My Son wants a tortoise,advice and opinions please.

GracieP

my_gorgeous_ellie-belle wrote: »

Lol, ok i thought they were terrapins (just assumed) - maybe they weren't.

There is a difference in what is called a terrapin in English and American English, so that maybe where the confusion arose.

• British English normally describes these reptiles as turtles if they live in the sea; terrapins if they live in fresh or brackish water; or tortoises if they live on land. However, there are exceptions to this where American or Australian common names are in wide use, as with the Fly River turtle.
• American English tends to use the word turtle for all freshwater species, as well as for certain land-dwelling species (e.g. box turtles). Oceanic species are usually referred to as sea turtles, and tortoise is restricted to members of the true tortoise family, Testudinidae. The name terrapin is typically reserved only for the brackish water diamondback terrapin, Malaclemys terrapin; the word terrapin being derived from the Algonquian word for this animal.[1]
• Australian English uses turtle for both the marine and freshwater species but tortoise for the terrestrial species.

Edit: Sorry that jpg was huge.

lfckerry

tortoises are not pets to keep in the living room,if thats what you want then they are not for you.
yes you can have tortoises in this country as long as they are captive bred.
please look on
www.tortoisetrust.org

there is a lot involved in keeping a toroise and you should avoid getting one from a pet shop as they are usually imported from the likes of slovenia in really poor conditions.
i have 6 tortoises,please pm me if you want any further advice

Ruby_Moon

I don't honestly believe that a 10 year old can make a rational descision about obtaining a pet that will probably live as long as he will.
However, as a parent you can and it would not be the most sensible of choices to make as you will be subjecting your son to the care of this animal for the rest of his life.
(Either that or he wll just 'get rid of it' when hes fed up)

picklepick

I have to say i agree Ruby. I really really really wanted a horse when i was 12... i never got one! Probably a good job really as a year later i hit puberty properly and all my previous interests went out the window in favour of facial piercings and grunge music!

SailorSam

Think carefully before you give in to him.
If he gets fed up with it, it may be left to you to take it for a walk each night.

Deep_In_Debt

Can only re-iterate what others have said. We don't know the age of ours exactly but my mum and dad have had ours for over 40 years (before I was born!) and he'd been in the family for years before that (we reckon he must be about 60 at least). He will need a garden, you will need to hibernate him - and requires a lot of commitment.

snowman2_2

Tortoises can live outdoors for part of the year but it does depend on where you are. Here in sunny Lancashire (!) our climate is nothing like their natural environment - most come from the Med or central Asia. They need a heated area and some extra ultraviolet light. They should live for at least 80 years, you need to find a proper reptile vet and get some good advice. They are not an easy pet. Speak to the British Chelonia Group or Tortoise Trust.

Mely

Deep_In_Debt wrote: »

Tortoises should live outside. Ours does and hibernates in the garage.

When they are babies they cant live outside. Ours is in a vivarium with a heat lamp.
Plus if the op does get a baby tortoise you cant leave them outside as they are VERY tiny and would get lost or stolen!

Mely

mirrorimage0 wrote: »

im pretty sure you are not allowed to own a tortoise anymore, we looked into it in the summer

Yes you are allowed to own a tortoise in this country (we have one and she is 4), as long as they are bred in this country and not imported.

Mely

I have to add that having a tortoise really is a massive commitment, mainly due to how long they live. They also dont like to be handled a lot. And im sure your son would want something that he could interact with more? You need to think about the future, and as your son grows up you may be the one left (or saddled!) with looking after the tortoise for the rest of your life!
I would get him something else like a hamster (as someone else mentioned).