Table of Contents
What to do when you first get a tortoise?
When you first bring home your tortoise, you should soak it in water a few times a week, so it feels fully hydrated, making sure to keep its head above water. Usually, after a tortoise is good and soaked, The tortoise will almost immediately begin to drink it.
How often should you hold your tortoise?
Approximately 10-15 minutes 3-4 times a week is a suitable amount of time for handling, but this may vary depending on the particular tortoise. Do not handle your tortoise for at least 24 hours when you first take them home to allow them to settle in to the new surroundings.
How long does it take to train a tortoise?
While they may not necessarily want to please you, they will be happy to work for their food. It may take months or years to teach a tortoise to use one potty spot or a litter box of sorts. It may never happen at all. You need to be prepared for that by having patience.
How do I get my tortoise to like me?
While they don’t jump up and down, tortoises and turtles do both get a little excited when you first enter the room, hoping you have some tasty treats. They may walk toward you or pace the enclosure to get your attention. Tortoises may touch their nose to your hand or arm to show affection.
Do tortoises need a water bowl?
ALWAYS provide a drinking water bowl for your tortoises. Even if you think your tortoises are not using it, they may drink when you are not watching. Be extra cautious with baby tortoises because they can drown if the water dish is too deep.
Do tortoises like to be picked up?
Sufficiently strong to even break the grip of an unwary adult, a tortoise can suffer great trauma or broken limbs and shell from being dropped. A tortoise should only ever be handled with two hands, they hate being picked up, it is not natural to them.
Is it OK to hold a turtle?
DON’T gesture with your hands while holding a turtle. Remember, it’s a living creature and may suffer stress from being waved around. DON’T hold a turtle with a soft shell (young turtles, species of turtles with naturally soft shells, turtles with diseases that make their shell soft) by the back edge of the shell.
Can tortoises learn their name?
Tortoises are very smart and can actually learn their name. Turtles will also recognize their keepers, but mostly because they are excited you’re bringing them food.
What toys can tortoise play with?
Small rocks, pebbles, woodblocks, even a solid rubber ball are all great pushing toys. Here are some items you may have lying around that you can repurpose for your tortoise’s push toy: Racquet balls (make sure they are the hard variety) Rocks from the yard.
Can I kiss my tortoise?
Contact with adorable pet turtles and their environments. “Don’t kiss or snuggle with your turtle. This can increase your risk of getting sick,” the CDC says in its guide, titled “The Trouble with Tiny Turtles.”
Is it OK to wake up a tortoise?
Tortoises do not carry the body reserves to safely hibernate for much longer than 3 months — 4 at most. Thus, if your tortoise is still sound asleep after 4 months, it’s time to wake them up. Another reason to wake your Sleeping Beauty is if they become active during the winter months and then fall asleep again.