Quirky Things We Learned from Our Tortoise #ReptileCare
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When we first adopted Augustine, our Russian Tortoise, we knew absolutely nothing about how to care for a turtle or tortoise. That’s okay. We didn’t need to know everything. Part of the fun of being a pet parent is learning HOW to care for your pet – and that goes for any species.
Of course, there are certain things you absolutely must know about any species you bring into your home, like what their diet is and what type of housing they require (the PetMD® Reptile Center at Petsmart® is a great place to begin). But after this, you can discover the details and further information about any animal. Today we’re talking about things that probably aren’t in the care kit that the store sent you home with.
[note style=”5″ icon=”yes” class=”template-style”]This post is sponsored by petMD Reptile Center, and the BlogPaws Professional Pet Blogger Network. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about Reptile Ownership, but PetsWeekly only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. petMD and PetSmart are not responsible for the content of this article.[/note]
We learned a lot of things about reptiles when we took Augustine into our home. The first thing is that despite being a desert animal, our Augustine LOVED the water and would spend hours in the soaking pond. Most Russians won’t do this, so you need to pay attention to your individual tortoise. Each of them are quirky and have their own preferences.
[heading style=”modern-2-blue” heading=”h1″ color=”#a23d0d” align=”left”]Beware cats and dogs – don’t let your pets flip your tortoise over[/heading]We learned that having a turtle can be challenging when you also have dogs and cats. First off, anything big likes to mess with smaller animals. That’s just a fact. So we had to learn how to keep the dogs and cats out of Augustine’s cage because they would roll him over onto his back – mostly because they thought it was funny as he struggled to get upright (which he could never do on his own). This is why you must never leave your tortoise unattended in an area that isn’t fully enclosed.
[calltoaction title=”Visit the PetMD Reptile Center” title_color=”#f4b650″ button_link=”#http://blogp.ws/ReptileCenter” target=”blank” button_color=”#f4b650″]Visit the Pet MD Reptile Center at Petsmart[/calltoaction] [heading style=”modern-2-blue” heading=”h1″ color=”#a23d0d” align=”left”]Tortoises don’t understand windows or glass[/heading]When we first got Aug, he was given to us in a 10-gallon glass aquarium that was way too small and also, well glass. So he kept trying to climb out of it. We eventually moved him into a giant custom enclosure that had plexiglass so we could watch him, but he still kept trying to escape. Finally we understood that he didn’t get the concept of glass and it was cruel to give him false hope. We had to take the glass away and put up regular wooden sides on it. That made for a lot happier tortoise.
We learned that Augustine has a sense of humor and that his bite was much worse than his bark. He loved to go into the backyard and chase the animals around. They thought he was terrifying. Augustine also learned that to keep the dogs and cats out of his cage, he could easily snap at them. They were quick to move after that and far less likely to bother him!
[heading style=”modern-2-blue” heading=”h1″ color=”#a23d0d” align=”left”]Tortoises are excellent diggers[/heading]Tortoises love to dig and burrow into the sand. They will dig all the way under a fence unless you have a concrete footing, which is why it’s important to never leave your reptiles unattended when they are outside or in an enclosure that doesn’t have a floor. You wouldn’t believe what kind of escape artists they are!
Augustine loved to be petted and to stretch his legs. The most fun time for him (and for us) was letting him run around (supervised) in the yard. Contrary to what you may think, tortoises need to have shade available (but sun is excellent for his shell). Focus on your climate and do your best to adjust the environment to your tortoises needs. Every tortoise setup needs a basking area AND a colder side where they can hang out. Tortoises are accustomed to fairly extreme temperature variances (about 20-30 degrees). This is why it’s important to have a large terrarium or table, so they can move from warm to cool. The are where they sleep should have high humidity (about 60%) which you can achieve by using moist substrate.
[heading style=”modern-2-blue” heading=”h1″ color=”#a23d0d” align=”left”]Calcium supplements and multivitamins are necessary[/heading]We eventually learned that calcium was necessary for Augustine’s diet. We couldn’t just feed left-over vegetables and fruits – he needed a balanced diet (we used a canned tortoise food to supplement his herbivore diet). We dusted his fruits with a calcium supplement twice a week and added a tortoise-specific multivitamin to his food once a week. Every captive species requires a very special diet, so be sure you research.
Russian tortoises can live to be over forty years old. This is not a pet that you can bring into your home lightly – it’s a lifetime commitment.
[heading style=”modern-2-blue” heading=”h1″ color=”#a23d0d” align=”left”]Beware any pest control[/heading]If you have any type of reptile, bird or fish, you have to explore alternative ways to handle pest control. It’s very important that you look at natural pesticides when you have any type of fish, reptiles or birds in your home.
If you’re thinking of adding a new tortoise to your home, we hope you select a Russian Tortoise. They are wonderful pets, but they do require work and it’s important that you do your homework. This is not the best pet for a child who wants one that they can pet and hold – Russian tortoises are fairly shy and prefer to be left to their own devices most of the time. You will need to commit to a lifetime of care.
And if you’re looking at other quirky things about tortoises and turtles, watch this fun video from the PetMD Reptile Center!
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