Unlike turtles, tortoises cope better in hot climates. The desert tortoise is native to the Mojave and Sonoran deserts, where rainfall is limited and scorching heats are frequent. Even still, […]

Weight gain or obesity occurs when a tortoise is fed too much food too frequently. It can also occur when the tortoise is inactive and doesn’t burn enough calories each […]

Vomiting is the body’s way of forcibly ejecting harmful foods and substances from the stomach. Unfortunately, this process can be dangerous for tortoises, leading to dehydration. Also, if the tortoise […]

A tortoise’s immune system will naturally remove germs, but if the number of germs increases and spreads, septicemia becomes a more significant risk. Septicemia and sepsis are often used interchangeably, […]

A tortoise’s most iconic feature is its scutes. Aside from aesthetics, scutes are important for a tortoise’s health and safety. Unfortunately, different ailments can affect the scutes. All tortoise species […]

Russian tortoises have a remarkably long life span, averaging 50 years. However, they’re prone to certain illnesses, which can be fatal if left untreated. Tortoises don’t always show obvious signs […]

Knowing when your female tortoise is mature is important if you want her to lay fertile eggs. Due to the lack of sexual dysmorphism, it can be difficult to identify […]

Fecal impaction is often used interchangeably with bowel obstruction (intestinal obstruction). A bowel obstruction refers to a blockage caused by foreign objects (pebbles, substrate, hair, etc.), while fecal impaction only […]

Gravid (pregnant) tortoises need extra care and attention because they’re often at risk of becoming egg-bound. Egg binding is a serious condition that requires immediate assistance. The symptoms of egg […]