tortoise advice

RE: tortoise advice

Julian Earl — Mon, 01 Feb 2021 22:34:43 GMT

This is an interesting thread. Remindedme of my oldest patient ever! Yes, of course it was tortoise that Isaw in the 1990s that was aged 96 years. It was roaming the garden and fell off a wall a few feet and cracked its shell.The tortoise survived okay and for all I know is still going strong?!1 The tortoise also had the nearest thing to a birthcertificate! The lady who owned it, looked in her purse and pulled out a receipt for the tortoise that she was given by her own grandmother and it was dated about 1895 for five shillings I think from a market at Covent Garden! When aged 95, don't do silly things high off the ground!

RE: tortoise advice

Gillian Mostyn — Mon, 01 Feb 2021 21:35:43 GMT

This looks like a good place to start?

https://www.tortoise-protection-group.org.uk/site/34.asp

RE: tortoise advice

rhmrcvs — Mon, 01 Feb 2021 20:51:45 GMT

Thanks for the reply. Child is 12, very sensible. They are close friends of ours, got rabbits last year for other daughter, dad made the best rabbit palace ever seen.... they have dogs and horses aswell. I've discussed longevity, we operated on a 74 yr old toroise last summer, the oldest i've seen was probably over 100. I found the website of chelonian group and books for children. As you say strange the exotics guys didn't respond. Any pointers to finding responsible breeders? I won't be asking on vet voices, asked re rabbit breeders last year and was slated, v amusing..... Regards

RE: tortoise advice

Gillian Mostyn — Mon, 01 Feb 2021 10:49:56 GMT

[quote userid="11964" url="~/001/veterinary-clinical/exotics/f/discussions/29635/tortoise-advice/228247#228247"]despite questionable husbandry over the winter, never hibernated. God knows how old she really is as my father said she was nearly as big as she is now when he got her. She lived freeroam on carpet in my Grannies flat for quite a few years until we had the house and garden that my father took her again. [/quote]

That's quite common - a small minority of the ones that were imported as well grown adults generally coped with the poor husbandry - younger ones rarely did.

RE: tortoise advice

Julian Earl — Mon, 01 Feb 2021 10:42:24 GMT

A general point especially if the tortoise is for a child...: A small number, 2% IIRC, do carry Salmonella so be very careful with hygiene of course! Good luck.

RE: tortoise advice

Sammy82 — Mon, 01 Feb 2021 00:04:04 GMT

Lifespan is definitely an important point to consider. My father got one as a child in 1966, pet shop import. She is still going strong (in much sunnier Germany) despite questionable husbandry over the winter, never hibernated. God knows how old she really is as my father said she was nearly as big as she is now when he got her. She lived freeroam on carpet in my Grannies flat for quite a few years until we had the house and garden that my father took her again.