Pet tortoises need an environment that encourages a healthy body and mind. Some may call these items toys while others may consider them enrichment. No matter what they’re called, tortoises do need a variety of interactive objects to stay healthy and happy. Logs, rocks, bathing dishes, moist hides, and dirt mounds are good choices for toys and enrichment.
Do Pet Tortoises Need Toys? Read More »
Yes, tortoises do bite. While they are typically very docile and peaceful, they are able to use the strength of their beaks to bite each other, other pets and sometimes humans for a variety of reasons.
Tortoises Can Bite: Here’s What You Need To Know Read More »
Tortoises dig, bury and burrow instinctively to regulate their temperature, prepare for brumation and to escape predators. The desert tortoise, for example, digs itself into the ground to escape the burning desert sun. Some breeds dig elaborate burrows or dens for communal brumation. Others use it as a strategy for escaping predators.
Why Do Tortoises Bury Themselves? Read More »
In this guide, we’ll help you uncover the sometimes-vague signs of a tortoise in trouble. You’ll learn how to tell if your tortoise is happy, how to tell if it’s upset or sick, and what you can do to improve its life and ensure its happiness in some simple and easy ways.
How to Tell if Your Tortoise is Happy & Healthy Read More »
Most often the answer is yes, tortoises can live safely with other animals. However, any animal can get aggressive, playful, curious and sometimes sick. In these scenarios, problems between tortoises and other animals can come up.
Can Tortoises Live With Other Pets? A Guide for Tortoise Safety Read More »
There is no scientific proof that tortoises actually like music. On the flip side, there is no proof that they dislike music either. But some tortoises do grow to respond to certain songs that their owners play often.
Do Turtles & Tortoises Like Music? Read More »
You can train a tortoise to do tricks with quite a bit of persistent training on your part. Some tortoises can be taught simple tricks while others may eventually learn more complex ones. Breed, training tactics, and age all play a role in how much a tortoise can learn to do.
Can You Train A Tortoise to Do Tricks? Read More »
Tortoises can get fat and it’s a major health hazard if they do. Turtles and tortoises can gain too much weight, adding fat deposits on their limbs and necks, which restricts their ability to tuck into their shells for safety.
Can Tortoises Get Fat? (The Problem with Overfeeding) Read More »
Tortoises and turtles absolutely cannot live without their shells. The shell is not something they can simply slip on and off. It is fused to the tortoises’ and turtles’ bones so they cannot live without it.
Can Tortoises & Turtles Live Without Their Shell? Read More »
In the wild, tortoises live relatively solitary lives. They usually come together for breeding purposes but live most of their lives alone. Female tortoises may guard their nests, but they do not protect or raise their babies. That means even very young tortoises naturally live on their own.
Are Tortoises Better in Pairs? Read More »