Motivational Aspects of Desert Tortoise Caretaking

ABSTRACTThis study (n=490) investigates the motives of humans who maintain desert tortoises in a captive setting. Using data from previously published surveys, a species-appropriate instrument, the Tortoise Caretaking Questionnaire (TCQ), utilizing 20 Likert-type questions was developed to examine ten motives for caretaking. The TCQ also contained a brief demographic section. Each motive was analyzed with respect to strength, age, gender and tortoise rank (compared with other household pets). Two thousand three hundred and seventy-eight questionnaires were distributed and 496 were returned (20.8%); of these, 490 were deemed usable. All motives were shown to be significant and with one exception, females expressed stronger levels of each than did males. Younger respondents tended to rank tortoises higher than other pets whereas older respondents ranked them lower. Future research should investigate longitudinal and other aspects of tortoise caretaking.