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Helpful tips on great tortoise care from xyzReptiles

tortoise care

Have you been looking for a tortoise for sale? If so know that caring for your pet tortoise can be as easy as following instructions on a box of microwave popcorn. There are simple steps that will ensure your pet tortoise has a long, healthy and happy life in its new home. Here is a list of dos and don’ts regarding buying and keeping tortoises as pets.

Finding the right pet tortoise for sale for your household

Tortoises are one of the longest living creatures on the planet. There have been recorded examples of certain species that have lived for over 150 years and in some cases they were already adults when they were first found. Not all tortoises will live that long but it is a good idea to have a long term plan for your pet and know where it will end up once it’s out of your hands. Another issue to consider is how big your new pet will eventually get in size. There are tortoises that stay eight to ten inches as adults and there are also ones that get over three feet long and weigh hundreds of pounds. If you live in an area where you have no access to a large yard or pasture then the smaller tortoise species are the right ones for you.

Setting up the perfect tortoise habitat

Once again the size of the animal you are getting will determine what you should house it in. There are plenty of terrarium and tortoise house setups that can be made or bought but if your pet is one that gets over ten inches in length then an outdoor enclosure is what you will need. The Mediterranean and Chinese Tortoises are amongst the few that can spend their entire lives indoors but if you are considering the purchase of a redfooted tortoise, a sulcate tortoise or a leopard tortoise then plan on having a tortoise pen in your backyard. There are instances when larger species can be kept in barns or green house settings but they will need to spend part of the year outside, especially when the weather permits.

Feeding and lighting your pet tortoise

After you have figured out the right species to bring home and have set up a perfect habitat for it, it is time to get the right lighting and perfect diet for your new pet. Most tortoises will benefit from a high output UVB lighting system. If the enclosure is large enough then you can use a two in one UVB and Heating bulb. This is recommended for pens and cages that are higher than 18 inches from the cage floor. The perfect diet is always a varied one. This means that a mixture of tortoise chow, fresh vegetables and greens as well as hay can be offered to your pet on a rotating basis. In the cases where the animal has specific dietary needs fruits and protein in the form of hard boiled eggs with the shells can be offered.

Finding the right tortoise for sale is only the first step but at xyzReptiles we have taken the guesswork out of this hunt by offering dietary requirements, adult sizes and scientific names as well as high quality pictures for all of our tortoises for sale. As with all of our exotic pets same day shipping and live arrival guarantees are a given.

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