In the reptile show, snakes and lizzard/dragon are still much more popular than tortoises

qiangzhu

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I went to the Pacific Northwest reptile show in Puyallap Washington yesterday. I found snakes and lizzard/dragon are still much more popular than tortoises.

Two tables were selling leopard tortoises. One table had two redfoots and one Russia and one table had one pancake tortoise.

All most all the other show tables are for snakes and lizards/dragons

I also went there once in 2019. At that time, one table had one box turtle and Egyptian tortoise. Another table had a few pancakes. Still very few.

I probably won’t go there anymore in the future.
 

wellington

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I went to a couple in my area years ago. Very few tortoises and the ones that were there obviously were not taken care of under the correct info we had back then.
 

Toombsk16

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I went to the Pacific Northwest reptile show in Puyallap Washington yesterday. I found snakes and lizzard/dragon are still much more popular than tortoises.

Two tables were selling leopard tortoises. One table had two redfoots and one Russia and one table had one pancake tortoise.

All most all the other show tables are for snakes and lizards/dragons

I also went there once in 2019. At that time, one table had one box turtle and Egyptian tortoise. Another table had a few pancakes. Still very few.

I probably won’t go there anymore in the future.
 

Toombsk16

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I don’t understand the mentality of a lot of people. In my opinion a Snake is not a Pet, nor are Lizards. The attraction is probably watching them eat live food. Tortoises make great pets and become very domesticated, know their owners, interact and ado well with some other home pets. (Our dogs have gradually been introduced to our Sulcata) we don’t and won’t ever leave them alone, however as long as the dog is relatively calm and in no way aggressive, it is fun to see them interact for short periods. As he grows, we will extend the “Playtime”, but always under supervision.

They are excellent multigenerational family pets and fantastic for a child to grow up with and be involved with their entire life.

In some ways I’m glad a lot are not available at exotic shows because people can buy them without understanding the lifelong commitment to their care and happiness. I wish Sulcata’s did not have so many babies at a time which drives the price down and makes them too affordable for people to buy on a whim. After researching and deciding on a Sulcata, I would have gladly paid 1,000 for mine. Just a drop in the bucket in what is required for a lifetime of proper care and it would denture frivolous purchases.

Sulcata breeders, please think about this and limit the numbers being breed. The price could go up, you could still make money and there would be many less needing rescue or simply dying from neglect and improper care.
 

Cathie G

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I don’t understand the mentality of a lot of people. In my opinion a Snake is not a Pet, nor are Lizards. The attraction is probably watching them eat live food. Tortoises make great pets and become very domesticated, know their owners, interact and ado well with some other home pets. (Our dogs have gradually been introduced to our Sulcata) we don’t and won’t ever leave them alone, however as long as the dog is relatively calm and in no way aggressive, it is fun to see them interact for short periods. As he grows, we will extend the “Playtime”, but always under supervision.

They are excellent multigenerational family pets and fantastic for a child to grow up with and be involved with their entire life.

In some ways I’m glad a lot are not available at exotic shows because people can buy them without understanding the lifelong commitment to their care and happiness. I wish Sulcata’s did not have so many babies at a time which drives the price down and makes them too affordable for people to buy on a whim. After researching and deciding on a Sulcata, I would have gladly paid 1,000 for mine. Just a drop in the bucket in what is required for a lifetime of proper care and it would denture frivolous purchases.

Sulcata breeders, please think about this and limit the numbers being breed. The price could go up, you could still make money and there would be many less needing rescue or simply dying from neglect and improper care.
My exact thoughts 🤗
 

Tom

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I don’t understand the mentality of a lot of people. In my opinion a Snake is not a Pet, nor are Lizards.
Based on decades of keeping all sorts of reptiles, I can see how a person might think something like this, but I will politely and emphatically disagree. Have you ever raised a blue tongue skink, argentine tegu (either color), water monitor, emerald tree skink, ackie monitor, tree monitor, any chameleon species, scrub python, any Drymarchon species, false water cobra... All of the above, and many more, are pets. These do not become "domesticated", and neither do tortoises. I don't think you understand what that word means, given how you've used it here.

The attraction is probably watching them eat live food.
No. Not it at all. My insectivores eat live roaches, but none of my monitors, tegus, or snakes have ever eaten live prey. I have no doubt that there are still people who do that, but that is not the norm amongst snake and monitor keepers. Its inhumane to the prey and dangerous for your expensive and beloved pet.
Tortoises make great pets and become very domesticated, know their owners, interact and ado well with some other home pets. (Our dogs have gradually been introduced to our Sulcata) we don’t and won’t ever leave them alone, however as long as the dog is relatively calm and in no way aggressive, it is fun to see them interact for short periods. As he grows, we will extend the “Playtime”, but always under supervision.

