What do YOU wish more people knew about turtles and tortoises

Tort-time

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Hi all, I'm working on a project for world turtle day, and beyond, and I was hoping you could help! I'm asking Rescues, rehabbers, experienced keepers, herpetologists, and biologists to share what they wish more people knew about turtles and tortoises. The goal is to share as many of these as I can tomorrow, and continue from there. Later creating a few videos sharing these thoughts. I'd really love your help! I've created a form here to share your thoughts and a little about what you do but you can also just comment on the thread (lemme know how you'd like to be cited).

Heres the form:
https://torttime.wufoo.com/forms/zq6jvku0fm3a8y/

Please feel free to share with anyone you think would be interested in contributing!

Thanks so much!
Nicole & Zoya Pants the tortoise.
tort-time.org
 

Justin90

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I wish more people knew the difference between a Turtle and Tortoise. The most my tortoise does in water besides drinking it, is soaking and going to the restroom in it. I'm always correcting my friends/family when they say turtle haha
 

eric joranson

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I wish more people knew the difference between a Turtle and Tortoise. The most my tortoise does in water besides drinking it, is soaking and going to the restroom in it. I'm always correcting my friends/family when they say turtle haha
all tortoises are turtles; but not all turtles are tortoises.........
 

Tom

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Where to begin…

1. Water is not the enemy. With one exception, the Desert Tortoise, these are not desert animals. Many species live in area with a hot wet monsoon season. Almost all species live in areas with higher humidity than what is found inside of a typical North American home with heating and A/C. Babies should be soaked daily. Older torts should be soaked regularly. Bladder stone surgery is a lot harder and a lot more expensive than soaking an adult tortoise once or twice a week.
2. Protein is not the enemy. Protein does not cause pyramiding. Tortoises need some protein in the diet.
3. Pyramiding is not caused by food. It is caused by growth in conditions that are too dry. Sunlight, D3, and a different food will do nothing to stop pyramiding in an environment that is too dry.
4. The grocery store is not where your tortoises food should be coming from, with some exceptions like fruit for fruit eating species. Grocery store greens generally lack fiber and some have poor calcium to phosphorous ratios, or just low calcium. If you must use grocery store foods, you need to amend it with supplements to add fiber, add calcium and correct a bad calcium to phosphorus ratio.
5. Pet stores usually dispense bad care info and sell dangerous or useless products. Ramped water bowls, red bulbs, spot bulbs, coil bulbs, tiny enclosures… all bad news.
6. Vets usually dispense bad care info and sometimes dangerous or useless medications and treatment. If your tortoise vet is not an experienced tortoise keeper, they will probably be referring to a vet handbook or website in the back room, and what they recommend is often either expensive or harmful, or both.
7. Care info for many species has been wrong for decades. Most people have still not figured it out and argue vehemently with the people who have.
8. Most babies are started far too dry.
9. Most people buy their tortoises from the wrong source and don't know what questions to ask to determine what the right source is. Buy from a breeder or a broker that can tell you how the baby was started. If the baby was started on dry substrate, kept outside all day, and soaked less than 3-4 times a week, buy from someone else. If the baby was fed spring mix and romaine, buy from someone else.
10. BIG one here: Tortoises should NOT be kept in pairs. They don't like it. Its not good for them. I can cause all sorts of problems including death. Other species, like chameleons demonstrate their displeasure at the pair situation with body posture or color changes. Tortoise can't do either, so they're forced to live in this unnatural unpleasant situation far too often.
11. Don't mix species. High potential for disease and death.
12. Don't let your tortoise run loose in the house or outside. Many are killed, injured or lost this way. Every person who lost, killed or injured their tortoise this way was sure it was safe and they were being very careful. It will happen to you. Use an enclosure.
13. Tortoise are not the pet for people who have no space. They need large areas to roam. Indoors and outdoors too. If you only have room for a small tank, don't get a tortoise. There are plenty of other reptile species that will do fine in smaller enclosures.
14. Sand is not a good reptile substrate. High risk of impaction and its a possible skin and eye irritant.
15. Bought in a bag soil is not a good substrate. There is no way to know what it is made of and it could be something toxic. This also means that a soil/sand mix is no good. Use coco coir or fine grade orchid bark. Or use dirt if your is of suitable composition. That's what all my adults live on outside.
 

Tort-time

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These are all so great!! keep them coming!! Thank you all!
 

Fredkas

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Turtle/tortoise hate environment change. Make your mind thoroughly when setting up the enclosure.
 

Rachael403

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LIGHTS! Where to put them, why they are important, and which ones to avoid that cause eye issues, etc. I have had many people confused on what light to buy and which one to avoid, as I was also when I started many years ago.

Covering screens would also be useful- which ones block UVA/UVB, etc.

Debunking the stuff that pet stores say would also be awesome. Such as a 10 gallon aquarium kit is NOT suitable for any turtle/ tortoise, no matter the size, the importance of turtle tables, outdoor time, and building the proper enclosure for your tort/turtle. I would suggest that you go visit pet stores, ask them questions, and see what they have to say to a "newbie." I am not saying blast the employees that you talk to, but try to find out what they are telling people so you can explain what's proper.

Ok last point... I think videos explaining what tortoises hibernate, which ones cannot, their diet, etc. would be a good starting point for people that are considering getting a tort so they know which ones would be best for the conditions they can provide.
 

mark1

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how long of a commitment they are making , and how they'd feel about a $200 vet bill on a $29.95 turtle or tortoise
 

ZEROPILOT

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I wish more people knew the difference between a Turtle and Tortoise. The most my tortoise does in water besides drinking it, is soaking and going to the restroom in it. I'm always correcting my friends/family when they say turtle haha
In some countries a tortoise is still called a turtle.
And we have members from those few countries
 

ZEROPILOT

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If we are limited to one.
I'd want people to research how large the tortoise they are getting gets and how much room it will need. And then maybe just put some fish in that fish tank instead of a soon to be 150 pound tortoise.
They should not be purchased on a whim.
 

William Lee Kohler

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1. To know proper lighting for proper shell growth before buying.
2. To realize and accept commitment being made when buying.
3. To realize that good health practices prevent vet bills.
 
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