Tortoise people?

[KellyBelly]

I recently talked my mother out of birds.... again. And she is set on adding another pet to her household.
They have a cat... who is getting pretty old, he is even older than Gracie I think, so I mentioned adopting
another cat. But my dad doesn't like cats so she wants something else, they smoke in the house and would
kill a bird, she doesn't want fish, and she said no rodents at all bcs they are creepy... I would have to agree.
She mentioned getting a turtle. When I did some research and told her about the size tank with water, and
all that stuff, she asked "Well what about the dry ones?" So I have been reading up on Tortoise care. To be
honest I think she will be happy with a Tort, and she could keep it happy, and healthy. I was just wondering
if anyone here knows anything about them you would like to share.

And after reading all the stuff I have read on them they are super cute, and very interesting. Maybe in the future
... after T is out of the AF I may be interested in getting one myself. Although that may change depending on the
climate we end up in and other things of course. Any input I can pass along to my mom?

 

[thejoie]

We have a Cherry Headed RedFoot Tortoise name LittleFoot that we LOVE! He is a cute lil guy, loves to eat anything I put in for him. He's absolutely adorable! Not a lot of work. We just make sure to keep his water clean and everyday (usually twice a day) I spray his tank with a spray bottle (they like humidity).

 

[BirdsFTW]

I'm of no help... I know nothing about them, except that my bf had a red-eared slider (I think??) before he got into birds.

We have a Cherry Headed RedFoot Tortoise name LittleFoot that we LOVE! He is a cute lil guy, loves to eat anything I put in for him. He's absolutely adorable! Not a lot of work. We just make sure to keep his water clean and everyday (usually twice a day) I spray his tank with a spray bottle (they like humidity).

What a little cutie!! I don't find many turtles/tortoises "cute", but this one - oh my!! How small is he and will he stay that size??

 

[StBernard]

I have 2 leopard tortoises (rescued) and I love them. I live in Africa so it's v different care to cooler climates, ours lice outside nearly all year. Very easy to care for though and no trouble at all

 

[thejoie]

I'm of no help... I know nothing about them, except that my bf had a red-eared slider (I think??) before he got into birds.



What a little cutie!! I don't find many turtles/tortoises "cute", but this one - oh my!! How small is he and will he stay that size??

No, that was him when he was a year old when we first brought him home. He's almost 3 years old now and he's a little bit bigger but it takes years for these guys to get to full grown size. Littlefoot should be about 8-12 inches full grown, they are the smaller subspecies. Typical RedFoot Tortoises can get up to 16 inches!

In his tank I have a basking area set up where the temps get around 90 degrees and I have a hide for him to cool off in. He eats dandelion and mustard greens as a staple and whatever fruit of veggies I am giving to the bird. He LOVES berries!! He has a big water dish he likes to soak himself in.

They live 50+ years so we're looking forward to a lifetime with our little guy

 

[KellyBelly]

No, that was him when he was a year old when we first brought him home. He's almost 3 years old now and he's a little bit bigger but it takes years for these guys to get to full grown size. Littlefoot should be about 8-12 inches full grown, they are the smaller subspecies. Typical RedFoot Tortoises can get up to 16 inches!

In his tank I have a basking area set up where the temps get around 90 degrees and I have a hide for him to cool off in. He eats dandelion and mustard greens as a staple and whatever fruit of veggies I am giving to the bird. He LOVES berries!! He has a big water dish he likes to soak himself in.

They live 50+ years so we're looking forward to a lifetime with our little guy

SOOO CUTE!!
I've read that fruit is not something they should eat bcs it has too much sugar in it, and a lot of people
suggest dandelion as a treat.... Just wanted to put that out there if you wanted to know.

I am suggesting my mom get a Russian Tortoise. She wants one that does not get bigger than a few inches, but
when I told her about the breeder who has them that small she was not willing to pay his price. In all the reading
I am doing it really has caught my interest in them! I might look into getting one for myself!

