kind of tortoise would go well in a classroom of Lower Elementary children (7-10 years old)?
It will be inside the class most of the time but will have plenty of outside time but never unattended. Since it will be a classroom pet all year long, Hybernation is not an option.
I was thinking about a redfoot or a cherryhead but am afraid they might get to big for classroom care. Russian and Hermanns need to hybernate.
Any ideas? I know Ms Smith is very excited about the prospects of a tortoise in her room but I want to make sure it is the right tortoise for the right circumstances.
we have a teacher (we'll call her Ms Smith) that has had problems with every pet under her care. She is from China and sees ALL rodents (or anything with a long hairy tail) as RATS, See has killed off several hundred dollars worth of fish, Hermit Crabs lasted 1 year in her classroom and her current pets (2 finches donated by a family in her class) are way loud for her classroom.
On Monday when I brought Eros and Gaia to school to show them off, her eyes lit up and she was in love. She even explained the facination with Tortoises in her homeland and she used to visit the Temple just to see the Aldebras living there. I idea hit me like a ton of bricks! I've been lookin' for the perfect pet for her room for about 5 years now! I went to the Head of School and told her the situation (she is VERY aware of Ms. Smith animal avertion) and got permission to get Ms Smith a tortoise if she was interested... when I told her today of my actions and the Directors dissition, she was beside herself and even hugged me (Very out of charictor for this very subdued person!)
This is what I have for long term keeping. An outdoor enclosure that is 4'x8' that used to be used by a box tortoise a couple of years ago. It is very shady during the summer because of the tree that is growing in it (the enclosure was built around the tree) It has high walls (3' tall) made from heavy plastisized rubber and looks like a Trellis.
Indoor inclosures will have to be built by me and I think I can handle the husbandry for all of it.
My question to you all is what kind of tortoise would go well in a classroom of Lower Elementary children (7-10 years old)?
It will be inside the class most of the time but will have plenty of outside time but never unattended. Since it will be a classroom pet all year long, Hybernation is not an option.
I was thinking about a redfoot or a cherryhead but am afraid they might get to big for classroom care. Russian and Hermanns need to hybernate.
Any ideas? I know Ms Smith is very excited about the prospects of a tortoise in her room but I want to make sure it is the right tortoise for the right circumstances.