They are excellent multigenerational family pets and fantastic for a child to grow up with and be involved with their entire life.
I agree with your assessment of tortoises as wonderful pets, but I think you will learn that what you are doing with the dogs is a mistake. You will likely argue with me here and now, but one day, after "it" happens, you will wish you had listened and wish you could back up time and do it over.

In some ways I’m glad a lot are not available at exotic shows because people can buy them without understanding the lifelong commitment to their care and happiness. I wish Sulcata’s did not have so many babies at a time which drives the price down and makes them too affordable for people to buy on a whim. After researching and deciding on a Sulcata, I would have gladly paid 1,000 for mine. Just a drop in the bucket in what is required for a lifetime of proper care and it would denture frivolous purchases.

Sulcata breeders, please think about this and limit the numbers being breed. The price could go up, you could still make money and there would be many less needing rescue or simply dying from neglect and improper care.
I also don't agree with your assessment of the sulcata issue. The problem is mass ignorance. The solution is education. When sulcatas were very rare and expensive, their care wasn't any better. People simply don't know how to do it, and all the info sources parrot the same wrong info. Again, you may argue with me now, but in a few years you are going to realize why a sulcata was the wrong species for your climate.
 

enchilada

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I don’t understand the mentality of a lot of people. In my opinion a Snake is not a Pet, nor are Lizards. The attraction is probably watching them eat live food. Tortoises make great pets and become very domesticated, know their owners, interact and ado well with some other home pets. (Our dogs have gradually been introduced to our Sulcata) we don’t and won’t ever leave them alone, however as long as the dog is relatively calm and in no way aggressive, it is fun to see them interact for short periods. As he grows, we will extend the “Playtime”, but always under supervision.

They are excellent multigenerational family pets and fantastic for a child to grow up with and be involved with their entire life.

In some ways I’m glad a lot are not available at exotic shows because people can buy them without understanding the lifelong commitment to their care and happiness. I wish Sulcata’s did not have so many babies at a time which drives the price down and makes them too affordable for people to buy on a whim. After researching and deciding on a Sulcata, I would have gladly paid 1,000 for mine. Just a drop in the bucket in what is required for a lifetime of proper care and it would denture frivolous purchases.

Sulcata breeders, please think about this and limit the numbers being breed. The price could go up, you could still make money and there would be many less needing rescue or simply dying from neglect and improper care.
how? theres no union/government telling tortoise breeders how many they could breed and what price $$ to set ( thank god ) the last thing we need is government telling us what to do
second , how are you gonna control how many babies a tortoise gonna produce ? making half of the fresh laid eggs into omelet ? or half of the hatchlings into turtle soup?
 

Shelled

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Many people simply don't incubate the eggs, it's easy to have fewer being born. I know breeders who intentially not breed (ie, not incubate the eggs), as they still have young tortoises from previous years.
A lot of Toombsk16 assessment of 'other reptiles' stems from a lack of knowledge about those reptiles.
 

TammyJ

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Getting back to "What is a "Pet"?" I have dogs and cats, those aremy "Pets". So are my reptiles, whether snakes, lizards, tortoises, whatever. I believe the general accepted definition of "Pet" is something that people keep (not human children) and that they love, care and assume responsibility for. Goats, mice, skinks, rats, mongoose, goldfish, rocks etc. Obviously, ideas on what a particular person would keep as their own pet, differ greatly.
 

Cathie G

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My exact thoughts 🤗
I need to clarify what I agreed with. Tortoises are multigenerational pets. But I also agree that you can't domesticate wild animals. You can get them used to you though. Dogs, cats, and probably other animals have been domesticated for ages but still they are animals governed by instinct. They'll do what they are.. I'm just glad to see that Tortoises are not being sold in reptile shows as much as they used to be. I don't know if that's because it's so expensive to get them to the size that you are allowed to sell them or people are becoming more aware of a tortoises feelings and needs in general. I'm just glad that they aren't being sold like something in a flea market as much anymore.☺️
 
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I don’t understand the mentality of a lot of people. In my opinion a Snake is not a Pet, nor are Lizards. The attraction is probably watching them eat live food. Tortoises make great pets and become very domesticated, know their owners, interact and ado well with some other home pets. (Our dogs have gradually been introduced to our Sulcata) we don’t and won’t ever leave them alone, however as long as the dog is relatively calm and in no way aggressive, it is fun to see them interact for short periods. As he grows, we will extend the “Playtime”, but always under supervision.