What kind of enclosure do you have for yours? Do you have yours indoors and outdoors or just one?

 

[thejoie]

Redfoots are different than most torts, they are omnivores and tolerate a wider variety diet.

He's still really little so we have him in a shallow indoor tank that's 24x16. Maybe next summer he'll get an outdoor enclosure too.

Russian tortoises are cute! We often see them in the reptile shows they have around here!

 

[mjones]

I have 6 three-toed box turtles. They are all rescues. I have had one of them 15 years. Oh they have more than three toes! They just have three toes on their back feet. They are very similar to Eastern Box Turtles. Mine live outside. I guess with that many of them, I had trouble keeping everything clean and smell free. I wanted them to have more room too. My hubby is now an expert at building their enclosure. We used PVC pipe and wiring (chicken wire I believe). A WARNING: they are excellent climbers and have great camouflage (all torts). They are great escape artists. We have wire under the the enclosure and a top on it for predators. The cool thing about having them outdoors is they hibernate during the winter. We have a lot of animals so a break is nice. They go down around October (we are in North Texas) and come out in spring whenever the last freeze is over. They are omniverous as well. Two of them are picky, but the other four will eat just about anything I put in front of them. They catch their own bugs but I feed them fruits, veggies and Mazuri pellets. Its the turtle version of a bird pellet diet. I soak them and when they are soft I mix in all the veggie/fruit stuff I want. They love it. One interesting thing about three toes is they are carnivorous the first year then slowly become omniverous. I try to start introducing things early when they are babies by their first spring like bananas, strawberries and grapes. Oh did I mention we have babies EVERY August? Yeah, I have a pair that will not eat if I separate them and pine for each other so I have to find places for babies every year. I give them to teachers and if I can find a group releasing them, I will do that. I can not sell them because they are native to Texas. I can give them away. People have bought the pellets from me though because we always have some on hand.

I would never buy from a pet store- well I say that- but one of my rescues is from one- I had to take her with me. Couldn't leave her. Long story. Anyway they usually aren't very healthy. There are some good breeders. They have reptile shows like they have bird shows. They depress me though. I guess you have to use your best judgement. I have rescued several off of Craigslist. You might try there. I will recommend two books then I will shut up.

One is the Idiots Guide to Turtles and Tortoises. yeah its sounds cliche but its a great book. I still use it. Also there is an author Tess Cook. Her book is called Box Turtles. She is a rescuer and she is just awesome. I met her one and she is so great! She has a website: Box Turtle Care and Conservation Webpage She is very down to earth and easy to talk to. I haven't seen her in years but she made quite an impression on me.

 

[KellyBelly]

Redfoots are different than most torts, they are omnivores and tolerate a wider variety diet.

He's still really little so we have him in a shallow indoor tank that's 24x16. Maybe next summer he'll get an outdoor enclosure too.

Russian tortoises are cute! We often see them in the reptile shows they have around here!

I keep forgetting that they do not have blanket diets. :\

I had trouble keeping everything clean and smell free.

My mother will be keeping it inside since she lives in an apartment, although I'm not sure if Russians
have the same type of odor issues, what would you recommend to my mother if she runs into this issue?

 

[mjones]

Hi Kelly,
I know I had a slider in the house when I was in high school. That tank smelled so bad! I think you just have to be on top of things to keep the smell at bay. Changing food and water daily is key. If she keeps a turtle inside the turt will need a UVB light AND a light for warmth and a space to get away from the warmth. They regulate their own body heat. Also w/o the light their shells will grow strangely or not at all. I couple of my rescues have deformed shells due to previous circumstances. I have one turtle who still looks like she is about a year old. She is at least five or six though! She is adorable but just so small. If you keep your tort happy they are a lot of fun to keep. Mine know the hand that feeds that is for sure. They will sit up like a dog and beg for certain foods. You can pet them- they have spots they like scratched too believe it or not. I was told they don't hear like we do, but they can "hear" me walked up from the house w/o seeing me first so I don't know. They do know the difference between me, my husband and my girls. They are hardy as long as they are kept on a good diet. I also suggest feeding the turtle on a rock or hard surface to help keep its beak down. They have to have their beaks trimmed like a bird does if they aren't able to wear it down on their own. FIND a good herp vet before you get the tort! I have had real problems a few times when I have moved and not had a good vet for them. Having said that, I rarely have ever needed a vet for my turtles.

