Tortoise Town

[Prize007]

I also support avoiding tortoise town. Their site is all red flags from the repeated tags (every mention of a species is followed by "for sale") and when I was emailing with questions and asking about the current conditions the tortoises are kept in, they said the couldn't provide that info. I got the feeling they are not interested in quality of care. Just in making a sale. Incidentally, googling reviews for tortoise town led me here, so silver lining!

 

[Rdeb55]

Hello everyone, after less than a month of owning my sulcata hatchling from tortoise town, and $300+ of vet bills, I’m going to go ahead and advise you not to order from tortoise town. While they have an almost perfect review score online, i have heard nothing but heartache from their customers. Their website looks proffesional, yet they use copy righted photos that do not belong to them- of tortoises that aren’t theirs. They may answer your questions with smiles and seemingly helpful (but incorrect) information- but they are nothing but crooks. They raise sick tortoises, and sell them off at crazy prices. After several messages to them about how my Tortoise is withering away, they have not so much as bat an eye at my problems. If you want a healthy Animal, contact the mods on here, or check the vendor reviews. I might loose my Innocent baby tortoises to symptoms that could’ve been prevented if they cared about their animals in the slightest. Thanks for your time.

Thank you for telling us, I also advise against Backwater reptiles, I purchased 2 sulcata tortoises from them and one was barely alive when it arrived it didn't live for 5 days. The other one is still alive but I'm told underweight. I checked his stool for worms (I have a microscope) and saw what I think were round worms but I haven't ever seen a round worm under a microscope so I'm not sure. But after 45 emails to get a refund I had to go to my credit card company and dispute the charge for the tortoise that died. They threatened to sent me to credit collections, My lawyer assures me they can try then I can sue if they do that.

 

[pcrealty]

Tortoise Town operator is a teenager running a business. I was sortchanged myself last year. I wrote a letter to Google Reviews about their unethical business practices and Google Reviews deleted all their fake reviews which costs them valuable free advertising. The reviews on Tortoise Town website are fictitious and self-serving. There are many negative comments on Tortoise Town with this forum.

Tortoise Town is one of most non reputable reptile seller. I did not receive reptile vitamins that was ordered.
The scenario that you found roundworms and received sick tortoises are typical of wild caught tortoises. Vendors like Petco or Petsmart sell wild caught tortoises because they are profitable. Often wild caught tortoises have damaged shells, delivered sick and have parasites. Also, selling tortoises that are less than four inches are prohibited in most States because children can place small tortoises in their mouth and become sick with salmonella which tortoises are carriers of salmonella.

If I had to do it all over again, I would give up owning tortoises. The money expended is astronomical especially electricity. (basking and UV lamps+).

 

[pcrealty]

Thank you for telling us, I also advise against Backwater reptiles, I purchased 2 sulcata tortoises from them and one was barely alive when it arrived it didn't live for 5 days. The other one is still alive but I'm told underweight. I checked his stool for worms (I have a microscope) and saw what I think were round worms but I haven't ever seen a round worm under a microscope so I'm not sure. But after 45 emails to get a refund I had to go to my credit card company and dispute the charge for the tortoise that died. They threatened to sent me to credit collections, My lawyer assures me they can try then I can sue if they do that.

Try Garden State Tortoise - look under surplus: https://www.hermannihaven.com/surplus

I retract this statement

 

[Chip's mom]

Hi all! We ordered a box turtle and received a Hermann's tortoise from Tortoise Town aka Star Tortoise World. He has significant pyramiding on his shell, which many members of this forum confirmed and expressed concern over. Of course we will take great care of our new tortoise who we all adore and determined to be a male by the concave shell and long tail, the "breeder" did not respond when we asked if male or female. Ironically we'd paid extra for a female because we were considering two female box turtles.

I wonder if they think we wouldn't notice that we didn't get what we ordered. He looks to be maybe 5 years old and apparently was unwanted and not fed well. I let them know I'd purchased box turtle food (crickets, etc) and could they send me Mazuri for tortoises. They said not to worry they feed turtles and tortoises the same thing. Even though I knew nothing about tortoises at the time I knew that was appalling since tortoises are herbivores.

