Your thoughts on 2 tortoise owners.

[@ndrew]

One of these tortoise owners houses a red foot and a russian.
The other owner paints his tortoise.

What are your thoughts on these keepers?

 

[russian/sulcata/tortoise]

A tortoise should not be painted, lots of bad chemical in paint that can harm the tort!
Two different species should have no contact with sac other, the spread of disease and bacteria can kill both tortoises! This stuff makes me mad.

 

[@ndrew]

A tortoise should not be painted, lots of bad chemical in paint that can harm the tort!
Two different species should have no contact with sac other, the spread of disease and bacteria can kill both tortoises! This stuff makes me mad.

Exactly we have tried to tell these owners not to do this but they are so ignorant.

 

[stojanovski92113]

Then they should seriously not own tortoises!! What neglect!! Well you mine as well tell these individuals that "Enjoy their tortoises because they may not have them much longer" because they are slowly killing them!!! This stuff makes me insanely mad as well!!

 

[ascott]

One of these tortoise owners houses a red foot and a russian.
The other owner paints his tortoise.

What are your thoughts on these keepers?

Okay, so at first reaction, painting a tortoise is not great---if the person insist on painting the tort lets hope it is with some type of kids non toxic mix....and lots of folks mix species--while I would not promote this, there are those that are aok with it....

 

[Tom]

One of these tortoise owners houses a red foot and a russian.
The other owner paints his tortoise.

What are your thoughts on these keepers?

What is the point of this post? Surely you know that most of us here will frown on both of these practices. It sounds like you are looking for someone to say something bad about the people doing these things.

 

[@ndrew]

What is the point of this post? Surely you know that most of us here will frown on both of these practices. It sounds like you are looking for someone to say something bad about the people doing these things.

I didn't want anything bad to be said about these owners. Maybe since I am not that knowledgeable about all species of tortoises I might learn something new about housing two different species of tortoise. Yes I can admit I didn't like the tortoise being treated like a canvas but maybe I can be overreacting. My intentions might look wrong but we all have something in common. We love tortoises. And learning how to care for our tortoises are a priority and there is always something new to learn and maybe we can all learn something new about these conditions.

 

[@ndrew]

And the person who painted his tortoise said he is using non toxic paint.

 

[naturalman91]

i wouldn't paint my tort with any kind of paint and as for a russian and a red foot together that's a big no no mixing species can be dangerous for those involved but i'm also a purist nut that doesn't even think redfoots and cherry head's should be kept together

the red foot and the russian have totally different habitat's i feel bad for the torts honestly.

 

[tortdad]

And the person who painted his tortoise said he is using non toxic paint.

Doesn't matter if it's none toxic. The paint will still be absorbed and it will create a seal which will no longer allow the shell to breath. That shell will not grow right now. It's animal abuse, plain and simple.

 

[WithLisa]

Doesn't matter if it's none toxic. The paint will still be absorbed and it will create a seal which will no longer allow the shell to breath. That shell will not grow right now. It's animal abuse, plain and simple.

Well, some owners apply oil on the shell (it's even recommended in the forum), others use paint.
I guess watercolours allow for more breath and are easier to remove than oil.

In my opinion, it's far worse to keep different species with different body language together.

 

[Yvonne G]

Well, I think tortoises are beautiful in their natural state, and look quite ugly when painted. If I knew these two folks I might try to offer some constructive criticism, maybe pull a couple of 'scientific' articles off the net to help educate them. But it really all boils down to the fact that these tortoises belong to these people, and they can do with or to them anything they want to.

 

[SlowMcClouskey]

Wow I'm glad I read this because I was wondering if one tort could get another one sick easily :0 in my town'a pet store there's a tank of tortoiaes, 2 box and 2 red footed. Is that bad, or is it bad when they get in direct contact with each other?

 

[Yvonne G]

From the Tortoise Trust article on Evaluating indoor tortoise housing for compliance with the Animal Welfare Act (2006):

"Mixing species and keeping with other tortoises Mixed species groups should be avoided. Different species may have very different temperature and humidity requirements, for example. They may also have mutually antagonistic behaviour patterns than can result in stress or physical injury. Different species may also have completely different and entirely incompatible dietary requirements. It is almost impossible to keep species from different habitats together as the environment and diet will invariably prove sub-optimal for both. Different species from different origins may also carry diseases to which the other has no acquired immunity. There are high levels of reported disease and death among mixed species groups (McArthur, op. cit.)

I tried to find the referenced article "McArthur, op. cit." but not enough info is given about it for a search.

 

[Yvonne G]

Here's an article by someone named McArthur about mixing species. I don't know if it's the guy referred to above:

http://www.britishcheloniagroup.org.uk/testudo/v4/v4n5mc

 

[Robber]

the red foot and the russian have totally different habitats

^^^^^^^THIS^^^^^^^^^

 

[stojanovski92113]

Here's an article by someone named McArthur about mixing species. I don't know if it's the guy referred to above:

http://www.britishcheloniagroup.org.uk/testudo/v4/v4n5mc

Thanks @Yvonne G for sharing this. Very informative.

 

[Anyfoot]

One of these tortoise owners houses a red foot and a russian.
The other owner paints his tortoise.

What are your thoughts on these keepers?

View attachment 118075 View attachment 118076

If I new the owner of this tort. It would be mine, period. I would not stand aside and watch a tort be neglected like that. Its disgusting. No if but or maybe's. Over here it would be sorted one way or another. Threaten to report him/her, see what they say. What next are we going to start to create new royal pythons with paint.

 

[HLogic]

What next are we going to start to create new royal pythons with paint.

Do you mean they haven't already?? It seems they've tried everything else!

For the unfamiliar... Royal Python = P. regius = Ball Python -- need I say more?

 

[Anyfoot]

Ask the owner what happens to the paint when the tort is bathed. Surely the paint is diluted into the water, then absorbed through the torts skin and even worse, is drunk.