The only rescue I had to rehome was named Pretzel by her previous owners. She had been kept inside and fed a human diet. She was overweight. She was a "lap turtle"- not a phrase I use often. She would follow you everywhere. she did not want to be inside any enclosure- but wanted to be with you. She was so tame. I was able to clip her toe nails easily. Box turtles can be hard to do stuff with since they can completely close their shells! I put her outside with the others and she didn't want to be there. she got along with the others but wanted to be with humans. She would practically dance when you walked up. She refused to hibernate and I had to bring her in. A teacher friend adopted her from me for the classroom. I am sure she is doing fine, being spoiled and doted on.

 

[mjones]

Hi Again,
I was perusing the Petco site and saw this. It looks pretty cool for indoor housing and got good reviews too. Zoo Med Tortoise House at PETCO

 

[Zoso]

We have a 10 year old African Spur Thieghed Tortoise. He is the perfect pet. He knows his name and comes when you call him. His main food is alfalfa hay but we also give romaine lettuce. He also gets to go in the outdoor aviary shown and we grow grass in pots for him now in the winter. (Spoiled little dude) He supposedly gets all the water he needs from the hay he eats, (There is water in hay?), but I have seen him drink when he gets his weekly bath. (Supposedly in the wild they may live 100 years and never see water). When we got him he had just hatched. The pictures are one as a baby and one now. The peanut is for size comparison).
They do get huge, and at an alarming rate if you feed the wrong food. Growing them too fast leads to a whole host of health problems) They are very active and are always on the go looking for food. With any reptile it is important to provide natural sunlight or invest in uv bulbs to that provide UVA and UVB and keep them warm with a basking lamp especially when young. There are many other tortoises available that stay a certain size as adults. They are probably a better choice for an apartment dweller. If you have any questions regarding reptiles I will be glad to answer them for you.

 

[PerrysParrots]

I have owned many types of turtles and tortoises. They were my first love before birds! Currently I have several species of water turtles, a russian tortoise and 2 sulcattas. I did turtle rescue for quite some time. Turtles are great, but a tortoise is def more of a pet to get to know. My russian is great. It's a great size and much easier to manage. Lighting is VERY important to both turtles and tortoises. They need UVA and UVB to keep the D3 vitamins. This is what helps shell and bone growth. Food is another thing to be good about. Processed foods are okay, but both types of animals need veggies and meat depending on the species. Let me know if I can help out with anything!

Here are my sulcattas. They are aprrox 50 lbs each. I am looking down from a deck to take the pic.

 

[KellyBelly]

I have owned many types of turtles and tortoises. They were my first love before birds! Currently I have several species of water turtles, a russian tortoise and 2 sulcattas. I did turtle rescue for quite some time. Turtles are great, but a tortoise is def more of a pet to get to know. My russian is great. It's a great size and much easier to manage. Lighting is VERY important to both turtles and tortoises. They need UVA and UVB to keep the D3 vitamins. This is what helps shell and bone growth. Food is another thing to be good about. Processed foods are okay, but both types of animals need veggies and meat depending on the species. Let me know if I can help out with anything!

Here are my sulcattas. They are aprrox 50 lbs each. I am looking down from a deck to take the pic.

Wow they look great! With all my reading I am thinking about maybe getting one for myself after DH is out of the
Military, when ever that happens. They are very interesting, and I had never considered them as a pet before.
I will def let you know if I need any info/advise for my mom, or myself in the future!