Many pet stores in California provide minimal information about their animals for sale on display.  They often only provide the name of the species and exclude important information about their husbandry needs. This causes many problems for inexperienced pet owners who may purchase a pet without knowing how to take care of it, how big it gets, or even its lifespan.

An example of this is the African Spurred tortoise (Centrochelys sulcata), also known as the Sulcata Tortoise.  While this tortoise is sold at pet stores across California, many customers are unaware of the fact that this species is endangered, weighs up to 150+ pounds, and can live over 100 years.  As a result many owners find themselves overwhelmed with the care of these animals and end up abandoning them, giving them away to shelters, or seeking rehoming options. Some of these former pets are also released into the wild by their owners, which can harm native species and ecosystems by introducing new diseases and parasites. The influx of tortoises being surrendered is also difficult for rescue groups to keep up with and results in the mistreatment of Sulcatas.

Pet store customers need to be informed on the species they are purchasing! We are asking for the support of organizations like the California Department of USFWS and pet advocacy groups to mandate that pet stores provide information about their animals such as their adult size (length and weight), and life span, on terrarium displays and prevent the negative impact this lack of education has on turtles, their care, and the surrounding ecosystems!