The Woes of Young Tortoise Owners

[Rusky]

Have you ever felt limited in your tortoise-keeping abilities by your age? Well, guess what? You're not alone!

To start this off, I feel like my room is my room and I should be allowed to make an enclosure as large as I want in it, as long as it doesn't obstruct access.

Let's make this thread a thing.

@TechnoCheese @baldegale

 

[baldegale]

Have you ever felt limited in your tortoise-keeping abilities by your age? Well, guess what? You're not alone!

To start this off, I feel like my room is my room and I should be allowed to make an enclosure as large as I want in it, as long as it doesn't obstruct access.

Let's make this thread a thing.

@TechnoCheese @baldegale

these are my 3 enclosures. the one on the left is my bearded dragon one that is 4’x2’. the only enclosure that ive made that no one has complained or put their inputs on. the one on the right is my redfoot enclosure its 5’x2’, its tiny. my dads words: “hes small thats more than enough space for him im not letting you build anything bigger” then the little tub on top is my snake tub, which both my parents know NOTHING about snakes and actually hate them, but kept telling me that the tub is too small and that it’s insufficient, stuff along those lines. but if you know ANYTHING about snakes is that most snakes, (mine being a western hognose, a baby at that) thrive in smaller, safer, environments and its more than enough for her.

 

[Rusky]

View attachment 230678

these are my 3 enclosures. the one on the left is my bearded dragon one that is 4’x2’. the only enclosure that ive made that no one has complained or put their inputs on. the one on the right is my redfoot enclosure its 5’x2’, its tiny. my dads words: “hes small thats more than enough space for him im not letting you build anything bigger” then the little tub on top is my snake tub, which both my parents know NOTHING about snakes and actually hate them, but kept telling me that the tub is too small and that it’s insufficient, stuff along those lines. but if you know ANYTHING about snakes is that most snakes, (mine being a western hognose, a baby at that) thrive in smaller, safer, environments and its more than enough for her.

Well, you have some lovely-looking enclosures there and we can all tell you want to give your animals the best life they can get.

 

[Rusky]

My dad told me that he won't have any snakes or lizards in the house, but that's not the end of the world. It's just that tortoises need so much space!

 

[baldegale]

Well, you have some lovely-looking enclosures there and we can all tell you want to give your animals the best life they can get.

just sucks that i can’t personally give it. i just dont know anyone near me that i can trust to give him too. realistically i regret not getting into snakes before all this

 

[baldegale]

My dad told me that he won't have any snakes or lizards in the house, but that's not the end of the world. It's just that tortoises need so much space!

my parents said the same thing when i got my tortoise 5 years ago, here i am now with a lizard and a snake and my parents love the lizard, snake not so much yet

 

[Rusky]

my parents said the same thing when i got my tortoise 5 years ago, here i am now with a lizard and a snake and my parents love the lizard, snake not so much yet

I'll probably come back from college with a zoo lmao. But when my dad says no, there is no way. Like I've tried to ask what about them he doesn't like but I can't get anywhere. I might get a salamander this summer tho

 

[baldegale]

I'll probably come back from college with a zoo lmao. But when my dad says no, there is no way. Like I've tried to ask what about them he doesn't like but I can't get anywhere. I might get a salamander this summer tho

i wanna give my tortoise to someone else because i cant take proper care of him and get more snakes because they require less space and in the long run are considerably cheaper. plus you can interact w them more. but as ive mentioned, its hard finding someone i can give him to

 

[baldegale]

I'll probably come back from college with a zoo lmao. But when my dad says no, there is no way. Like I've tried to ask what about them he doesn't like but I can't get anywhere. I might get a salamander this summer tho

what about frogs? dart frogs are beautiful but high upfront cost, pacmans are cheap and easy care with cheap upfront costs, tree frogs are beautiful aswell but the setup is expensive.

 

[Rusky]

what about frogs? dart frogs are beautiful but high upfront cost, pacmans are cheap and easy care with cheap upfront costs, tree frogs are beautiful aswell but the setup is expensive.

I get a little squeamish with frogs jumping, and I want something very simple and inexpensive. One day when I have my own place I could probably enjoy some dart frogs or tree frogs.

