Thread by @AlongsideWild, There’s a popular Instagram account blowing up dedicated to glamour pics of [...]

There’s a popular Instagram account blowing up dedicated to glamour pics of a couple with their pet Sulcata Tortoise. The photos make it appear as though they are great pets; where are the disclaimers that they live a century & weigh well over a hundred pounds? This is a problem.

Please reconsider the message you are promoting by sharing their photos. Sulcata Tortoises are not easy to care for; many suffer from poor conditions in captivity or are abandoned in the wild when they grow up and people don’t have the space for them. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/catferguson/a-reptile-dysfunction

How Sulcata Tortoises Became America's Most Adorable Mistake

Over the last three decades, massive sulcata tortoises have become a popular American family pet. Meet the people who made that happen — and the ones that are begging you not to buy one.

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/catferguson/a-reptile-dysfunction

Can only imagine how frustrating it must be for overwhelmed tortoise rescues to spend years trying to help people understand the difficulties associated with Sulcata Tortoises only to then see them glamorized and popularized to tens of thousands. https://news.cision.com/american-tortoise-rescue/r/don-t-buy-sulcata-tortoises---giants-overwhelm-u-s--rescues,c9517362

Don't Buy Sulcata Tortoises - Giants Overwhelm U.S. Rescues

American Tortoise Rescue Calls for a Moratorium on Sales Turtle and tortoise wildlife groups and

https://news.cision.com/american-tortoise-rescue/r/don-t-buy-sulcata-tortoises---giants-overwhelm-u-s--rescues,c9517362

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