Keeping a tortoise as a pet in an apartment is not exactly the best idea; besides, these animals are not pets, they are wild animals and need specific conditions in the habitat they consider… during captivity.
Feeding them with leftovers or every other day... there are all sorts of myths, but listening to veterinarian Grecia Marquis, a specialist in wildlife, explaining to the guardians or keepers of these animals everything that should or should not be done, is a great help.
It all starts with something that may seem harmless: today lettuce, tomorrow cabbage or tomato, a piece of fruit, and it seems well-fed, fine, but is its health compromised? Something so simple can end up deforming the bones, the shell, and even the way a tortoise walks.
Grecia Marquis, president of the Plumas y Colas en Libertad Foundation, has dedicated herself to educating, guiding, and disseminating important information regarding the care and/or rescue of our wildlife. In her social media posts, she shares cases that come to her attention, illustrating the consequences of keeping these animals in unsuitable conditions.
One of the cases she shared shows that, after years of living in an apartment, on a smooth floor, without enough sun and with a diet reduced practically to lettuce and tomato, her body has suffered the consequences.
The good thing is that, just as the veterinarian shares the case, she provides solutions and, as she repeatedly states in her videos, although they are not domestic animals, they already live in many homes; therefore, adapting the space to improve the life of this animal in captivity is the least that people who insist on having them in their homes should do to improve their quality of life.
Deformed legs, a heavy body; it couldn't support its own weight, and its shell also showed abnormalities, more common than many would believe. The result: metabolic bone disease, a consequence of nutritional deficiencies and an environment that was never suitable for this beautiful animal.
It's not enough to just give them food
Is feeding him enough?
One of the most common mistakes is thinking that a tortoise can eat the same food as any other pet…no, of course not! Their diet needs variety, lots of variety. In the wild, these reptiles spend a good part of the day foraging in the sun or shade, simply looking for food like leaves, flowers, and small insects.
Leafy greens, arugula, dandelion, flowers… all of these can be part of a balanced diet, as can fruits, but they aren't the foundation of a healthy diet, which is why malnutrition often results. In the case Marquis described, fruits like papaya, banana, and apple can be included in the menu, but it should be much more varied.
And why is variety so important? Because a diet with too few foods leads to nutritional deficiencies. Calcium, phosphorus, vitamins A and D… all play a key role in bone development and maintenance. Just imagine living your whole life eating exactly the same thing.
When these nutrients are lacking, the consequences translate into problems that will appear sooner rather than later.
The sun is also food for your bones.
Food alone doesn't solve anything. Tortoises are cold-bodied animals, but they require warmth and environmental conditions that allow them to properly digest what they eat. Exposure to sunlight provides health benefits, especially for their bones.
Suitable temperatures.
Reptiles don't regulate their body temperature; they depend entirely on their environment to function properly. In an apartment, surrounded by walls and on a polished floor, this is difficult. Letting them walk around and putting out a dish of food doesn't provide a good quality of life. There's much more to it.
Try to recreate the conditions that their species needs to live: grass, soil, a varied diet, access to sunlight, earthworms, and protein to strengthen their muscles and walk freely.
So, should a wild animal need someone to turn an apartment into a miniature ecosystem just to survive? The reality is, they shouldn't have to live in an apartment.
The floor can also make you sick.
Another case seen by the specialist reveals something few people know. The smooth floor of an apartment eventually atrophies the legs of this amphibian, and it needs to strengthen them with the help of its diet, exposure to sunlight, and walking on grass or in wooded areas—not just soil. It needs a little of everything to get stronger. It's a heavy animal with weak limbs, and it's common for it to eventually lose the ability to support its own body.
Therefore, during her rehabilitation, the patient needed to regain muscle strength and mobility. The suggestion is to elevate the animal and place it in a cart with good wheels, so that its shell is raised as close as possible to its natural position and the tortoise's knees don't drag when it tries to walk.
The image may seem curious, even endearing, but it's serious. That little cart isn't a toy; it's a tool to aid in the rehabilitation process and improve the animal's physical condition after the deterioration it has suffered in less than ideal circumstances.
In nature, there is vegetation, roots, leaves, uneven terrain, and different surfaces where animals move, forage, and build muscle. A planter with dry, compacted soil doesn't replicate any of that.
Neither seasoned meat nor table scraps
Another case handled by Marquis came after a poisoning.
Two tortoises were given meat prepared for human consumption, cooked and seasoned with garlic, chili peppers, and spices. Sadly, one of them died. The other survived after vomiting and expelling some of what it had eaten.
Just because something is safe for a person doesn't mean it's safe for an animal, especially a wild one. The spices we use every day in the kitchen can be dangerous for them.
The visit to the vet was timely; the treatment: improved nutrition and hydration. Observing this animal made all the difference; the consultation revealed many issues that can be resolved. Weak legs and poor muscle mass indicated a poor environment and a diet that urgently needs correcting.
A home is not always a suitable place
The most important lesson from these cases isn't a list of foods; it's understanding that tortoises are not pets. Just because an animal can survive inside a house doesn't mean that place is suitable. Years can pass, and at the same time, invisible problems can develop until the damage becomes permanent.
- A smooth floor
- Absence of UVB light or sunlight
- Incorrect temperature and humidity
- Little room to move
- Poor diet
This is all a ticking time bomb; sooner or later there will be signs of deterioration, decay, and who knows what else.
If someone decides to take care of a wild animal, the responsibility doesn't decrease... it increases! And by the way... it's illegal.
It's not about buying him a nice little house, the focus is on meeting real biological needs.
Before taking one home
Why does a wild animal end up living in an apartment?
It's almost always due to simple ignorance. Someone finds one, is given one as a gift, or buys one thinking it's quiet and easy to care for, until over time they discover that keeping it healthy requires much more than just feeding it.
- Just because it's quiet doesn't mean it's domestic.
- Just because I can walk inside a house doesn't mean I can live well on ceramic tiles.
- Just because someone eats lettuce doesn't mean lettuce is enough.
- And the fact that it survives for years doesn't mean it's healthy either.
- Don't buy wild animals, they are long-lived animals and therefore suffer for years in captivity.
