Popular Tortoises (Advanced Vivarium Systems) E-Book

Philippe de Vosjoli

• Herausgeber: CompanionHouse Books
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Serie: Advanced Vivarium Systems
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 68

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2014

Beschreibung

Tortoises are simply vegetable-eating turtles, and because of their easy care requirements they are among the most popular of all herps kept as pets. This colorful and informative guide proves the perfect introduction to these attractive reptiles. Author Philippe de Vosjoli provides guidelines for selecting and keeping the most popular tortoises, highlighting the leopard tortoise, African spurred tortoise, red-footed tortoise, Russian tortoise, and pancake tortoise. For each he provides insight into size, sexing, housing, temperature requirement, feeding, hibernation, breeding, and more. This Advanced Vivarium Systems title includes information about selecting a healthy example, quarantine and acclimation considerations, housing needs, water and feeding, as well as solid advice about keeping tortoises healthy. A separate chapter on diseases and disorders provides a complete primer on the health needs and veterinary care of these rewarding reptiles.

Leseprobe

The author would like to thank Chris Estep of Reptile Haven, Chuck Henderson of Rancho Tortuga, Mike and Margaret Hawley, Micki and Brad Dutenhoeffer, and Chris Wood for their help in providing photographs.

Vice President, Chief Content Officer: June Kikuchi

Vice President, Kennel Club Books: Andrew DePrisco

Production Supervisor: Jessica Jaensch

Assistant Production Manager: Tracy Vogtman

I-5 Press: Jennifer Calvert, Amy Deputato,

Lindsay Hanks, Karen Julian, Jarelle S. Stein

All photos by Philippe de Vosjoli, unless otherwise noted

Rachel Rice, indexer

Copyright © 1996 by Advanced Vivarium Systems, Inc.®

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopy, recording or any information and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review.

LCCN: 96-183295

ISBN-10: 1-882770-66-8

ISBN-13: 978-1-882770-66-3

eISBN-13: 978-1-620080-22-1

Cover photography by David Northcott

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Printed in China

13 12 11      6 7 8 9 10

The photographs in this book are courtesy of: Bill Love, pp. 7, 8, 41; Chris Estep, pp. 9, 13, 20, 21, 22, 24, 30, 31, 47; Chris Wood, pp. 10, 20, 26, 28; Jim Merli, pp. 14, 36; David Northcott, pp. 32, 50; John Tyson, pp. 34; Micki and Brad Dutenhoeffer, pp. 37, 47; Kevin Hanley, pp. 40; Jim Bridges, pp. 46, 55, 57;

CONTENTS

Introduction

1: General Information: Before You Buy

2: Guidelines for Selecting Healthy Animals

3: Quarantine and Acclimation

4: Housing

5: Heating, Lighting, and Humidity

6: Feeding and Watering

7: Hibernation (Brumation)

8: Ontogeny and Life Stages

9: Notes on Various Species

 10: Diseases and Disorders

 11: Handling

 12: Unwanted Tortoises

Recommended Reading

INTRODUCTION

Turtles have influenced human consciousness since the dawn of history. The creation myths of a number of early Asian, Indo-Pacific, and North American Indian cultures claimed that the Earth rested on the back of a giant turtle. In other cultures, numerous ancient fables, such as “The Tortoise and the Hare,” feature the slow-moving tortoise as a steady, dependable hero. Undoubtedly, early civilizations were drawn to the turtle’s unusual combination of hard and soft features, made possible by an internal skeleton that evolved into a hard, protective armor—the portable shelter that we call a shell.

Tortoises, a specialized group of primarily herbivorous (plant-eating) turtles adapted to living on land, still fascinate all those who set eyes on them. Their special adaptive features, including a rounded form and facial structure, stubby elephant-like legs, and a docile temperament, have invariably drawn the attention of many prospective pet owners. As pets, they can be very rewarding and long-lived, as long as you select the right species for your living conditions and pay attention to some basic requirements. Before purchasing a tortoise, remember, as a group, tortoises will ultimately require the space equivalent to at least a large portion of a room—one that is larger than the standard size reptile enclosures available in pet stores.

