Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hi! My tort is doing great but I have a question about a torts beak. I had no idea that they can grow and need to be trimmed. Is this a normal thing that happens and if so how often does it need tending to? I want to be prepared in case my Sam and Ella need it. Thanks!!!!
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Becki

1 Husband
4 kids
2 Hermans
1 Dog
4 Finches
1 Betta
1 Mourning Dove
1 Feral cat (kittens on the way)

Under natural conditions outdoors, a tortoise's beak rarely needs trimming. It gets trimmed down naturally from chewing sand and dirt with it's food and rubbing on rocks and things like that. It is usualy only indoor tortoises and turtles that need a beak trimming once in a while. I trimmed the badly overgrown beak on an ornate box turtle I found a few months ago, and I just used some very sharp, small scissors. I think they were fingernail clipping scissors. You just have to be very careful and only trim the excess, which you can identify by it's location, and it's brittleness. It is usually the top part of the beak that is gong to be overgrown.

I noticed you have a mourning dove on your list of critters. I have one too that I found last year. She has a shattered wing from getting hit by a car, so she will never be able to be released into the wild. Technically, you have to have a permit to have a mourning dove, but I never bothered. I guess I'm an outlaw, eh? Jesse James and his illegal dove! She even has her own six-gun! Kapow! Hand over the loot ya dirty varmints! But I digress....

How did you come about getting yours?

Wow! Thanks for all the info! It really is helpful. Hopefully we won't ever have to trim there beaks. I'm afraid I might hurt them.

About the mourning dove....I had no idea it was illegal to have one if you don't have a permit. I need to check that out. I'm pretty sure they sell them at the pet store here in town. We were taking a walk one day and she was walking around on the sidewalk. My son walked up to her and she didn't even run so he just scooped her up and we took her home. She can't fly...one of her wings is messed up. She is pretty friendly so I think she might have been someones pet at one time but no one claimed her so we have her for now. They sure do make a beautiful sound don't they? Mine just coos and coos all the time.
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Becki

1 Husband
4 kids
2 Hermans
1 Dog
4 Finches
1 Betta
1 Mourning Dove
1 Feral cat (kittens on the way)

It is illegal to keep the majority of animals native to the United States in captivity in this country, especially birds, without a permit. That is a law that was passed many years ago. I really don't think anyone is going to invade your house and take the bird, though. Or mine, for that matter. If a pet store is selling them, they better be careful. My mourning dove isn't the only technicaly illegal animal I have. I also have a couple of house finches and a a pair of rainbow buntings, but none of them would make it on their own in the wild, so I don't feel too guilty.

Are you sure it is a mourning dove? From what you describe about the tameness, and also a pet store selling them, it almost sounds like it might be a domestic ringneck dove that got away from someone. What does it look like? Ringnecks are very common as pets. Also, I hate to tell you this, but if it coos all the time, it is a male. Female doves are very, very quiet. I have female emerald doves that I had for a couple of years before I ever heard a peep out of them.

I called the pet store and they said they didn't know if they were illegal or not. You think they should know things like that right? Well if she is a he we might want to change the name. Holly doesn't really sound like a boys name. He is a grey/brown color. He has a light pinkish coloring on his cheeks. No rings around his neck or anything. I knew he was a dove because of the eyes. We didn't know what kind of bird he was at first so we looked it up on the interent and there he was. So we are pretty positive he is a mourning dove. Maybe I should call fishing game and find out what I should do with him....or if we can even keep him. Thanks for the info!
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Becki

1 Husband
4 kids
2 Hermans
1 Dog
4 Finches
1 Betta
1 Mourning Dove
1 Feral cat (kittens on the way)