Do tortoise have a smell to them?

[Herpard]

My lot don't smell.

Only when they poop but I get that out as soon as I spot it.

[Roberta]

I have two bags of soil but I am not using it until the Table comes next week. so at the moment he has no substrate ( he came with small wood chippings which I hoovered out) so that is why when he walks in his water he makes the floor wet I wipe it dry at least 3 or 4 times a day depending. Yeah he smells too bad for it to be normal like spice or rotten spice I cant explain it, it just takes your breath away, Unfortunately my mate went to collect him so I dont know if thats what his previous home smelt like. I have booked him in to the vets for monday morning so we shall see what she says.


I was going to wait another week but the smell plus the fast he bangs on the glass to be let out for a wonder tells me hes quite settled enough to visit the vet anyway.

I tried to feed him rose petals today but he wasnt very interested I want to try and aviod the pellets as I know they are bad and also adictive but I dont want him to starve either.

[Roberta]

I smelt his poo and it doesnt smell like he/his viv does

[cherylahutch]

I really don't think you have thought this tortoise thing through. You have a tortoise in a viv which is only 3 foot? with no substrate ? and a table with nothing to put it on you have no lighting for it? I would have though the sensible thing would have been to sort out its home before bringing the poor thing into a strange environment and do some resource into its care before getting it. Does it have any heat and light and a comfy place to hide and sleep? I'm not surprised it does not want to eat and is banging about on the glass. As for he smell if he is seeing and pooping on an empty viv floor it will smell simple as that.

Also pellets are not addictive and are not bad either they are very handy as a backup when you can't find weeds in the winter etc and are actually a good balanced diet with all the nutrients a tortoise needs

[Herpard]

I'm sure I read it came with the viv?


Is it the tort that smells or is it the viv? Rotten wood doesn't smell nice at all.


Try giving the tortoise a bath using non scented baby bath, make sure he doesn't drink any of the water then give him another bath in judt plain warm water.

Also does he have any wounds or open sores on his shell or skin and shell rot is meant to smell.

[pagan queen]

I think I read somewhere that torts, or reptiles in general don't have a scent. Animals can't sniff them out because of the lack of scent. I could be wrong and just imagined it though.

[Roberta]

Cheryl he came in the setup I have at the mo as I explained in previous posts I took him now because he would of stayed in the current enclosure with his previous owner and she didn't want him anymore as she didn't like him so I felt bad and had no choice , would you have left him with someone who didn't care for him?

[Roberta]

The viv sees new and I cant see any cuts on him or shell.

[topsyturvy]

When i got my tort the viv smelt as bad as he did, i had to completly disinfect it.

It looked in very good condition nearly new but, phew phew

[cherylahutch]

No but I would have put him in the 6 foot viv with the top soil and lighting and heat and given him a nice home. I did not mean to sound harsh it is just that you seem to have rushed things and the tortoise will be stressed. Has he not had soil or any substrate in his house? Did he have bad care from the previous owner because he looked to be healthy on the pictures but if he has not had good care he could well have worms or some other kind of bug. I realise you want to do the right thing for him which is great but it needs to be done asap for him as it is stressful for them being moved about and I am sure you want him to be healthy and happy in his new home.