Tortoise information
Tortoises are land dwelling reptile most of whose body is shielded by a special shelsl. They are members of the Testudines family. They have both an endoskeleton as well as an exoskeleton. The length of tortoises varies between a few centimeters and two meters. Their growth depends upon the amount of food and water they have. On a plentiful supply of water and food, the tortoise can grow to large size. They generally live long life, some tortoise being known to have lived linger than 150 years.
Behavior of tortoise:
The most commonly known behavior of tortoises is their ability to pull their legs, neck, tail and head inside the shell. Most of the tortoise are quiet shy by nature and tends to avoid humans as far as possible. Many tortoises hide themselves from invaders this way. They easily identify their keepers and know when it’s feeding time. They are very sensitive to loud voice, vibrations and sudden bright light. They are quite happy animal and love being kept as a single pet. Some tortoises have been known to harm and even kill other tortoise species therefore; it is advisable not to accompany them with other tortoise.
Enclosure of tortoise:
It is important for owner to provide both an indoor and outdoor enclosed habitat to his pet tortoise. The tortoise enclosure should be designed in such a way that it mimics the tortoise’s natural home in the wild. It should be spacious enough so that the tortoise can stay in it comfortably. Three square yards of space is enough for every 12 inch tortoise to stay. Don’t forget to create hiding places in the enclosure. The enclosure of toirtse should be sturdy and high enough to keep the tortoise from climbing out and straying.
Diet of tortoise:
Tortoise are herbivore animal and like to feed on grasses, leafy greens, weeds, flowers and certain fruits. You can also serve alfalfa, clover, dandelions and leafy weeds to your pet tortoise. Different tortoise species have different diet therefore, it is important for you to research the dietary need of your pet tortoise. Pet tortoises mostly like to eat weeds, wild grasses and flowers. Some tortoise species also eat worms and insects. Too much protein is harmful for tortoise as it can cause shell deformation and other medical harms. Avoid feeding cat or dog foods to tortoises as that food doesn’t contain the proper balance of nutrient for a tortoise. Avoid offering commercial tortoise pellets to your pet as they are not formulated to meet the nutritional needs of any type of tortoise.
Tortoise mating:
During mating season, the male species of tortoise try to attract females by different ways that can range from head bobbing and gentle rubbing against the female to biting her legs or ramming his shell into her. Some tortoise species have no mating behaviors. The tortoise species that live in warmer areas can mate and nest at various times of the year but the species that live in cooler areas usually mate in the spring season and nest in spring or summer.