They are excellent multigenerational family pets and fantastic for a child to grow up with and be involved with their entire life.
Snakes are beautiful to observe, as well as therapeutic and relaxing to hold. Feeding live is extremely unpopular now. Most people buy frozen rodents; it’s a serious business, and seriously convenient. Even if they were just pretty to look at, people get tortoises for the same reason.

My “lizards” are incredible. Ctenosaura Melanosterna are a rare endangered species of Iguana, they actually are incredibly intelligent and DO learn to recognize their keepers. Very interactive, amazing, and fun to feed- not because I love watching them kill roaches, or bananas (the horror!!), but because of the priceless interaction and bonding with them. It’s a relationship far more involved and developed than the ones people can hope to have with their tortoises. In fact it’s completely different. Your tortoise doesn’t care about YOU, it just knows you feed it. Isn’t that everywhere on this site? You can develop an actual relationship with lizards, a bond of trust. It’s far superior in that way as a pet. You aren’t even supposed to hold tortoises, but you can hold an iguana!!

Go ahead and love tortoises best and thats great they are a better fit for you. Still, you don’t have to decide everything else isn’t a pet or inferior in quality (and make gross assumptions about why those keepers would have them) because you don’t understand what that pet has to offer, simply because you’re a different person with different preferences. Honestly your ignorance is showing.

The older I get I think cats and dogs make awful pets, or any animal that makes noise and can’t be contained in a nifty enclosure. I had a Doberman- what an awful “pet,” but you can change that to any number of breeds. He had anxiety and barked enough to shake my house, my consciousness, and my patience. Cats and dogs destroy everything. I could make a generalized statement (and fair point!!) that those aren’t pets, but predators. Dogs and cats are AWFUL pets, FOR ME. To each their own.
 

Beasty_Artemis

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I disagree with many people who assume that tortoise don't like you.
My little tortstork babies were relatively distant apon hatching. But now they really seemed to have an emotional bond with me. They are from 2020
 

Cathie G

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Snakes are beautiful to observe, as well as therapeutic and relaxing to hold. Feeding live is extremely unpopular now. Most people buy frozen rodents; it’s a serious business, and seriously convenient. Even if they were just pretty to look at, people get tortoises for the same reason.

My “lizards” are incredible. Ctenosaura Melanosterna are a rare endangered species of Iguana, they actually are incredibly intelligent and DO learn to recognize their keepers. Very interactive, amazing, and fun to feed- not because I love watching them kill roaches, or bananas (the horror!!), but because of the priceless interaction and bonding with them. It’s a relationship far more involved and developed than the ones people can hope to have with their tortoises. In fact it’s completely different. Your tortoise doesn’t care about YOU, it just knows you feed it. Isn’t that everywhere on this site? You can develop an actual relationship with lizards, a bond of trust. It’s far superior in that way as a pet. You aren’t even supposed to hold tortoises, but you can hold an iguana!!

Go ahead and love tortoises best and thats great they are a better fit for you. Still, you don’t have to decide everything else isn’t a pet or inferior in quality (and make gross assumptions about why those keepers would have them) because you don’t understand what that pet has to offer, simply because you’re a different person with different preferences. Honestly your ignorance is showing.

The older I get I think cats and dogs make awful pets, or any animal that makes noise and can’t be contained in a nifty enclosure. I had a Doberman- what an awful “pet,” but you can change that to any number of breeds. He had anxiety and barked enough to shake my house, my consciousness, and my patience. Cats and dogs destroy everything. I could make a generalized statement (and fair point!!) that those aren’t pets, but predators. Dogs and cats are AWFUL pets, FOR ME. To each their own.
Stick around and read. You'll find a lot of people with reptiles as pets here not just Tortoises. Some of the young people that started here are going to college now for various things involving helping reptiles or other animals. Lots of cats and dogs too. All kinds of animals. All kinds of people. To each their own.☺️ like you said.
 

Toombsk16

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Snakes are beautiful to observe, as well as therapeutic and relaxing to hold. Feeding live is extremely unpopular now. Most people buy frozen rodents; it’s a serious business, and seriously convenient. Even if they were just pretty to look at, people get tortoises for the same reason.