One of the main advantages and challenges of keeping tortoises is that they are primarily vegetarians. You can purchase food at the supermarket or a local feed store, or grow it in your garden. As with humans on a vegetarian diet, however, you must offer a balanced regimen that meets their requirements, particularly with regards to certain vitamins and minerals (notably calcium). Many prospective tortoise owners are also surprised that tortoises are actually reptiles, which means that they are endotherms or, in popular terms, that they are cold-blooded. Like other reptiles, they depend on an external heat source and the landscape of their environment to regulate their body temperature. In captivity, they require conditions that combine both a heated area and a cooler shaded area in order to select their preferred temperature. This book provides no-nonsense information on these concerns and other important requirements. It will help you select the right tortoise species for your conditions and show you how to give it a long and healthy life.

It would be irresponsible to talk about keeping tortoises without mentioning their conservation status. Many of the world’s turtle populations are on the path to extinction and may not survive the ravages of habitat destruction, collection for food and bogus medicinal use, ineffective wildlife legislation (both international and national), and, with some species, over-collection for the pet trade. Against this backdrop of global decline, with the exception of the commercially produced African spurred tortoise, the leopard tortoise, and possibly the red-footed tortoise, every species of tortoise available today is a representative of the last of their kind, a precious life to be respected. There are many reasons why tortoises are easily threatened by over-exploitation. Most tortoises require at least nine years to reach sexual maturity and some species produce only small numbers of hatchlings, all of which are subject to predation. The consequences of collecting or killing adults from shrinking natural habitats are obvious. Depending on the numbers of adults removed, it can take years for a breeding population to recover—assuming that there are enough tortoises left in the habitat.

Today, tortoise hobbyists are in a unique position. We are still fortunate enough to be able to purchase, own, and work with a variety of species, and we can help delay the decline of tortoise populations by developing self-sustaining tortoise populations in captivity. Further, we can actively contribute to the creation and implementation of sound wildlife legislation. We have a special position of responsibility. Tortoises are not living toys. They are the last of their kind.

CHAPTER 1:

GENERAL INFORMATION: BEFORE YOU BUY

Climate

Tortoises originate from temperate climates, such as Europe and Russia; from semi-arid regions, such as East Africa; and from humid tropical climates, such as Southeast Asia and West Africa. When selecting a tortoise, consider whether you will be able to provide the optimal conditions required for its care. To a significant degree, this will depend on the climate in which you live. In several regions of the United States, you can keep various tortoise species outdoors during part of the year. For example, red-footed tortoises, yellow-footed tortoises, and elongated tortoises can be successfully kept and bred outdoors in south Florida with relatively little investment in their facilities. African spurred and leopard tortoises are successfully kept and bred outdoors year-round in Southern California and Arizona, as long as they have access to heated shelters during the cold and wet days of winter. Temperate-climate tortoises require a cool down period in the winter in order to breed and remain healthy. If you live in an area with cool winters, it will be easier to meet this requirement. When selecting a tortoise, you must consider your ability to provide suitable facilities and to keep the animals outdoors during at least part of the year.

If you cannot keep tortoises outdoors, you must simulate the essential features of their environment indoors. This requires adequate space, landscaping, artificial lights, heating systems, and, in some cases, cooling systems.

Size

All tortoises require space in order to thrive, so it is critical that you choose a species of appropriate size. One of the hardiest and most readily available species is the African spurred tortoise (Geochelone sulcata), which is now bred by the thousands in the United States. These tortoises have a lot going for them, including looks and personality, but they quickly grow into large pets. Adults require an enclosure equivalent to a room measuring 12 feet by 12 feet, and a larger enclosure is preferable. Although they don’t grow quite as quickly, leopard tortoises (Geochelone pardalis) also require the equivalent of a large portion of a room—at least an 8-foot by 8-foot enclosure—as adults. Anything smaller is inhumane and could threaten their health and long-term survival. Small species, such as pancake tortoises, star tortoises, Egyptian tortoises, and the European tortoises, are better choices for owners with limited space.

Most tortoises, like this pair of spurred tortoises, will eventually eat out of your hands.

Hardiness