In the pet owner’s world of today, there are more options for your pet of choice than ever before. There is also more information and more husbandry items available to care for the animals properly. For many, the spoils of modern society come with pitfalls. They stop, look, and buy without thinking of the long term. Herp owners are especially impacted, because so many potential pets can (or will) outlive us.

Who will care for that Sulcatta when you’re too old to obtain and feed the necessary quantities? If you live in a cool climate or a climate with a cold season, where is that Sulcatta going to live when it becomes too large to be kept in doors? Sure, it looks cute now, but it deserves the right to a long and healthy life as close to wild conditions as possible.

I’ve bordered on preaching as I have written this article, so please bear with me. The simple fact of the matter is that I have never understood why people want to purchase baby animals who will out live them. That confusion extends to the 14 year old dachshund living in my house who has liver disease and almost no teeth. She was bought by an elderly couple. In their defense, they had a reasonable expectation of survival beyond her years. No one expects Alzheimer’s Disease. But when one died and left the other spouse alone, no one thought about Sissy. She wasn’t vetted or fed a decent diet. Her “dad” could barely take care of himself. So, what he ate, he fed her.

How is Sissy related to reptiles and amphibians? Well, I could use examples of countless tortoises in adoptive care or of tortoise and turtle life spans to illustrate the problem as well. But, Sissy is lying on the dog bed a few feet from me. She serves as a daily reminder that so many people are out there buying exceptionally long lived (and often large) animals and dooming them to this sort of future. They won’t suffer emotionally as Sissy has. They are not dogs or cats. The birds, however, will suffer emotionally, but we’re here to discuss reptiles and amphibians.

So, Hypothetical Brad went to a reptile show with a desire for a turtle or tortoise, and he came home with a Sulcatta tortoise. Why? Hypothetical Brad took one home perhaps because they’re cute babies, or because Brad, like many humans, has a poor concept of the amount of food and sheer size/strength that will be achieved by these incredible chelonians So, Brad bought one. He hasn’t thought beyond the next several years. Can he feed and house it when it's 50 pounds? He cares, but the reality is really beyond him.

Others have done some preparations. Cheers to them, but who says that they will be capable of taking care of such an animal long before they pass away? Sissy’s owner wasn’t, and she was just a dog. All she needed was a bag of quality dog food and some water. She didn’t need a variety of greens and grasses served in large quantities on a regular basis. Some people say they will bequeath the tortoise/turtle (I can’t help but want to add parrot to this sentence) to someone when the time comes.

If you have such a tortoise, please do include its future in your will, but please also think about what should happen to it if you are living. If you do not have such a tortoise at this time, consider a shorter lived species of chelonian or consider adopting an older chelonian already needing a new home. I’m not here to offend large tortoise breeders, but I find Sulcatta breeding to be contrary to the interests of the offspring.

You may be thinking about the fact that large tortoises are not the only chelonians who live long lives. This is true. The same preparations should be taken to protect them. I do worry somewhat less as their housing and feeding requirements are not so demanding as those of our Sulcatta friends. The potential for finding someone to care for them is higher, but please don’t think this means you don’t need to worry. Realistically, you could have an accident. Please include ANY pets in your will and change it when you bring home new pets. In the case of long lived herps, I truly wish people would not purchase, and thus add to the demand for, young animals with an expected life span beyond the owner’s ability to care for it.

What happens if this continues? Where do these long lives reptiles and amphibians (and even birds) go if not provided for? Such problems will become the burden of turtle and tortoise rescue groups if people don’t stop and think now. It could be too late to dam the river. Please consider the future when choosing a pet. Consider their potential life spans and yours. If you don’t, your pet will potentially have a long life without you and you’ll have no control over whether it’s fed properly, housed properly, or cared for at all.