10 Tips to Taking Care of Your Pet Tortoise
Understanding the needs of your pet tortoise can help keep him healthy and happy. You should do your best to learn about what he likes, what he needs, and what his overall requirements are. A tortoise can make a great pet as they are generally low maintenance and easy to take care of.
Here are 10 tips to keep in mind if you are thinking about bringing a tortoise home from the pet shop.
1. Make sure that you have a vet that understands reptiles. The needs of a tortoise are different than those of other pets and you need a doctor that can provide the right amount of medical attention for your pet. Although a tortoise can live to be several decades old, they do get sick from time and time and require medical care. Ask at the pet store, or wherever you got him, if they can suggest a good vet.
2. Keep in mind that a tortoise doesn’t just live in water. This is important when constructing living quarters for your pet tortoise. A tortoise can actually drown if they are placed in too much water. They also need ample land space to get out and move around on. A tortoise likes to hide as well, so even placing a shoebox with a hole cut in it will be appreciated by your pet.
3. It's important to understand how big your tortoise is going to get. Although some can weigh as much as 200 pounds, chances are you're not going to purchase one this big at your local pet store. Still, knowing how big it's going to grow can help you find the right container for it.
4. It's not a good idea to place two males together as they will fight. Two females, on the other hand, will usually get along okay. Be prepared for mating if you place a male and a female together.
5. Don't try to breed your pet tortoise until you’ve had him for at least a year and understand his mating habits. A tortoise mates best after he has hibernated for a couple of months.
6. A tortoise is not a social creature. Most of the time, they prefer to live by themselves and don't like a lot of company. Don't worry if you don't have a playmate for him.
7. A tortoise will not bite you if you pick him up, but he won't really like it either. Try to keep your handling of him to a minimum.
8. The tortoise might be sick if you notice fluid coming from his eyes or if he makes odd sounds when he is trying to breathe. If you notice these things then you should get your tortoise to a vet right away.
9. Try to make a home for your pet tortoise that looks similar to what he might find in the wild. This means including wooden walls instead of glass ones, rounded corners, including a place for him to hide, a small heat lamp in order to provide him with at least 6 hours of heat per day, a shallow water dish with clean water every day, and a well-drained floor with good traction.
10. Ensure that the food that you feed your tortoise is tiny and soft since they don't chew their food. Food should also be let out for your pet all day since they like to graze. Some foods that they like include green beans, broccoli, protein biscuits, alfalfa pellets, and blackberries. Don't give him spinach; however, as the high phosphorus content can damage his shell.