It makes me sad to think of the lack of care for these animals, and that the people care more about money than the little lives in their hands. I thought that I had done my research, but apparently I had not so I wanted to share this experience as there are many reputable breeders out there who love and care for the animals.

 

[pcrealty]

I posted a review. We received the wrong tortoise (ordered a box turtle and received a tortoise) and it has signs of health issues. It is really heartbreaking.

quickly do a chargeback with your credit card company. I received a refund my self

 

[Srmcclure]

Do not order from them!!!
They are so sketchy! I ordered my leopard from there. I love him so much, But they as a company suck. He was not raised properly before if got him, gave bad advise for care, delayed shipping for 2 weeks, didn't send the food I ordered with him, etc. If it wasn't for the people on this site I'm pretty sure he would not be here right now with everything they told me to do.

 

[Mrs.Jennifer]

quickly do a chargeback with your credit card company. I received a refund my self

Yes! Contest the charge! You have a really good case!

 

[Travis02]

I tried to buy an SA leopard tortoise from Tortoise Town that was on fauna classifieds and they sent me a completely different tortoise that was badly pyramided and full of parasites. And it arrived freezing cold with no heat pack in the box, barely alive. Never order from Tortoise Town!

 

[Wilbur1111]

Yes, we have purchased two Russian Tortoise hatchlings from Tortoisetown ($180 each). One in October 2016 and the other in November 2016. Needless to say after $280 in vet bills (and continuing, would be $500 but they took us on at cost) the one died (Squirdle) in June 2017 and Shelby is degrading fast. My vet is part of the reptile forum at Cornell University in New York and they took this case on as a "research" study. First, they informed me that it was illegal to sell the hatchlings that small (so fragile). Second, they were diagnosed them with the reptile version of Herpes Virus (respiratory virus). This is a virus that they were born with and you can never cure them but try to give them a comfortable life by having a routine of antibiotic injections on-going. Squirdle started first, over a month she slowed down, was not moving around and eating as much. We started seeing her eyes swell more, underside of carapace getting softer etc. We brought her to the vet, they we shocked as they are reptile specialist and never saw a tortoise hatchling as a pet this small. They contacted the biologist at Cornell for advice. We brought her to vet again 2 days later, and started a series of antibiotic shots at Cornell’s advice (a series of 4 shots administered every 3 days), but she did not survive (was too sick). We immediately started the series of 4 shots every 3 days with the other hatchling, Shelby in June. At the vets advice we also started hand feeding her baby food from a syringe 2-3 times a day for 2 weeks. My other half has a Ph.D in Biology and more experience so he took the lead, I am not sure I could have done it, hand feeding these little guys is not easy. Shelby bounced back to full strength two weeks after shots. Although two month later (August) started showing signs again. Cornell said she was not growing and was most likely too small to make it through the virus. If she did survive she would be a pigmy tortoise (small) and only live a portion of her life expectancy. We did 4 more series of antibiotic shots anyway ($100), she was good for 3-4 days then back to being lethargic. Now it’s a waiting game......she will most likely pass in the next week. We will continue to fight for her to the end regardless.


Tortoisetown has ignored my messages and will not acknowledge these issues. My heart breaks for the little guys they breed and my son who is so sad because these where he babies who he waited 4 years for. We made sure he was educated and old enough to handle this responsibility. I write this up in hopes that other do not fall into the same situation that we did. I hope that TORTOISETOWN does not continue to breed tortoises with the Herpes Virus.



Best of luck,

Andrea

Andrea this is such a heartbreaking story thank you for sharing your experience here. You have provided a very detailed account and your story saddens me greatly. So sorry RIP Squirdle.

 

[Wilbur1111]

I tried to buy an SA leopard tortoise from Tortoise Town that was on fauna classifieds and they sent me a completely different tortoise that was badly pyramided and full of parasites. And it arrived freezing cold with no heat pack in the box, barely alive. Never order from Tortoise Town!

Whatever happened to the tortoise ?