Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I would like a tortoise that preferable doesn't live more than 30 years if there are any. Around 15years would be ideal since I don't want to make a commitment that I may not be able to keep. A tortoise that doesn't get too large would also be nice. I wouldn't mind keeping it outside in an enclosed pen, but I don't want one that weighs more than me.

Thanks for the help

Tortoises are long lived creatures. Putting a "time limit" on an animal you want to keep as a pet isn't a good idea, or fair for that matter. Some tortoises outlive their owners by a long time. I gained most of my animals from my Grandfather who handed them down to me. If you want something that lives 15 years get a dog or a cat. When kept properly tortoises and turtles live for much more than 15 years....that is simply one of the many things that makes them so amazing.

-Chris

at 15 years old, they are just becoming adults, to the point of breeding, some torotise don even get full grown in a 15 year period, i personally think you should think of another animal, thre are other reptiles that only live 2 years old, and other reptiles that live only 10-15 years, look into a bearded dragon, collered lizards, tortoise will go past the 15 year mark and will most likly go past the 50 year mark.

Part of owning a tortoise is understanding that this is a creature that should by all means live longer than you, and trying to accomodate them accordingly. Most tortoises, when properly cared for, are going to end up in your will (which means it's important to stay in touch with the reptile community, so you can help insure that your tortoise will have a good home when you pass).

Tortoises are a big commitment. Just a couple of posts down I was asking about a good mid-large sized tortoise as a pet, but I decided that it's best to wait, because I might not be in a good situation to take care of a larger tortoise after college. Besides, I also decided that I'm better off trying to continuously improve on making life better and better for the reptiles I have already. I think a lot of us (meaning reptile hobbyists) get caught up in getting the next reptile. There's nothing wrong with that if you can afford to take care of all of those reptiles, but I think that we don't focus enough time on trying to continue to improve husbandry for the reptiles we already own. I don't know about you, but I know I've 'half-assed' it a few times when it comes to reptiles, just to make my life a little easier, and I think that I can do better if I set my mind to it.

Just a little inspirational talk I'm kind of pumped right now anyways because I started working on my russian tortoise outdoor enclosure today. It's only going to be about 36 square feet, but that should be fine for a trio, and I plan on rebuilding every few years anyways. This is simply the first attempt.

Excellent posting, Ryan! I completely agree - and do post a picture of your outdoor set-up when you get it finished.

Nina

I understand that many live quite long, but I thought there were some species that only lived for a couple decades. I don't mind a 100year old turtle, but my boyfriend finds it rather morbid.

A small mediteranean tortoise. Yes they will probably outlive you, but they stay small enough that they are fairly easily accomodated despite what kind of financial situation you may be in.

What's morbid about a 100 year old tortoise? I would say it's more morbid having a creature that you know has a very limited life span (some reptiles live very short lives). Their long life span was one of the things that drew me towards tortoises. I'm interested to see how tortoises age, how much their growth rates decline when they hit sexual maturity. I'm interested in seeing what their life is all about, know what I mean?

thanks. It was just something that kind of hit me. I am always looking at new interesting reptiles, but what good is having a ton of cool reptiles if I'm not constantly trying to improve their lives.

I have two reptiles that are sadly getting pretty close to the end of their lives and I know that when they pass, I'm going to have to fight with myself to not get 'replacements', because I think that at this point I'll be better off focusing my time on just a few reptiles. I am hoping that the two elderly reptiles are at least going to live to see me gain most of my college education. BTW, one is a bearded dragon whom I bought as an adult in very poor condition about 5 years ago (he had a massive amount of parasites, and he was showing signs of kidney disease)...I felt bad for the little guy, but I won't make that mistake again. A rescue isn't really a rescue if you're putting money in the hands of evil. The other is a real rescue. A mali uromastyx that, when I got her, was in such horrible condition that I didn't think she would survive the night. She is full grown, and they were keeping her in a horrifyingly filthy 10 gallon aquarium with no heat, light, etc. She has huge scars on her back though that indicate that she once had a heat lamp, and that it must have fallen on her. I feel so bad for her everytime I think about this, but at least I've made the best of the past 3 years for her. She resides in a 4'x2'x2' custom enclosure, and she eats a ton everyday. I actually think that she will probably outlive the beardie.

It's sad when they get older. That's one of the reasons I started getting into tortoises.

I will definately post pics of the outdoor enclosure when it is completed.

n/m

Morbid?......Are you sure he is using that word in the right context? There is absolutley nothing morbid about an animal that can live such an incredibly long time. Turtles and tortoises unlike mammals, get better with age. While humans and other mammals eventually stop reproducing at a certain age, chelonians produce more and better as time goes on. Most female North American Wood Turtles (Glyptemys insculpta) do not lay their first clutch of eggs until they are 20 years old! That is amazing. Most of my tortoises didn't start producing eggs until their 7th or 8th year with me and they were already adults when I got them! Turtles and tortoises are unique and complex animals and for no reason other than human error should they die at an early age in captivity. Last week a friend of mine saw a female wood turtle get smashed by a car. Now here is this animal that has been around for probably 40 or more years and at the blink of an eye....she is gone..forever. We may never understand why these small and illusive animals live such long lives but recent studies in Michigan have begun to prove that turtle longevity may be the answer to finding a cure for cancer. It's the truth and there was actually a big article in Discover magazine about it. I'll find it and post it.

I do not think a turtle/tortoise is for you. When you take on the responsibility of a pet you should be sad to think that one day it's going to die. Hoping you'll only get a few years out of it is what's morbid. That's the great thing about these animals...you can kinda have them forever.
Sounds like your man isn't the animal lover type... you need to make your own decisions and if you think you can handle a turtle or tortoise make sure you do it right. There's already too many of these poor animals without homes, and more than enough of them becoming sick or dead at an early age.

Goodluck with whatever you choose.
-Chris

Chris- perfectly written. Tortoises are granted the soul gift to live past 100 if given the chance. As pet owners we are deeply honerd supervisors to have them teach us we are depended upon and capable contributers for them to thrive. That's not only cool- it can be most profound and beautiful. By the way- nice Wood! (Wood Turtle)