Tortoise Tales

Selling tortoises thirty or forty years ago was a very different proposition than what it is today. Then your average Pet shop owner was asked for tortoises by his customers. He would then order them from his wholesaler and then a few days later a consignment of tortoises would appear. When we received them they were in flat boxes, but many years earlier they had come in Ali Baba type baskets. On arrival all the tortoises were first put into large trays of warm water and given a drink, then they were washed and checked for ticks. After a few hours rest they were then fed lots of fresh vegetables and then next day put out on show ready to go to new homes. One of my earliest childhood summer memories was going to check the tortoises with my Father and seeing which were male or female. (turn tortoise upside down, concave shell - male, flattish shell -female.)
Way back then not too many people questioned how animals were transported or how they were caught. Now-a-days things are different. I guess that we have learnt our lesson in the Pet Trade and are now questioning issues about transportation and taking animals from the wild. I don't think that pet shop owners were cruel, just ignorant. Not many had even travelled abroad so knew nothing about freight or flying. But I did hear tell after the importation ban of tortoises was imposed that instead of catching the tortoises and selling them for pets the Greek and Turkish farmers were clubbing the poor animals to death. This was because the poor old tortoises were eating the farmers crops and were a pest. There always seems to be two sides to each coin.
So many people have stories to tell about their first pet,and many will reminisce about their pet tortoise. A great many people still have them, but not many will admit to it as they are frightened that their pet will be stolen as now tortoises cost quite a bit of money.
Tortoises for sale in pet shops in 2007 are captive bred and most require documentation. Any reliable pet store would not sell a tortoise without the relevant information on heating, feeding etc. This complies with the conditions of our pet licence.
But I still remember one of my first pets a big tortoise call 'Tug'. He ruled the roost at our house, living till just last year. I still have fond memories of him getting into the strawberry patch and enjoying our home grown strawberries. Much to my Mothers annoyance.