Top 5 Misconceptions About Keeping a Tortoise – The Tye-Dyed Iguana

What’s the difference between a turtle and a tortoise? All
tortoises are turtles, but not all turtles are tortoises. The term “tortoise”
refers to the land dwelling, non-aquatic turtles. Here’s what you need to know
about keeping a tortoise.

Your tortoise cannot
swim.

Turtles that can swim look very similar to tortoises, but
there are actually significant differences between those turtles and their land
dwelling counterparts. You will notice that your tortoise has feet that look like
elephant’s feet, and their shell is denser and more dome-shaped than turtles
that can swim.

Your tortoise is
perfectly happy without an aquarium buddy.

In nature, tortoises tend to be solitary. Even a very young tortoise
thrives without the company of other members of its species. That being said,
if you would like to keep multiple tortoises in the same aquarium, you can as long as
you follow a few guidelines. First, you should only keep tortoises of the same
species together so that they do not infect each other with foreign parasites.

You should also avoid combining tortoises of very different
sizes in order to prevent dangerous confrontations between them. And you need
to be careful to keep the right male-to-female ratio. Never house two male
tortoises together. And avoid keeping only one female and one male together so
the male does not become overly aggressive. Keeping two or more female
tortoises together is generally fine, and keeping one male with two or more
females can also work.

Your tortoise’s shell
is not just armor.

It turns out your tortoise has nerve endings in its shell
and can feel even light touch. The shell is not impervious armor that prevents
your tortoise from feeling damage. So don’t handle your tortoise roughly
thinking its shell can take it. In fact, your tortoise may enjoy being petted
and scratched on its shell.

Eggs in the aquarium
do not necessarily mean more tortoises.

Female tortoises can lay eggs even if there is no male
around to fertilize them. Usually the tortoise can tell that the eggs are not
fertile and will discard them on the surface of their substrate. You can simply
remove the unfertilized eggs from the aquarium. If you keep a male with your
female tortoises, you may have a female lay fertile eggs. In this case, she
will create a nesting area to bury the eggs, and you will need to get
information about incubation and egg care.

You must keep a water
dish in your tortoise’s aquarium.

Yes, it is true that turtles can extract water from even
tiny bits of food, and they are able to conserve water in their hindgut. But
that doesn’t mean you don’t need to give your tortoise water. Your tortoise is
able to excrete urates without the water portion of urine—it comes out looking
somewhat like white toothpaste. But just because the tortoise is able to do
this does not mean it is good for your exotic pet. Dehydration can lead to
serious problems with your tortoise’s renal system.

Get what you need to take care of your tortoise at The Tye-Dyed Iguana.