Do torts travel well?

AgataP

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 18, 2020
Messages
647
Location (City and/or State)
Seattle, WA
about 5-6 days. are they ok without food for that long?

Supply lots of food, h2o also check in with your vet. I have a vet next to the house that will board tortoises- how crazy is that.
From all the photos and reviews seems like it is working well I have 3 neighbors on stand by and friends and my dad lol just in case.
 

pcrealty

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 6, 2020
Messages
91
Location (City and/or State)
Wynnewood
As tortoises owners for a year, we noticed the water and food dishes are the first to be dry or soiled by one day. In addition, the substrate gets dirty, if we do not soak the tortoises daily for it to excrete.

Tortoises are like cats or dogs and must be personally attended to on a daily basis. We been driving back and forth between New Jersey and Pennsylvania, a two hours drive, twice a month, usually requires a diaper change 1-2 times during the trip. Upon return, the tortoise resume their regular activities.

If we travel by airplanes, we drop off the tortoises with our daughter with a full temporary tortoise enclosure.
 

KarenSoCal

Well-Known Member
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jul 8, 2017
Messages
5,749
Location (City and/or State)
Low desert 50 mi SE of Palm Springs CA
I would get a wifi camera or two. Mine can be set to send me notifications every time movement is sensed, or a variety of settings.

You can look on your phone whenever you want and see the enclosure live, or play the recorded view.

You could check on the tort as often as you want, and have someone on call if you see him flipped, or any other situation. This way, no one has to check him unless there's an emergency.

I am using Wyze cameras and app. It works great, works with Alexa or Google Assistant, and isn't expensive. You can buy them on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07G2YR23M/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20
 

Sandy W

New Member
Joined
Oct 9, 2020
Messages
6
Location (City and/or State)
Scotts valley CA
I would like to go see family over the holidays and may not have anyone to tort sit. They live 6 hours away.. I have a 1 year old Russian and was curious to know if anyone has traveled with their tortoise and what they did with then when they got to the destination.
We were evacuated from the CA fires and had to take our 5 tortoises with us ... we were traveling for about a week... had them in a “under the bed “plastic box in the back seat- they did fine, except kept trying to see over the top. Bought some wire mesh to make a top for the box to keep them confined- had to put a heavy weight on the corners to keep them from pushing up the wire. They did well.. ate well...we did take them for a walk 2-3 times a day for sunshine. i cant say they were happy, but it was only a week and we are home now and they are great
 

Maggie3fan

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 30, 2018
Messages
8,046
Location (City and/or State)
PacificNorthWest
We were evacuated from the CA fires and had to take our 5 tortoises with us ... we were traveling for about a week... had them in a “under the bed “plastic box in the back seat- they did fine, except kept trying to see over the top. Bought some wire mesh to make a top for the box to keep them confined- had to put a heavy weight on the corners to keep them from pushing up the wire. They did well.. ate well...we did take them for a walk 2-3 times a day for sunshine. i cant say they were happy, but it was only a week and we are home now and they are great
Ha!!! one of my last ex-husbands lives in Scotts Valley. Oh lordy, do I remember fast super scary rides on his Harley over Hiway 9.
Anyway, you and I will be friends forever just because of your comment, THEY DID FINE haha. Seriously, I'm kinda wondering if possibly I feel the way I do because mostly I was moving Sulcata or desert tortoises. I've kept Hermanni, and Russians but more Sulcata then anything,and it's really hard to upset Sulcata, oops and box turtles
 

Maggie3fan

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 30, 2018
Messages
8,046
Location (City and/or State)
PacificNorthWest
Ha!!! one of my last ex-husbands lives in Scotts Valley. Oh lordy, do I remember fast super scary rides on his Harley over Hiway 9.
Anyway, you and I will be friends forever just because of your comment, THEY DID FINE haha. Seriously, I'm kinda wondering if possibly I feel the way I do because mostly I was moving Sulcata or desert tortoises. I've kept Hermanni, and Russians but more Sulcata then anything,and it's really hard to upset Sulcata, oops and box turtles
And I hope you weren't burned out. My son had a nice cabin at Huntington Lake at 10,000 ft in the Sierras totally burned out...
 

pawsplus

Active Member
Joined
Aug 28, 2020
Messages
226
Location (City and/or State)
Nashville, TN
I recommend that you find someone to come in and care for the tortoise. If you can't get a friend, hire a pet sitter. It's just part of having pets. I would not travel with a tortoise unless it was for a permanent move.
 

Jasminemmm

Active Member
Joined
Oct 4, 2020
Messages
72
Location (City and/or State)
Schaumburg, IL
I guess because tortoises have no facial expression or have no voice, probably that makes people think that tortoise will not/can not be stressed... Some peope even think that they don’t have a sense of pain just because they are not able to make any sound or express emotion by means of facial changes...

