Where to Order Tortoise Online
The best place to buy tortoise online is a reptile store that specialises in these animals. They can help you find the ideal tortoise for your needs, and advise on habitats, lighting temperature, humidity, and other essential accessories.
Tortoises are long-lived animals which can live for as long as 100 years. They're fascinating animals that require a lot of care.
How to choose a tortoise
If you're looking to purchase a tortoise online, make sure the vendor you're dealing with is reliable and has captive-bred animals. Reptiles that are kept in captivity are less likely to become sick, since they have been raised in the right conditions. They're also generally healthier and more social than tortoises from the wild.
Also consider the amount of time you'll need to dedicate to caring for your pet. Tortoises can live for up to 80 years in captivity. Are you able to care for your tortoise if you're no longer able?
Purchasing from a local tortoise breeder will give you the opportunity to view the tortoise in person and assess its health. A well-cared for tortoise appears alert and healthy in its body weight. The shell should be strong and free from bruises, cracks, or other damage. Its plastron should have a springy feel (but don't hold a tortoise baby in your hands as it can be extremely stressful). Legs should be strong and muscular. The skin, eyes and vent should be clean and free of discharge.
Ask the seller for a certificate in accordance with Article 10 before purchasing a tortoise. This is a document that the seller must sign showing that the tortoise has been microchipped and has been issued an ID number. In the US, it is required to complete this form prior to selling any tortoise.
It's recommended to bring your tortoise's pet to a veterinarian who is experienced in exotic pets and has experience working with tortoises. The vet will examine the tortoise for signs like parasites, disease and other problems. The vet may recommend an examination of the feces and blood tests, especially if the tortoise was imported illegally or was imported from a different country. A fecal examination can identify Salmonella bacteria that is harmful to tortoises as well as humans. The vet will also perform an overall examination and determine the tortoise's age. In the US tortoises are offered as juveniles and hatchlings until they reach 4" in length; this is to ensure that males and females are separated.
Tortoise Care
Tortoises live long and require special attention. Before ordering a tortoise online, you should take the time to consider your ability to provide the necessary care. This is especially important if you are looking for exotic tortoises not available in pet stores. Tortoises that are imported from their native countries are more at risk of being injured or sick during shipping. Buying captive-bred turtles minimizes the chance of suffering from this.
You'll need to consider the space to put in a tortoise cage. African spurred tortoises Leopard tortoises, and Burmese mountain tortoises need lots of space to roam and graze. These species won't thrive in a tiny home environment. Russian, Hingeback and Mediterranean tortoises are smaller and more suited to homes with limited outdoor space.
Make sure you have a large enough habitat to house your tortoise. This includes reptile carpet or a substrate that is comfortable for your tortoise to lie on. It's essential that the habitat has an area to hide and a water dish that is shallow. Tortoises use soaking to stay hydrated, defecate and wash themselves. Three to four soaks a week, lasting about 15 minutes, should be given. Soaking dishes should be slender and made of a material which allows the tortoise to easily enter and exit without drowning. To prevent the spread of bacterial infections dishes that soak in water should be cleaned daily.
Additionally, you'll need a terrarium thermometer as well as a shallow dish for water, and tortoise food. In addition, you'll require food dish and water dish that is shallow and tortoise food.
A lavishly decorated tortoise enclosure can be another option to give your pet personalization.
angonoka tortoise for sale can decorate your enclosure with rocks and plants that are safe for the tortoise. Make sure that your pet has a warm area of the enclosure to relax and a cool side with an enclosure with a cave or hide box to hide in.
It is important to let your pet tortoise get used to and trust you before handling it often. Tortoises can suffer from stress when they are handled too much. It's important to have someone care for your tortoise even if you're not there. They should be able to take care of your tortoise and know when to contact your vet.
Tortoise Feeding
The needs of tortoises for food the species they belong to differ greatly but all tortoises require a diverse diet and adequate amounts of both calcium and UV-B. This doesn't mean a salad from a supermarket but rather a wide range of nutritious, tasty plants that a tortoise could find in the wild. The tortoise should be able to roam and graze on a daily basis, but this should only be done in daylight hours or after it has laid down for the duration of the night. Tortoises that are forced to engage in constant feeding and activity patterns all year round show horrific rates of metabolic bone disease (see the latest article "Tortoise Shell deformities: A View from Inside').
Food should be placed in a shallow dish and not allowed to sit unattended for long. This will cause decay, which could lead to other health risks. During the grazing period, the tortoise must be fed the amount of food it can consume in 20 minutes. This allows the tortoise to consume food without placing too much stress on its jaws. This also prevents the so-called 'beak' in front of the tortoise from getting overgrown.
Certain species require fruits in their diet. This is especially true for species of the rainforest, such as Red footed and Yellow footed tortoises. Fruits should be served only in small quantities, not more than twice per day. They should also be washed to eliminate any contaminants, like pesticides or other chemicals, that could be found in the flesh or on the skin of the fruit.
Tortoises can be fed various fruits, but it's best to avoid them if they are prone to diarrhea. It is also important to avoid foods that are high in oxalic acid or goitrogens. Oxalic acid may bind to calcium and prevent absorption, while goitrogens can hinder thyroid function. In the same way many of the cruciferous vegetables which are often suggested as part of a tortoise's diet like collard greens, turnips and mustard and bokchoy - are high in the oxalic acid.
Tortoise Health
When shopping for a tortoise online, it is essential that you purchase it from a vendor who is familiar with this type of pet. A reptile shop or a person at a reptile show/expo are ideal options since they are competent to provide you with the best advice on taking care of your new pet. They can also provide the right equipment, like a tortoise enclosure. They can answer any questions you may have and will be able to recognize signs of illness. This is a much better option than buying tortoises from a huge pet store, since the tortoise might have been fighting with other animals while in a small tank, which can cause stress and end up damaging their shell.
It is not unusual for tortoises to live for 50 years or more, so it is essential to take care of them properly and provide them with a comfortable environment to allow them to enjoy their lives. Proper diet, housing, and the environment are the primary factors.
In the event that your tortoise gets sick it is essential to take them to a vet that is experienced in exotics. If you take them to a vet who isn't familiar with tortoises may have devastating results.
A tortoise's illness is identified by swelling of the neck and limbs, difficulties in moving, loss of appetite, or an overflow of fecal excretions. These symptoms can be indicative of liver, digestive or renal issues, and should be treated by a reptile vet immediately.
Swelling of the neck or limbs in a tortoise may be caused by trouble digesting food, insect bites, parasitic infections, accumulation of toxin constipation, or the combination of these problems. Incubating the tortoise with tepid water for 30 minutes and with the water level just covering its plastron (bottom shell) is typically enough to alleviate this condition. You can also treat this problem by increasing the tortoise's fibre intake, by adding liquid parafin or lactulose to its diet, or adding dandelion roots to its diet.
A healthy tortoise will be active and its muscles will be strong and it will walk with its bottom shell, also known as the plastron, esthetic of the ground. It will also dig easily and climb easily.