My “lizards” are incredible. Ctenosaura Melanosterna are a rare endangered species of Iguana, they actually are incredibly intelligent and DO learn to recognize their keepers. Very interactive, amazing, and fun to feed- not because I love watching them kill roaches, or bananas (the horror!!), but because of the priceless interaction and bonding with them. It’s a relationship far more involved and developed than the ones people can hope to have with their tortoises. In fact it’s completely different. Your tortoise doesn’t care about YOU, it just knows you feed it. Isn’t that everywhere on this site? You can develop an actual relationship with lizards, a bond of trust. It’s far superior in that way as a pet. You aren’t even supposed to hold tortoises, but you can hold an iguana!!

Go ahead and love tortoises best and thats great they are a better fit for you. Still, you don’t have to decide everything else isn’t a pet or inferior in quality (and make gross assumptions about why those keepers would have them) because you don’t understand what that pet has to offer, simply because you’re a different person with different preferences. Honestly your ignorance is showing.

The older I get I think cats and dogs make awful pets, or any animal that makes noise and can’t be contained in a nifty enclosure. I had a Doberman- what an awful “pet,” but you can change that to any number of breeds. He had anxiety and barked enough to shake my house, my consciousness, and my patience. Cats and dogs destroy everything. I could make a generalized statement (and fair point!!) that those aren’t pets, but predators. Dogs and cats are AWFUL pets, FOR ME. To each their own.
Snakes are beautiful to observe, as well as therapeutic and relaxing to hold. Feeding live is extremely unpopular now. Most people buy frozen rodents; it’s a serious business, and seriously convenient. Even if they were just pretty to look at, people get tortoises for the same reason.

My “lizards” are incredible. Ctenosaura Melanosterna are a rare endangered species of Iguana, they actually are incredibly intelligent and DO learn to recognize their keepers. Very interactive, amazing, and fun to feed- not because I love watching them kill roaches, or bananas (the horror!!), but because of the priceless interaction and bonding with them. It’s a relationship far more involved and developed than the ones people can hope to have with their tortoises. In fact it’s completely different. Your tortoise doesn’t care about YOU, it just knows you feed it. Isn’t that everywhere on this site? You can develop an actual relationship with lizards, a bond of trust. It’s far superior in that way as a pet. You aren’t even supposed to hold tortoises, but you can hold an iguana!!

Go ahead and love tortoises best and thats great they are a better fit for you. Still, you don’t have to decide everything else isn’t a pet or inferior in quality (and make gross assumptions about why those keepers would have them) because you don’t understand what that pet has to offer, simply because you’re a different person with different preferences. Honestly your ignorance is showing.

The older I get I think cats and dogs make awful pets, or any animal that makes noise and can’t be contained in a nifty enclosure. I had a Doberman- what an awful “pet,” but you can change that to any number of breeds. He had anxiety and barked enough to shake my house, my consciousness, and my patience. Cats and dogs destroy everything. I could make a generalized statement (and fair point!!) that those aren’t pets, but predators. Dogs and cats are AWFUL pets, FOR ME. To each their own.
Well thank you Dr. Reptile. I assume you must have a PhD in Canine and Feline research as well. You probably could make a generalized statement, however it would be inaccurate and uninformed. The “Nuisance” behavior of dogs is normally due to uneducated breeders who don’t understand the biology of breeding out negative genetic traits. I can accept you may find a peaceful feeling from a lizard, but what you call “Bond” is not a two way street. Cats and dogs “Destroy Everything”? That is not at all true. You do have to understand the difference in dog breeds. Specifically “Working Dogs” who were bred to perform physical tasks. When they do not receive the stimulation that was bred into their DNA by their owner, they are going to act out. People do need to do their research and make sure they provide the enrichment that any breed requires to have successful results. Your statement about Tortoises only caring about the person that feed them is simply incorrect and not true. I am sure you will reply with a snarky rebuttal, but you should take all of your knowledge and education to the Lizard forums. This is a “Tortoise Forum” why do you have your nose in here. P.S.: Your wasting your time rushing to your keyboard to “Hunt & Peck” your reply because I will not give you the satisfaction of wasting my time to read it. ❤️🐢U💩
 
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Stick around and read. You'll find a lot of people with reptiles as pets here not just Tortoises. Some of the young people that started here are going to college now for various things involving helping reptiles or other animals. Lots of cats and dogs too. All kinds of animals. All kinds of people. To each their own.☺️ like you said.
I’m not new, just new to posting. Longtime lurker.

Edited because I misread your post!

It’s pretty common for people to cross into other reptiles I think once in the hobby. I have quite the menagerie myself!
 
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