There are a variety of tortoise husbandry tasks that you can schedule whenever you like. For example, you should replace your tortoise’s full spectrum lights every six months or so, but it doesn’t matter what month of the year you […]
To properly care for a tortoise, you must provide a habitat and care regimen that mimics several of the environmental parameters your pet would experience in the wild. For example, you’ll need to provide your tortoise with appropriate temperatures, a
Beginning tortoise keepers have a lot to learn about the biology of their pets – especially some of the common signs and symptoms of potential illness. As is the case with most animals, the appearance of a tortoise’s poop can
Live plants are a vital part of any tortoise’s natural habitat. The more you can replicate that natural habitat in your own enclosures, the better your tortoise’s quality of life is likely to be! You don’t need a green thumb
Tortoises are very prone to conjunctivitis, or the swelling of the eyelids. Many cases of conjunctivitis are caused by bacterial infections and need prompt diagnosis and treatment to get better. In this article, I cover the most common tortoise eye
As much as we love them, tortoises aren’t exactly brimming with energy. But that doesn’t mean a tortoise’s life should be boring! There are many activities and supplies you can use to enrich your tortoise’s day-to-day routine. The right enrichment
Tortoises are famous for living long lives. For example, a Seychelles tortoise (Aldabrachelys gigantea hololissa) named Jonathan lived for an estimated 191 years, and there is no shortage of anecdotal accounts of other, much older, chelonians. And this often means
Many pets make a variety of sounds – sometimes to the chagrin of their keepers. Barking dogs, meowing cats, and chirping birds can fray even the most patient pet parent’s nerves. Tortoise keepers, by contrast, can rest easy in the
As ectothermic (“cold-blooded”) animals, tortoises differ significantly from dogs, cats, and other endothermic (“warm-blooded”) animals. For example, while mammals and birds heat their bodies from within, tortoises and most other reptiles must rely on external sources. And while mammals must
Tortoises (and their water-loving relatives, the turtles) have unquestionably strange body composition. They have thick, elephant-like legs, a parrot-like beak, and, of course, large shells. They’re arguably the most oddly constructed vertebrates in the entire animal kingdom. The unique composition