 

[baldegale]

also if he really hates lizards and snakes you should ask him about a legless lizard

 

[baldegale]

I get a little squeamish with frogs jumping, and I want something very simple and inexpensive. One day when I have my own place I could probably enjoy some dart frogs or tree frogs.

you dont handle dart frogs, or tree frogs, theyre too fragile. theyre more display animals

 

[TechnoCheese]

I’m trying to convince my little sister to get a leopard gecko instead of a dog.
I would love to have a ball python, but my dad is terrified of snakes.
There was a time when my heat lamp went out, and my parents refused to drive me to petsmart for me to spend my own money.
Luckily, I convinced my dad to help me build a new enclosure for my tortoise. Took a lot of convincing, but we finally got it done

 

[baldegale]

I’m trying to convince my little sister to get a leopard gecko instead of a dog.
I would love to have a ball python, but my dad is terrified of snakes.
There was a time when my heat lamp went out, and my parents refused to drive me to petsmart for me to spend my own money.
Luckily, I convinced my dad to help me build a new enclosure for my tortoise. Took a lot of convincing, but we finally got it done

snakes are a very hard thing to win parents over on. it took me persistence of about 4 months and i assured them they wouldnt even have to see it or do anything with it if they didnt want to. next thing i know the first day she arrived my dad already wanted to handle her. i think the key for me is getting a smaller less intimidating snake than a ball python, something like a king snake. i wouldn’t recommend getting a hognose to someone whos parents are very one sided towards snakes because theyre mildly venomous. i dont even know how i convinced my parents to let me get a hognose but here i am

 

[TechnoCheese]

snakes are a very hard thing to win parents over on. it took me persistence of about 4 months and i assured them they wouldnt even have to see it or do anything with it if they didnt want to. next thing i know the first day she arrived my dad already wanted to handle her. i think the key for me is getting a smaller less intimidating snake than a ball python, something like a king snake. i wouldn’t recommend getting a hognose to someone whos parents are very one sided towards snakes because theyre mildly venomous. i dont even know how i convinced my parents to let me get a hognose but here i am View attachment 230683

My dad didn’t like lizards either, but here I am with a beardie that he loves.
I’ll find a way to convince him

 

[Rusky]

I’m trying to convince my little sister to get a leopard gecko instead of a dog.
I would love to have a ball python, but my dad is terrified of snakes.
There was a time when my heat lamp went out, and my parents refused to drive me to petsmart for me to spend my own money.
Luckily, I convinced my dad to help me build a new enclosure for my tortoise. Took a lot of convincing, but we finally got it done

YES! I really want a leopard gecko. Also I'm 16 next year so I'm so hyped to be able to drive - although my parents said I can't drive their car so I don't even know.
I'm going to Florida next week and I'm gonna be at Repticon Tampa, so I'm hoping that seeing reptiles up close might soften my parents up a bit.

 

[Rusky]

snakes are a very hard thing to win parents over on. it took me persistence of about 4 months and i assured them they wouldnt even have to see it or do anything with it if they didnt want to. next thing i know the first day she arrived my dad already wanted to handle her. i think the key for me is getting a smaller less intimidating snake than a ball python, something like a king snake. i wouldn’t recommend getting a hognose to someone whos parents are very one sided towards snakes because theyre mildly venomous. i dont even know how i convinced my parents to let me get a hognose but here i am View attachment 230683

That thing is adorable!

 

[baldegale]

YES! I really want a leopard gecko. Also I'm 16 next year so I'm so hyped to be able to drive - although my parents said I can't drive their car so I don't even know.
I'm going to Florida next week and I'm gonna be at Repticon Tampa, so I'm hoping that seeing reptiles up close might soften my parents up a bit.

im more of a crestie guy tbh

 

[baldegale]

YES! I really want a leopard gecko. Also I'm 16 next year so I'm so hyped to be able to drive - although my parents said I can't drive their car so I don't even know.
I'm going to Florida next week and I'm gonna be at Repticon Tampa, so I'm hoping that seeing reptiles up close might soften my parents up a bit.

im jealous, where i grew up (ohio) we had weekly shows. now in tennessee we have 2 shows a year in nashville and even then theyre pretty crappy and almost all geckos.

 

[Rusky]

This is the enclosure I currently have for my Russian. It barely takes up any space in the corner of my room but I’m told that it’s already the focal point of the room and it can’t expand. It’s only 16 square feet, which is half of the recommended space for Russians, so I feel like a hypocrite every time I tell newbies that their enclosures are too small. Anyhow, he has loads of visual barriers, and still forgets how to get around his enclosure sometimes, so I don’t feel like I’m oppressing him.