I am not expert but I know that they are ground-dwellers and don’t like to be lifted up. They are also very sensitive for signals that are transmitted via vibration of the ground...and they can definitely be stressed out by constantly moving...

To say that “I don't believe they have the capacity to be stressed.” to me kinda shows ...
 

pcrealty

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 6, 2020
Messages
91
Location (City and/or State)
Wynnewood
I guess because tortoises have no facial expression or have no voice, probably that makes people think that tortoise will not/can not be stressed... Some peope even think that they don’t have a sense of pain just because they are not able to make any sound or express emotion by means of facial changes...

I am not expert but I know that they are ground-dwellers and don’t like to be lifted up. They are also very sensitive for signals that are transmitted via vibration of the ground...and they can definitely be stressed out by constantly moving...

To say that “I don't believe they have the capacity to be stressed.” to me kinda shows ...
Every two to three weeks we transport our torts form Pennsylvania to New Jersey. It is a 2 hours drive. The older tort move around a lot in his pet container and defecates a few times, the younger one sleeps well. We bring disposable gloves, hand sanitizer, baby wipes and plenty of paper towels as diapers and plastic bags for trash. Pictures of our enclosures. Male vs female tortoise chart attached.
 

Attachments

  • tortoise bunkers 4.jpg
    tortoise bunkers 4.jpg
    161.6 KB · Views: 15
  • tortoise bunkers 3.jpg
    tortoise bunkers 3.jpg
    154.9 KB · Views: 16
  • Tortoise Bunks.jpg
    Tortoise Bunks.jpg
    157.8 KB · Views: 15
  • Eastern Hermann Bottom View.jpg
    Eastern Hermann Bottom View.jpg
    141.5 KB · Views: 13
  • male vs female tortoises.jpg
    male vs female tortoises.jpg
    63.1 KB · Views: 13

pcrealty

Well-Known Member
Joined
Sep 6, 2020
Messages
91
Location (City and/or State)
Wynnewood
We travel a lot, the two torts are like our puppies. We have been to Pittsburgh PA, Cleveland OH, and Lincoln, NH with them. My wife cares for them while I drive. The younger tort crawls around in his pet container and the older one rests on my wife's lap with a towel wrapped around it. To make the road trip better, we soak them in warm water to stimulate excretion before the trip for a cleaner road trip.

We cannot leave them at home when traveling. The home enclosures will be soiled, the water dish will dry out. Sometimes the tortoises will roll over and need assistance to re-balance.

We have portable enclosure trays for each tortoise, equipped with heating and UV lamps at the hotels. It has been three years of traveling and our tortoises are healthy.
 

Attachments

  • Temporary Travel Home for Tortoise.jpg
    Temporary Travel Home for Tortoise.jpg
    140.4 KB · Views: 5
  • Timmy 2nd BD.jpg
    Timmy 2nd BD.jpg
    139.3 KB · Views: 5
  • Timmy 2 Years Old.jpg
    Timmy 2 Years Old.jpg
    334.5 KB · Views: 5

Levi the Leopard

IXOYE
10 Year Member!
Joined
Oct 1, 2012
Messages
7,958
Location (City and/or State)
Southern Oregon
Just to share my experiences:

Levi has been an animal ambassador his whole life. He's 10 years old and has gone to thousands of schools, birthday parties, shows, etc. over the years. He is given a warm soak before hand to empty his bowels, then loaded into a dark tub with shavings and hay (absorbent material should he "go" more before reaching our destination). He has traveled for these events just fine and performed at the events (by performing I mean he walks around and eats without problem). BUT he is different while out than he is at home. At home, he tries to beat me up non-stop. He will stop eating just to chase me away. Out, he's great! Eats lettuce from the kids hands, walks around and doesn't ever try to ram me or anyone else. So clearly, he's not 100% himself...

I have also lived at 8 different residences with him. That's 8 family moves to 8 different properties giving him 8 different outdoor enclosures, and I can see the difference in him after each move. Like all tortoises, he likes routine and it takes him a brief moment to figure out his new space and fully settle in.

With all that said, I'd say Levi has moved to new locations successfully but not because I wanted to travel the world with him for fun. Rather, because I wanted to keep my beloved tortoise with me when I moved. **shocker some people MOVE and KEEP their pets!** Levi has also successfully traveled to events with me but in my experience, most animals that are raised in "show life" handle it better than older animals thrust into that type of lifestyle.

Would I advocate for putting your tortoise in a travel carrier for trips to the mall, weekends to Cabo and the occasional beach day? No.

Would I suggest that it's ok to transport your tortoise from a rescue to foster home, adoptive home, vet, moving, etc. Ya, totally.

Would I suggest everyone load up their tort in a box for shows around town? No....unless maybe you really wanted to transition into that lifestyle?? Would you tortoise necessarily like it as much as you? maybe not.

