Fluffy is a Horsfield’s Tortoise around 12 years old. She enjoys climbing onto objects and hiding to sleep away in boxes. She is a picky eater for a tortoise. Her favorite food is romaine lettuce.
Horsfield’s Tortoises live in the dry, open region of Central Asia, mainly to the west of the Caspian Sea. Similar to other small desert animals, they tend to spend most of their time in small burrows that they dig to protect themselves from the extreme temperatures of the hot days and cold nights.
Like other tortoises, Horsfield’s Tortoises are herbivors. They tend to eat low-lying shrubs, such as grass, weeds, flowers, and other fiberous growth in the region. These plants also serve as a major source of their hydration.
The Horsfield’s Tortoise is a small animal, measuring in length of about 8 inches and weighing around 1.5 pounds. As a very hardy, they are very adaptable to a large variety of environments, which is why the spicies has become a common house. Their long lifespans nearly equal to humans of about 60 years also makes them a popular choice for a life long companion.
Despite being a hardy animal, taking care of a Horsfield’s Tortoise is a lot of work. Unlike common omnivorous or carnivorous pets, providing proper nutrition requires significant planning and research. One should also take care to prevent their tortoise from obesity, a common problem that these domestic tortoises face. They should not be fed fruits on a regular basis. You may still give one a fruit on occasion, but they are about as nutritious as candy is to us humans and could cause indigestion. Also, protein-rich plants such as beans or many root vegetables should also be avoided to prevent protein poisoning. Extremely low-nutrient greens such as iceberg lettuce should be avoided, too. One should ensure that their diet includes a good mix of nutritious greens, such as grass, hay, wildflowers, and other plants.
As a tortoise that lives in a highly open area, one should not keep a Horsfield’s Tortoise in a small enclosure. They need room to roam about and to exercise. Although they can tolerate it, they should not be kept in an extremely humid space. It is also important to provide them UV light in an indoor enclosure to ensure that they receive proper vitamins for their shell to stay hard and sturdy.
Beyond their diet or enclosure, special care must also be made for their health, too. Unlike a cat, dog, or other mammalian pet, reptiles in general are less apparent with their symptoms until it becomes too late. It is recommended to bring them to a specialist vet on frequent occasion. Additionally, baby tortoises in particular are extremely prone to medical issues. Very careful attention and a very well maintained enclosure is even more vital to these hatchlings.
It is also important to know that if the tortoise is under 4 inches long, it is illegal in the United States for a tortoise to be sold. This is due to their high likelihood of carrying Salmonella. Although, the FDA put this law into place more to protect human children than the tortoises themselves.