Why a Tort?

[Big Charlie]

Wow , so many wonderful stories I am almost embarrassed to tell mine . We were at a reptile show and I really liked those big Sully's they had on display ! Of course my wife said no way !! So we went home and I sniveled and pouted

until she gave in and let me get Speedy !

Yay for pouting!

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Yay for pouting!

Agreed.
Pouting has helped me achieve many things in my life.

 

[Kristoff]

As a child in the USSR, I traveled to steppes in Kazakhstan to pick mushrooms. My dad and I saw three large torts there... and - I'm ashamed to say - we just took them home.

We knew nothing about their needs and their care. In a couple of days, they dug up a hole under the fence, and vanished.

Last year, I was working as an English teacher in a private school in Turkey. The school had the most amazing, enormous garden with a duck pond, all kinds of snails, and a few torts. Normally, we taught the children not to disturb the animals. But one day a budding sociopath caught a tortoise and threw her into the pond "to see if it could swim".

The one teacher who saw it did nothing to stop this. By the time the rest of us learned about this and fished the tort out, it was too late... The tort had been gravid. The boy wasn't even disciplined. Nor was the teacher. I cried as I drove home that afternoon.

I didn't finish the year at that school, not just because of that incident, but the insignificant for the administration dead tortoise was one of the reasons.

It was probably also the reason I couldn't leave Kristoff behind when I saw him in the open in a busy town center, in an area that quickly fills up and turns into a hectic parking lot. He looked small, and lost, and easy to run over. And he's the most beautiful creature that I could watch all day!

 

[Lyn W]

One of the things I love most is that Charlie will most likely outlive me. I'm tired of the pain of the loss of all my other pets. My daughter's cat has 2 months to live and I dread what is to come.

Trouble is I worry about what will happen to Lola after I'm gone since none of my family are interested, and even a financial incentive in my will isn't going to guarantee his care.

 

[Lyn W]

Lola was found in a field by a friend and unclaimed in spite of our best efforts to find his owners.
He has a foot missing - possibly rats but I'll never know.
My animal mad sister was going to rehome him but then her hubby became ill and so she couldn't take him.
I have never wanted a tortoise myself, so was going to pass him on to the BATK for rehoming but by then he had grown on me and 2 years later is still here ruling the roost and running up my heating bills!!
Wouldn't part with him now though.

 

[Gillian M]

Trouble is I worry about what will happen to Lola after I'm gone since none of my family are interested, and even a financial incentive in my will isn't going to guarantee his care.

I feel the same as far as Oli is concerned, as there is no care/like for pets in this region.

 

[Gillian M]

As a child in the USSR, I traveled to steppes in Kazakhstan to pick mushrooms. My dad and I saw three large torts there... and - I'm ashamed to say - we just took them home.

We knew nothing about their needs and their care. In a couple of days, they dug up a hole under the fence, and vanished.

Last year, I was working as an English teacher in a private school in Turkey. The school had the most amazing, enormous garden with a duck pond, all kinds of snails, and a few torts. Normally, we taught the children not to disturb the animals. But one day a budding sociopath caught a tortoise and threw her into the pond "to see if it could swim".

The one teacher who saw it did nothing to stop this. By the time the rest of us learned about this and fished the tort out, it was too late... The tort had been gravid. The boy wasn't even disciplined. Nor was the teacher. I cried as I drove home that afternoon.

I didn't finish the year at that school, not just because of that incident, but the insignificant for the administration dead tortoise was one of the reasons.

It was probably also the reason I couldn't leave Kristoff behind when I saw him in the open in a busy town center, in an area that quickly fills up and turns into a hectic parking lot. He looked small, and lost, and easy to run over. And he's the most beautiful creature that I could watch all day!

A somewhat sad story. I bet the same thing would be done here: people dislike animals/pets, well, that's something personal. But why mistreat them? I keep wondering.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

As a child in the USSR, I traveled to steppes in Kazakhstan to pick mushrooms. My dad and I saw three large torts there... and - I'm ashamed to say - we just took them home.

We knew nothing about their needs and their care. In a couple of days, they dug up a hole under the fence, and vanished.

