Jan A
Well-Known Member
- Location (City and/or State)
- Boulder, CO
I thought that was what "man caves" were for.
Things you wish you knew before getting a tortoise
- Thread starter birdnerd
- Start date
- Location (City and/or State)
- Toronto
Tortoises are more expensive than humans? Don't know about you but my motgage, monthly bills, car, loans and groceries as well as entertainment are WAY above the cost of my tortoise. Am I doing something wrong? lol
Blackdog1714
Well-Known Member
- Location (City and/or State)
- Richmond, VA
THat is my addiction and the main reason I work - so I can eat and live indoors. Just wished the torts pooped food like the chickens do!
Taylorlynn48
Well-Known Member
- Location (City and/or State)
- Abington
Well, Vet bills can be more expensive than your monthly mortgage! Ive never experienced; people post on here about the expenses. Also the up keep is expensive if you have more than one tort, it adds up!
- Location (City and/or State)
- Toronto
When torts become more expensive than your life costs, you gotta wonder where you're headed in life (assuming you are not breeding and making money on them too). lol
- Location (City and/or State)
- Southern California
They poop something better than food. They poop out money. In the form of babies that people will buy.
There is nothing I like better than raising babies. I get so much enjoyment from caring for them day after day and watching them grow to maturity and thrive. It is a deeply satisfying process on so many levels. The joy and happiness it brings is immeasurable. Getting them to reproduce and then selling those babies to people knowing what joy and happiness is in store for them leaves me giddy every time someone buys a baby. The money helps pay the expenses, but its the thrill and enjoyment of it all that keeps me going.
I’ve been cracking up a bunch of the replies and absolutely not him with many of them as well. I’ve grown up my entire life with desert tortoises breeding in the backyard. I always took it for granted that they were easy to take care of and you just separated them because they fight and they don’t like each other particularly. Until I got a leopard hatchling from a woman who had no idea what she was doing, I didn’t realize how very different various tortoises could be. Thank God for the people on this tortoise forum I think I’ve saved the leopard from a early death. The first thing that I needed to do and it’s something you need to think about is get an enclosure. I simply couldn’t keep the humidity high enough for the leopard. Happily there are people like Mark that built beautiful enclosures for tortoises that are very easy to assemble as I managed to do it and I’m a completely incompetent idiot. The other thing that I would reiterate is it is amazing how quickly they can disappear when you think it is impossible. Today I was taking pictures of the desert tortoises because they’ve come out of brumation so I out my leopard since it’s a nice warm day and the leopard managed to disappear within a minute of me taking my eyes off him. Here’s a picture of where he ended up. People are not joking when they say that the tortoise can disappear in a heartbeat.
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Sorry about the typos and if you can’t see him he’s near the center of the picture in just a little of his shell is showing. I also never dreamed I would be growing dandelion instead of weeding it. he is in the dandelion patch that I grow for the tortoises.
And you actually get more to survive then mother nature does.They poop something better than food. They poop out money. In the form of babies that people will buy.
There is nothing I like better than raising babies. I get so much enjoyment from caring for them day after day and watching them grow to maturity and thrive. It is a deeply satisfying process on so many levels. The joy and happiness it brings is immeasurable. Getting them to reproduce and then selling those babies to people knowing what joy and happiness is in store for them leaves me giddy every time someone buys a baby. The money helps pay the expenses, but its the thrill and enjoyment of it all that keeps me going.
Kingkeeper
New Member
- Location (City and/or State)
- Philadelphia
How do you keep your humidity up? I seem to be juggling my humidity all day long from misting to the repti fogger. After about an hour humidity goes to 40-50 I am at a loss I pretty much sealed the entire top to stop the humidity fro escapeing
- Location (City and/or State)
- Lewisville, Texas
Pour a big pitcher of water into the substrate, and mix it around. alternatively, try pouring water into the corners of the enclosure. What substrate are you using?
Kingkeeper
New Member
- Location (City and/or State)
- Philadelphia
Coconut shreds about 2 in covered with an in of Cyprus mulch
Hello. This year it's been rough to keep the humidity level for my adult Russian up so I can imagine what you are going through. Russians don't need the levels you are needing. I'm in Ohio. If that helps any. It seems like really cold weather dries the air more and it's not just a furnace running that does that. This has been a colder winter here. Of course take all the other advice but I think you'll see a difference as the weather warms up. Best wishes.
- Location (City and/or State)
- Southern California
Closed chamber.
Humidifiers shouldn't be used in tortoise enclosures, and spraying isn't effective, as you've seen.
What species have you got? And what size?
- Location (City and/or State)
- Toronto
Ugh. Things I wish I knew before purchasing a Hermann's tortoise...that it is best they should be kept outside in the summer. I went all out on my hatchlings 4x2 enclosed enclosure, UVB, misting system, Solarmeter, etc. etc. and now I am doubting to keep my little NuNu because it is not ideal to build a pen in my patio stoned small 20'x20' back yard. I was planning to upgrade his enclosure to 8'x4', when he gets larger, but seems that is still kind of small to be kept year round. Also, now feeling guilty about feeding him grocery greens prior to when the weeds start growing. I have not met ONE person that knows how to keep a tortoise properly and all the ones that are on sale in my area have pyramiding, so now I would feel guilty to try and find him/her another owner....Feeling regret.
I inherited my DT Parker, even tho I tried to have friend give to someone else. I wish I knew that they are way more time intensive than dogs. They cause you way more worry than dogs. They are way faster than you’d think. Picky eaters. They tie you down to home, pretty much. I love the lil guy but think I may put him up for adoption. 
only to the best home.
only to the best home.
- Location (City and/or State)
- Westchester County, NY
I did soooooo much research for about 2 years before getting my baby Russian. And I’m so glad I found this forum before I purchased him because all the info on the web was very confusing (when you could find it!) after I found the forum, I was better able to make the decision to purchase him, and to have everything all ready for him when he arrived. I still make mistakes though! I don’t work outside my home so it’s much easier for me to care for him.
so, that being said, I have to go back to.....the poo! That was my biggest surprise by far! The size and the amount!
he’s also surprisingly sweet! He comes out to greet me every morning and after his bath and lunch he likes to fall asleep on my chest while I gentlyrub his shell. That was a very pleasant surprise
!
so, that being said, I have to go back to.....the poo! That was my biggest surprise by far! The size and the amount!
he’s also surprisingly sweet! He comes out to greet me every morning and after his bath and lunch he likes to fall asleep on my chest while I gentlyrub his shell. That was a very pleasant surprise
!
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HollyC
New Member
- Location (City and/or State)
- Livingston
Hi! Yall be nice to me. I just got a Sulcata Tortoise yesterday. I wasn't expecting it but when I saw the turtles living conditions I figured she would be better off with me than the situation she was in. She was kept in a closet since the beginning of February. She was given food but hasn't seen sunlight or water since then. I put her in the back of my SUV and went straight to the grocery store for veggies. I have been constantly researching and and asking Google every question that came to mind. I live in south Louisiana so summer time is usually humid and hot. She is about 50lbs if I had to guess. Will be bringing her to the vet for a check asap. What does a meal look like for your tortoise? Show me some of your tortoises homes. I am a animal lover and just want to spoil her.
Hello and welcome. I wish I knew how to direct you to the right threads here on TFO but I'm really not good at that. This is where you need to do your research though. There's many people with sullys here with years of experience. I have a Russian and don't have experience with them. But I wish you the best.
