Keeping a Tortoise

Posted by Tortoises Home on January 16th, 2020

Increasingly tortoises are becoming popular pets to have thus their availability has grown. But how and where do you buy a healthy and reasonably priced tortoise? Below I provide a simple guide on how to buy a tortoise the healthy, humane, and correct way.

Before you buy your tortoise you need to know what you are looking for. You should choose the species based off your ability to fulfill the needs of that particular species. Adult tortoises for sale

For example if the species of tortoise you want has a very particular and expensive diet that you cannot afford, do not buy that species.

Also, when picking a species you should take your experience into account. If you are a beginner pick an easy to take care of tortoise. For example, Russian Tortoises are small and not very temperature sensitive. While an Indian Star Tortoise should be left for advanced and experienced keepers only.

Now that you have a species in mind, let’s take a look at the few possible avenues of where you could buy a tortoise. Best Pet Tortoises for sale

Breeders are individual people who breed tortoises as a hobby or a business. There are many advantages to buying from a breeder. When you buy from a breeder you know that you are buying a 100% captive bred tortoise that wasn't taken from the wild. Also, the breeders can offer one-on-one advice for care and in most cases sell the reptile for a lower price than pet shops.

With a quick online search you can find companies willing to send you your tortoise in the mail. Most often these are large-scale tortoise farming operations. Before buying from one of these companies, do your research and make sure they are humane and most of the time delivers alive and healthy reptiles.

Buying from big chain or local pet shops is not advised. Most of the time these reptiles are coming from poor conditions and being sold to you by people who aren't very knowledgeable about tortoises or any reptile. Plus most of the time the reptiles being sold are overpriced compared to breeders. And pet shops have been known to sell beginners unnecessary, expensive equipment. Sulcata Tortoise for sale

Feeding a tortoise is actually easier than feeding most other pets, as they can generally go for quite some time without eating. In fact, during the warmer months, a tortoise only needs to be fed about once or twice per week. When it is time to feed your tortoise, however, you should feed finely cut fresh meat in the water rather than on dry land. You should never feed cooked meat to your tortoise and you should remove any uneaten food in order to prevent spoiling.

One special characteristic of tortoises is the fact that they go through a hibernation period that is an important part of their life cycle. During this period of time, their heartbeats slow and their temperature is lowered. While many hibernate in the water and bury themselves in the muddy bottom, others prefer to hide under leaves, bush or sand on the land. Therefore, you need to be certain to provide your tortoise with a place to hibernate within your aquarium. You will need to learn more about the tortoise you have selected in order to determine what type of hibernation area is necessary for your pet. Leopard Tortoise for sale

It is important to always handle your tortoise with care. Unfortunately, tortoises are often handled roughly because they do not have an effective method for communicating pain or discomfort. Unlike dogs and cats that can meow, whimper or even bite and claw, the tortoise does not have an effective means of communicating with its owner. Therefore, be certain to always handle your tortoise with care and respect.