Do tortoise have a smell to them?

[Roberta]

I recently got mine and he stinks, it's like a musky very strong takes your breath away kind of smell...is that normal?

[herriotfan]

I've got hermanns and they don't smell.
I don't know about other breeds, although I doubt if it's normal, but I'm sure somebody will be along to tell you soon.

[burnt toast]

Wash him! I sometimes give mine a good wash & brush up, using a very soft baby hair brush & a tiny bit of babybath. Keep well away from their eyes but you would be amazed at the amount of muck that comes off them.

I do think that maybe adult males have a certain amonia type smelll to them that I dont notice on females (Marginated's anyway)

[JackieL]

As far as I am aware I don't think they should smell that bad! See if a bath helps. Mine sometimes smell of dirt from the garden but nothing that strong or bad.

[Roberta]

Ok I'll try scrub him as he still smells after he soaks. It's like a smack in the face when I open the viv. And I clean him every time he walking in the water

[topsyturvy]

When i first got my hermans tort he smelt terrible but so did the house where i bought him from.
I bathed him quite a few times to get the smell off, but he was also very ill when i got him, turned out he had protazoa infestation which i think added to the smell.
Since he has been treated he doesn't smell at all, except when he does a poo

[Alan1]

Do a search in the search box for smelly torts or whatever, quite a few people have asked this and I can't remember exactly what the answers were

[Pussygalore]

I'd say the answer is no unless there's something wrong, none of mine ever did and I had none torty people sleeping in the same room occassionally. They do have smelly poo though so if the tort has slept or sat in it then you'd smell that and I suppose soil can have a smell but in a table you'd not notice it. Is the humidity ok in your viv, maybe if its to high its makeing the soil etc smell.

[Alan1]

shell rot has a smell too I think

[cherylahutch]

My tortoises don't smell but if as others have said they have smelly poo sometimes and if you have missed one when you spot clean you can smell it when you open the viv door. I would check the soil in there as well as bathing the tortoise. Anothier thing is where did you get your soil was it dry when put in the viv because it may be the soil that is smally not the tortoise.