Tortoises?

[spudnik]

I'm just wondering if anyone has tortoises, or any experience with them..

My mum had one when she was younger, and she loved it but he died becasue he came out of hibernation too early, i was thinking of getting her some for her birthday maybe (not til october) and ive heard that you can keep them so they dont hibernate, under heat lamps etc some kind of special set up, there is a big risk in spending a lot of money for them to die in hibernation, so i was wondering about the keeping them awake all year, how healthy is it and is it easy to do?

[smiler]

My nan has a tortoise called toby shes had for over 60 years now! shes eighty one and had her since she was a little girl when she got him from london zoo :o

Toby has always hibernated in a box with hay in in my nans conservatory but shes not been too well over the last few years and cos of the messed up weather i think she got a bit confused and woke up early but shes fine now! (toby not my nan) :)

Also i dont know what you mean spend a lot of money...my nans one has a home-made hutch he goes in if its okay outside that has like...this little plastic box he can go in for shade with some hay in, and when he hiberbates he lives in the conservatory in a cardboard box  :-\ I dont think shes ever really spend anything on him...but i dont know about tortoises so maybe she should have a tank..but in all this time never has like i said shes had her for over 60 years now!

I know they are pretty expensive these days (the tortoises)  as i looked at getting one for my nan when toby got ill (so if he died i could at least know where to get a replacement from if she wanted one)...

If you have any q's i can call my nana and she will be more than happy to answer im sure! Or i could ask my mum to go round (they live round the corner from eachother) and take some pics of toby and where she lives?

Anyway i know my nan absolutly loves toby and thoughtful things like remembering stuff your mum said about her childhood is always really nice!

[spudnik]

oh thanks I looked into getting some and had a look at reptile rehoming centres which my mum seemed keen on because we would be giving a home to an unwanted homeless tortoise.

[smiler]

I didnt even think of that at the time! :o

[Glynis]

Awesome 60 years that's fantastic :smitten: :smitten:
I think Tortoises are beautiful i love the way they peek out then slowly out comes the neck and they look around for something to eat :smitten:

[rachx]

60 YEARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! oh my god....lol

[smiler]

Toby bit me once (feeding her a dandylion) when i was little and that was no party!! It hurt sooooo much! Felt like a car door slamming on me...just really slowly! ;D Then again i was about 7 and prone to exaggeration! ;D

[lilgalnatalie]

i want a tortiose! ;D

[rachx]

me 2, but first i want a guinea pig

[jodie3]

I don't really understand about tortoises because as a child (all those years ago!) our torties lived outside in the garden all summer and we fed them salad and veggies and as far as I remember they lived to a good age. But nowadays all the ones advertised seem to need to be kept in vivs under lights and fed specialist tortoise food. So what changed? My son's girlfriend works in a small animal unit at college and all their tortoises live in vivs too but my sister found a tortoise in the field when she went to do her horse and as no one claimed him she kept him and he lives very happily in her garden.

One of the college torties laid a couple of eggs (even though she wasn't supposed to be old enough) and it hatched out into this adorable tiny, tiny tortoise which was just over an inch long and so cute!

[maisydaisystar]

my mum has a tortoise and he has a huge pen, and a heat lamp, he doesn't hybernate, on warm sunny days he can go on the grass in the garden, but has to be brought in when the sun goes in, I think it has alot to do with the species also, some can stay out all the time during the summer months, depends what type they are.

[sokel]

.I have a herman Tortoise and i dont hibernate her even though that species is supposed to be hibernated.
She had never been hibernated with her previous owner for the 5 years they had her so when i asked the exotics vet he said it would be more dangerous to start hibernating her than to keep her awake.
she goes out in the garden during the day in the summer if its hot and has a heated vivarium in the house.when its to cold for her to go out she wanders round the house for a few hours a day.
Some species of tortoise have to have paperwork from deffra to be able to keep them in Captivity and i know hermans are one of them