Last year, I was working as an English teacher in a private school in Turkey. The school had the most amazing, enormous garden with a duck pond, all kinds of snails, and a few torts. Normally, we taught the children not to disturb the animals. But one day a budding sociopath caught a tortoise and threw her into the pond "to see if it could swim".

The one teacher who saw it did nothing to stop this. By the time the rest of us learned about this and fished the tort out, it was too late... The tort had been gravid. The boy wasn't even disciplined. Nor was the teacher. I cried as I drove home that afternoon.

I didn't finish the year at that school, not just because of that incident, but the insignificant for the administration dead tortoise was one of the reasons.

It was probably also the reason I couldn't leave Kristoff behind when I saw him in the open in a busy town center, in an area that quickly fills up and turns into a hectic parking lot. He looked small, and lost, and easy to run over. And he's the most beautiful creature that I could watch all day!

I love that story, sad though some of it is.
Thank you.

 

[deadheadvet]

I hope to care for my tortoises as long as I am able. I figure I have hopefully a good 20 years left in me (god willing). The reality is and I understand it, is they will be parsed out when I am unable to care for them or I am dead. Either way, they will likely end up in a good situation. There will always be a desire for people to want some of these rare or not so rare incredible animals.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

I hope to care for my tortoises as long as I am able. I figure I have hopefully a good 20 years left in me (god willing). The reality is and I understand it, is they will be parsed out when I am unable to care for them or I am dead. Either way, they will likely end up in a good situation. There will always be a desire for people to want some of these rare or not so rare incredible animals.

But why torts in the first place, if you don't mind me asking ?

 

[deadheadvet]

I have always been around reptiles. Anytime we would go and visit my uncle (The Esteemed Dr. Elliott Jacobson) I was wowed at all the cool animals he had. Guess it's in my blood. I've had tortoises for almost 25 years. Here's a pick of me when I was 12 holding one of my Uncle's snakes.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

I have always been around reptiles. Anytime we would go and visit my uncle (The Esteemed Dr. Elliott Jacobson) I was wowed at all the cool animals he had. Guess it's in my blood. I've had tortoises for almost 25 years. Here's a pick of me when I was 12 holding one of my Uncle's snakes.View attachment 183633

I've got a similar photo of me with a constrictor at about the same age, somewhere.
Love the haircut.

 

[deadheadvet]

That was the style back in the early 70's

 

[itiswhatitis]

Mine started with a box turtle from family vacation when I was a teenager. I still have him to this day. He is a little over 15 years old. But 5 years ago a neighbor who I had waved at for years and barely spoken with had a family emergency out of town and had seen me with my boxie in the yard several times ask me to babysit is tortoise for 2 days. I was like heck yeah. He brought him over to me and I was immediately taken in. He had a 4 year old Sulcata. I told myself as soon as I moved back in to country again if get one.

I got my first Sulcata 6 days ago. A hatchling that was born May 1st.

 

[Big Charlie]

Trouble is I worry about what will happen to Lola after I'm gone since none of my family are interested, and even a financial incentive in my will isn't going to guarantee his care.

My kids seemed interested the last time I talked about it with them. Who knows how they will feel when the time comes. My son was the one who found the tortoise forum when I had him look after Charlie while we were on vacation. So I think he would take care to do the right things.

Not really the same thing but I remember thinking my MIL was irresponsible getting a puppy when she was in her late 70s, as I worried what would happen to the dog when she could no longer take care of it. She is now 91 and outlived the dog.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

My kids seemed interested the last time I talked about it with them. Who knows how they will feel when the time comes. My son was the one who found the tortoise forum when I had him look after Charlie while we were on vacation. So I think he would take care to do the right things.

Not really the same thing but I remember thinking my MIL was irresponsible getting a puppy when she was in her late 70s, as I worried what would happen to the dog when she could no longer take care of it. She is now 91 and outlived the dog.

Yeah, but i'm not likely to make it to 150.

 

[Big Charlie]

Yeah, but i'm not likely to make it to 150.

That's why I said "not really the same thing..." None of us has the life expectancy of our torts unless we inherited them.

 

[Gillian M]

Yeah, but i'm not likely to make it to 150.

You never know!

 

[KaitlinKeefe_]

❤️

 

[Yelloweyed]

I don't want to outlive my tort! They're all just a year old.