| Five things to consider before getting a pet tortoise | | | | needs to have a lot of input from the owner. Children |
| 1. Can you provide an appropriate home for your | | | | love to have tortoises but you will have to supervise |
| tortoise? | | | | the child when they are handling it. This is not just for |
| A tortoise requires a larger area to live in than you | | | | the sake of the tortoise but also the health of your |
| may think. A basic tortoise house will need to be big | | | | child. Salmonella is carried by some tortoises so it is |
| enough for your pet to move around freely, burrow | | | | important to have good hand hygiene and also to |
| when it wants to hide away and it will also need to | | | | teach your child how to care for their pet. |
| have heat and light source as tortoises are | | | | If you have other pets in your home they may not |
| ectothermic (cold blooded) If your pet tortoise is 12 | | | | appreciate you bringing in another pet. Although a |
| inches long for example it will need an enclosure of | | | | tortoise has usually got a hard shell for protection |
| 9ft x 9ft! This is a considerable amount of space and | | | | they can still be harmed by an over exuberant dog |
| will need careful consideration. | | | | or curious cat. If you have an outside enclosure for |
| 2. Which type of tortoise to get? | | | | your tortoise you will have to make sure it is secure |
| There are many different types of tortoise for you | | | | so that the dog or cat cannot get to it. |
| to choose from to have as a pet. However, you ill | | | | 5. Pet tortoise, One, Two Three or More? |
| need to consider the specific habitat required for it. | | | | Keeping tortoises as we have seen requires a lot of |
| This means you need to do your homework! There | | | | planning but what if you want to keep a few |
| are many tortoise species that would make perfect | | | | different species of tortoises? Mixing tortoise species |
| pets for your home such as a Pancake tortoise or | | | | is not always a good idea as they can fight. The |
| Egyptian tortoise but you will have to do some | | | | smaller species can be bullied by the larger tortoise |
| research and see which type would suit you best. | | | | and not allow the smaller one to eat any of the food. |
| When Choosing a pet tortoise is important to | | | | There is also the risk of cross infection. If you have |
| understand what you are wanting from the | | | | an established tortoise enclosure and want to |
| experience and how well you can care for one? | | | | introduce a new one into it you will have to |
| 3. What to feed your tortoise? | | | | quarantine the new tortoise for a number of weeks |
| Your pets diet will be determined by the specific | | | | to ensure it does not have any disease or is carrying |
| species you decide to keep. Most tortoises are | | | | any parasites. |
| herbivores and require green leafy vegetables and | | | | In conclusion- keeping a pet tortoise can be a very |
| also some soft fruits to maintain their health. You can | | | | rewarding hobby but you have to be aware you are |
| also buy commercially available tortoise pellets but | | | | taking care of a living creature that does require a lot |
| you may want to supplement these with some | | | | of care and at times expenditure. They may not be |
| vitamins. You can get these from your pet shop or | | | | fluffy and playful but they all have their own |
| vet. | | | | particular personality and can be your companion for |
| 4. Children and other pets | | | | many years! Tortoises often live for over 100 years |
| A pet tortoise may not be fluffy like a dog or cat | | | | if looked after properly so you may have to pass on |
| and obviously will not require a daily walk but it still | | | | your tortoise to your grandchildren! |