A tortoise as a pet

A tortoise as a pet is an interesting choice. After all, these reptiles existed before the dinosaurs. Before you decide whether a tortoise is right for you, the following information will certainly be helpful:

• Tortoises can live to a very old age, sometimes up to 80 years, which means they may outlive their owners.
• Adult tortoises are solitary animals. Males can become very territorial and sexually aggressive. If you want to keep more than one tortoise, there must be a ratio of 1 male to 3 females, and the enclosure must be large enough and have plenty of places to retreat to.
• Tortoises love to wander around. They need a suitably large outdoor enclosure of^10m2 per animal. Keeping them exclusively in a terrarium is not species-appropriate. They can spend spring, summer, and fall in an outdoor enclosure in the garden if a kind of greenhouse is integrated for bad weather. Since tortoises are good at climbing and digging, the enclosure should be 50 cm high and 20 cm deep and dug into the ground. To prevent injuries, it must be solid and not made of wire mesh. The enclosure should offer a sunny and shady spot, places to hide, a shallow place to bathe, opportunities to dig, and a varied substrate.
• Tortoises are vegetarians and require fiber-rich, nutrient-poor food that is not too high in protein, ideally wild plants that grow in the enclosure. To ensure a sufficient supply of calcium, it is necessary to supplement their diet with cuttlefish shells, chicken eggshells, mussels, or snail shells.
• Since tortoises cannot drink from deep water bowls, these must be shallow.
• Tortoises need to hibernate. This requires a room with a constant temperature of around 5 degrees Celsius and a place where your tortoise can be undisturbed, such as a basement.
• Turtles get used to their environment and cannot simply be moved. Holiday arrangements should therefore also be planned.

The cost of purchasing the animal itself varies depending on its species, age, size, and origin.

As with many pets, caring for turtles requires daily attention. The animals must be provided with fresh water and food, and their enclosure must be cleaned. The water in the water bowl must be changed regularly, as tortoises usually drink from it.

It is also important to have the animal's feces checked by a veterinarian once a year.

Before you impulsively buy a turtle from a pet shop, please read up on the different species and their characteristics and needs. You can also contact dealers or breeders for advice. You can find local breeders, for example, in the turtle breeder database.

If you then decide to buy an animal, take a close look and do a little health check. Here are some tips:

• The turtle should be uninjured and free of parasites.
• The shell should be firm, except in young animals.
• The shape of the shell should be typical of the species and not conspicuous.
• Does the animal have open, clear eyes that are not sunken?
• Is the turtle breathing easily? Warning signs of illness can include breathing noises, visible mucus, and bubbles in front of the mouth or nose.
• Also look closely at how the turtle moves. It should walk powerfully, lifting its belly shell slightly and not dragging its hind legs.

Most tortoises are strictly protected species under EU species protection regulations. This means that they must be registered with the relevant state authority. Trade is only permitted with captive-bred animals, not with animals taken from the wild. Tortoises must be marked and have proof of origin in the form of an EU certificate or proof of purchase. Identification can be done by microchip or by photographing the shell. The individual markings on the shell allow an animal to be clearly identified. Any change of address or additions or removals must be reported to the authorities in writing.