If you’ve been thinking of getting a pet tortoise, the first question you might be asking yourself is,
Are they difficult to take care of?
For those who may be on the fence about choosing the tortoise as a pet, here’s a few things that it is best to know in advance.
Pros
Taking care of any pet can be quite challenging. Though some pet care guidelines can be more straight forward than others. This statement is true for the tortoise since there is a lot of great information that is available on-line as well as in pet stores. From securing information that will instruct the family how to keep the tortoise hydrated to learning what kinds of lighting should be used, there is a lot of data available that can be used to take care of these pets properly. Also, when the family does a good job with making sure the tortoise survives well outside of their natural habit, they can live hundreds of years.
Cons
The instructions for taking care of a tortoise is straightforward and quite simple to follow. However, there are some things about this process that people should know upfront, and that is the cost of taking care of pet tortoise can become quite expensive overtime. For instance, a tortoise must remain at a certain temperature all of the time in order to survive. Therefore, the new pet owner will need to ensure that they have the proper lighting resources in their home. To immolate the natural rays of the sun, many professionals recommend using UV lights. These lights are used to keep the tortoise’s temperature warm, but not too hot. The type of diet that the tortoise eats can also be costly as well. Especially, since the diet regimen has to be varied so that the get proper vitamins and minerals.
Another concern that people should consider before taking a tortoise home is the amount of time that it will take to care for them properly. Even though this is not a pet that requires a lot of baths to stay clean, they do have to remain hydrated. In order to do this correctly, a shallow bowl filled with clean water should be provided for drinking on a regular basis. Also, the tortoise should be soaked in water (room temperature) at least once or twice weekly. Therefore, if the family decides to go out of town on vacation, they will need assistance from a friend or a family member before leaving home.
Responsibility
Even though a tortoise survives well inside of its own natural habit, they can easily die early if the owner does not know how to care for them. Therefore, it is the pet owner’s responsibility to ensure that they know everything that is involved. Some of which includes ensuring that they are kept an environment that does not cause undue stress. While they are considered to be tough animals on the exterior, they are easily subject to inner stress. So, it is the owner’s responsibility to make sure handling is limited. Which means, these are not the best pets for children to play with. Specifically, if they are not supervised.
Skills Required to Learn
The skills required to care for these pets correctly does not have to be difficult, especially since the knowledge needed can be learned. However, it is essential that the new pet owner gets the appropriate information needed because there are different types of tortoises in various areas of the world. For example, when choosing a tortoise as a pet, people will discover that there are many different kinds, and they include, the African Sulcata tortoise, Russian Tortoise, and the Redfoot Tortoise.
Before choosing a tortoise as a family pet, there are some things that the potential pet owner should know. Some of which involves the pros and cons of raising the tortoise in a home instead of in its natural habitat, the responsibilities of taking care of them properly and the skills and knowledge required to keep them healthy and live.
Free:
"Horsefield Care Cheat Sheet"
Downloadable Guide
100% FREE easy care guide, works for any Horsefield Tortoise. Enter your email below to get your free Horsefield care guide.