For anyone wondering the answer to the question: you have to read through other's experiences, weigh the pros/cons to each side, see what's applicable to your specific situation and make a judgement call.
 

Maggie3fan

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 30, 2018
Messages
8,046
Location (City and/or State)
PacificNorthWest
Just to share my experiences:

Levi has been an animal ambassador his whole life. He's 10 years old and has gone to thousands of schools, birthday parties, shows, etc. over the years. He is given a warm soak before hand to empty his bowels, then loaded into a dark tub with shavings and hay (absorbent material should he "go" more before reaching our destination). He has traveled for these events just fine and performed at the events (by performing I mean he walks around and eats without problem). BUT he is different while out than he is at home. At home, he tries to beat me up non-stop. He will stop eating just to chase me away. Out, he's great! Eats lettuce from the kids hands, walks around and doesn't ever try to ram me or anyone else. So clearly, he's not 100% himself...

I have also lived at 8 different residences with him. That's 8 family moves to 8 different properties giving him 8 different outdoor enclosures, and I can see the difference in him after each move. Like all tortoises, he likes routine and it takes him a brief moment to figure out his new space and fully settle in.

With all that said, I'd say Levi has moved to new locations successfully but not because I wanted to travel the world with him for fun. Rather, because I wanted to keep my beloved tortoise with me when I moved. **shocker some people MOVE and KEEP their pets!** Levi has also successfully traveled to events with me but in my experience, most animals that are raised in "show life" handle it better than older animals thrust into that type of lifestyle.

Would I advocate for putting your tortoise in a travel carrier for trips to the mall, weekends to Cabo and the occasional beach day? No.

Would I suggest that it's ok to transport your tortoise from a rescue to foster home, adoptive home, vet, moving, etc. Ya, totally.

Would I suggest everyone load up their tort in a box for shows around town? No....unless maybe you really wanted to transition into that lifestyle?? Would you tortoise necessarily like it as much as you? maybe not.

For anyone wondering the answer to the question: you have to read through other's experiences, weigh the pros/cons to each side, see what's applicable to your specific situation and make a judgement call.
And with all you wrote it made me think of Bob...
 

TortoiseLili

New Member
Joined
Sep 26, 2022
Messages
6
Location (City and/or State)
moving to Vienna, Austria
I would like to go see family over the holidays and may not have anyone to tort sit. They live 6 hours away.. I have a 1 year old Russian and was curious to know if anyone has traveled with their tortoise and what they did with then when they got to the destination.
Mine traveled from the States, to France, To Syria, to Saudi Arabia and to Jordan. Small carrier and she was perfectly fine. She died at age 105. She had several owners before me. Of course I had a health certificate from a veterinarian because her travels were international.
 

TortoiseLili

New Member
Joined
Sep 26, 2022
Messages
6
Location (City and/or State)
moving to Vienna, Austria
Just to share my experiences:

Levi has been an animal ambassador his whole life. He's 10 years old and has gone to thousands of schools, birthday parties, shows, etc. over the years. He is given a warm soak before hand to empty his bowels, then loaded into a dark tub with shavings and hay (absorbent material should he "go" more before reaching our destination). He has traveled for these events just fine and performed at the events (by performing I mean he walks around and eats without problem). BUT he is different while out than he is at home. At home, he tries to beat me up non-stop. He will stop eating just to chase me away. Out, he's great! Eats lettuce from the kids hands, walks around and doesn't ever try to ram me or anyone else. So clearly, he's not 100% himself...

I have also lived at 8 different residences with him. That's 8 family moves to 8 different properties giving him 8 different outdoor enclosures, and I can see the difference in him after each move. Like all tortoises, he likes routine and it takes him a brief moment to figure out his new space and fully settle in.

With all that said, I'd say Levi has moved to new locations successfully but not because I wanted to travel the world with him for fun. Rather, because I wanted to keep my beloved tortoise with me when I moved. **shocker some people MOVE and KEEP their pets!** Levi has also successfully traveled to events with me but in my experience, most animals that are raised in "show life" handle it better than older animals thrust into that type of lifestyle.

Would I advocate for putting your tortoise in a travel carrier for trips to the mall, weekends to Cabo and the occasional beach day? No.

Would I suggest that it's ok to transport your tortoise from a rescue to foster home, adoptive home, vet, moving, etc. Ya, totally.

Would I suggest everyone load up their tort in a box for shows around town? No....unless maybe you really wanted to transition into that lifestyle?? Would you tortoise necessarily like it as much as you? maybe not.

For anyone wondering the answer to the question: you have to read through other's experiences, weigh the pros/cons to each side, see what's applicable to your specific situation and make a judgement call.
Mine traveled with me because I could never give her up. She was part of my family.
 
Top