They didn't think there was any feeling in their shells did they? So to them they weren't being cruel... just stopping the tort escaping. Very little was known about tort anatomy or keeping when they were shipped over here in their thousands. Animal care in general, not just reptiles, has come such a long way since then thank goodness.

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i have heard this a few times, my great aunt had a horsefield tort called priscilla. It was chained in the garden when she was a child to stop it being carried away by the neighbouring dogs and foxes. It was seen as normal then but thankfully we are much more aware of the fact that the shell is a living tissue and shouldnt be drilled through!!

This was common practice in the old days - I saw a rehomed Greek Spur Thighed at a friends last weekend with a hole in it's shell. He is about 50 yrs an would have been shipped over to the UK pre CITES. It's not done now as we know that shell is living tissue and tortoises can feel pain but years back no one knew any better.

TBH, in my opinion i'd rather get it in the open that such actions are bad.
than to not say anything and for some kid to have a tort, his/her grandparent to say what they did back in the day, and for the kid to go away and do it

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Trice..
Conform to my beliefs and ideas or thou shalt be spanked for not being a RFUK-Bot! For i art a Nazi German! (or so i have been told)
My Reptiles
0.1.0 Amel Corn Snake (Elaphe guttata guttata)
1.0.0 Snow Corn Snake(Elaphe guttata guttata)
0.1.0 Honduras Boa
0.1.0 Blizzard Leopard Gecko(Eublepharis Macularius)
1.1.0 Dwarf Sand Gecko (Stendoactylus Sthenodactylus)
1.1.0 Bearded Dragons (Adults)(Pogona vitticeps)
0.0.1 Bearded Dragons (Hatchlings)(Pogona vitticeps)
0.0.1 Horsfield Tortoise (Testudo horsfieldii)


I am super noodles.

I agree that it is a good thing to tell people it is bad but your very first post sounded awfull to me and I had a vision of people seeing it and thinking hey now that's an idea.As much as we all like to think that people are not that daft now a days you would be suprised.

good point, but now that the subject has been debated a bit more, im sure those people who might think it a good idea would not think it one now

__________________
Trice..
Conform to my beliefs and ideas or thou shalt be spanked for not being a RFUK-Bot! For i art a Nazi German! (or so i have been told)
My Reptiles
0.1.0 Amel Corn Snake (Elaphe guttata guttata)
1.0.0 Snow Corn Snake(Elaphe guttata guttata)
0.1.0 Honduras Boa
0.1.0 Blizzard Leopard Gecko(Eublepharis Macularius)
1.1.0 Dwarf Sand Gecko (Stendoactylus Sthenodactylus)
1.1.0 Bearded Dragons (Adults)(Pogona vitticeps)
0.0.1 Bearded Dragons (Hatchlings)(Pogona vitticeps)
0.0.1 Horsfield Tortoise (Testudo horsfieldii)


I am super noodles.

This is still a relatively common practice in less developed countries. The animals are either tethered for food or future disposition in the pet trade.

Another benefit of the internet is that now word is getting out that the tortoises can fetch more money if the chelonian is not damaged or is better taken care of.

As to the feeling in the shell... I'll bet its minimal.

Last week I collected a tortoise on behalf of the Tortoise Trust, a very aged and beautiful tortoise with a drill hole - sadly it was common practice many years ago for people to tether their tortoises.

Fortunately this is now not common practice - I cannot imagine the discomfort the torts' endured.

Tamie

Thats like drilling though the bone of a dogs legs to keep it tethered to a pole.

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No it is'nt. You should'nt do it but your analogy is wrong.