any tortoise keepers?

[jrh3]

so my son is wanting to get into keeping a tortoise. and forums for them? any advice? i will be assisting him in keeping it. he has been keeping 8ng a yellow belly slider for a good while now so he is ready for a land turtle.

 

[pnshmntMMA]

Tortoises are a lifelong pet, many times they will outlive their keeper. I've been keeping turtles and tortoises for years. They are some of the most rewarding reptiles to keep. Never had anything try to bite minus snappers and musks. But you want a tortoise, which is even more fun. Relatively low maintenance depending on your setup. Outdoor vs indoor will be a consideration with many people doing both depending on season. Make sure you pay attention to bow big they will eventually get too. Box turtles and tortoises are very handleable especially once they get used to you. My box turtles used to swarm like zombies when I called to them because they associated me with food. It was pretty funny!

 

[jrh3]

nice. i been reading about the sulcatas. i think they might be a little hard to keep inside. i will have to build an outdoor chamber.

 

[schmiggle]

Sulcatas are massive--just be sure you have space. I'd also worry that your son might not have space when he leaves home, but perhaps that's not an issue.
Here is a forum: http://www.turtleforum.com/forum/upload/index.php?act=home
Good luck, and please post pictures!

 

[viper69]

nice. i been reading about the sulcatas. i think they might be a little hard to keep inside. i will have to build an outdoor chamber.

If memory serves they are the 3rd largest tortoise. Owning a baby is no problem, but for a tortoise they have a rapid growth rate. What will you do when it reaches 120 lbs? If you don't think you will keep it, you will be better off owning a very small tortoise. They exist and would be easier husbandry to some degree, esp space.

Torts are wonderful, but make sure you choose responsibly whatever species you get. Zoos don't necessarily take them readily either, a lot like Burmese pythons.

 

[jrh3]

size isnt an issue, i have plenty of room for it. i have actually met a few local keepers as well.

 

[dementedlullaby]

The point is size may not be an issue now but when your son moves out....Taking a huge tortoise may not be feasible.

I don't keep a tortoise. But if I did I'd probably keep Testudo graeca.

 

[viper69]

size isnt an issue, i have plenty of room for it. i have actually met a few local keepers as well.

Jr. if room isn't an issue, nor their large adult size, then quite honestly I would recommend a sulcata. Torts are super personable relative to other reptiles. Their growth will taper off after about 5-8 yrs if I recall correctly.

They are an excellent tortoise, plus they aren't nearly as expensive as they used to be. I've seen them for 50-60$ quite readily when they are smaller than a baseball.

 

[jrh3]

Jr. if room isn't an issue, nor their large adult size, then quite honestly I would recommend a sulcata. Torts are super personable relative to other reptiles. Their growth will taper off after about 5-8 yrs if I recall correctly.

They are an excellent tortoise, plus they aren't nearly as expensive as they used to be. I've seen them for 50-60$ quite readily when they are smaller than a baseball.

yeah, im doing ALL of my homework because they will outlive me. plus if my son continues with his interests in fauna, he will inherit it. i will basically set it up a half acre or acre lot, with a small dog house type hide and water hole. my only concern is my swimming pool. not sure it it will he a threat.

 

[viper69]

yeah, im doing ALL of my homework because they will outlive me. plus if my son continues with his interests in fauna, he will inherit it. i will basically set it up a half acre or acre lot, with a small dog house type hide and water hole. my only concern is my swimming pool. not sure it it will he a threat.

Oh, you can't risk having your tort fall into a swimming pool. Another thing to research, NOT sure if sulcatas do this or not been a while since I was into them, many torts burrow deep into the earth or can. SO, that usually means a fence is not enough, you may need to drive down some posts or some sort of underground wall if you will to prevent an escape. They may be slow, but a 100 lb tort is quite strong. Even the little guys are strong for their size! Don't underestimate a determined tort with time on its side And don't ever feed it lettuce.

 

[eminart]

I have an Egyptian Tortoise (T. kleinmanni). I think she's 8 or 9 years old now. I raised her from a hatchling. If I were going to get another tortoise, and I had an outdoor area, I'd probably get a leopard tortoise. My dream would be radiated tortoises, but the prices are a bit much.

 

[Galapoheros]

Russian tortoises have a good reputation. I had a sulcata, they grow fast, considering it's a tortoise. I bought mine as a baby. It had an acre to walk around on later. It even handled cold weather temporarily pretty well. One time I couldn't find it, it was sleeting outside. I finally I found it under ice and he ended up just fine. I brought him inside and made a cage out of the back of my truck including a heat lamp until it heated up outside again. Finally one day I saw a dome shaped area broken at the bottom of my wooden gate. He got real big and just busted through the bottom of the wooden gate. A neighbor found him and gave him away. I would really consider the Russian tortoise though, I've never had one but have read good things about them. I just wanted to tell the story haha.

 

[viper69]

Russian tortoises have a good reputation. I had a sulcata, they grow fast, considering it's a tortoise. I bought mine as a baby. It had an acre to walk around on later. It even handled cold weather temporarily pretty well. One time I couldn't find it, it was sleeting outside. I finally I found it under ice and he ended up just fine. I brought him inside and made a cage out of the back of my truck including a heat lamp until it heated up outside again. Finally one day I saw a dome shaped area broken at the bottom of my wooden gate. He got real big and just busted through the bottom of the wooden gate. A neighbor found him and gave him away. I would really consider the Russian tortoise though, I've never had one but have read good things about them. I just wanted to tell the story haha.

Why didn't your neighbor contact you??

I heard good things about Russian torts as well. People often underestimate the strength of torts and their ability to burrow deep in some species. I saw a setup the guy had dug down over 8 ft for his outside pen of torts.

 

[Galapoheros]

He lives a few houses down, he didn't know I had a tortoise and I don't know him, I found out from somebody else that he found it in his yard. He wouldn't tell me exactly what happened to it so somebody recommended I get the police involved but then I wondered if I really wanted the tortoise back that bad. But yes the principle of it all still bothers me and kind of wished I still had it.

 

[viper69]

He lives a few houses down, he didn't know I had a tortoise and I don't know him, I found out from somebody else that he found it in his yard. He wouldn't tell me exactly what happened to it so somebody recommended I get the police involved but then I wondered if I really wanted the tortoise back that bad. But yes the principle of it all still bothers me and kind of wished I still had it.

Oh man that's a shame. I guess you didn't want your tort back that badly then. It just have been impressive looking.