# Hermanns, Horsefield or Redfoot. What should I get?



## ReptilesAreAwesome (Jun 22, 2018)

So I have decided on these three species for my first tort.
Hermanns
Horsefield
Redfoot
I basically want a tortoise that will bond with me and enjoy interaction so I would like to know which one would most likely have that kind of personality. Also I would like my tortoise to be docile and most importantly entertaining because I have heard that tortoises are boring so I want a species of tortoise that would prove that that is not the case. I would like to hear from anyone that has any of these species. Even if you don’t have all of them I would like to hear your thoughts. Thanks


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## daniellenc (Jun 22, 2018)

Red foots are the most personable, can eat far more variety of foods, don’t hibernate, but are twice the size of a hermanns or Russian and therefore need a much bigger enclosure. They also require higher heat and humidity. FYI tortoises don’t bond like a mammal. My redfoot greets me when I go in his cage but it’s because he knows he’s getting fed. He is a character though.


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## Yvonne G (Jun 22, 2018)

Welcome!

Maybe you can get some good information from this thread:

https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/what-species-should-i-get.123008/


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## Tortoisefanatic88 (Jun 22, 2018)

daniellenc said:


> Red foots are the most personable, can eat far more variety of foods, don’t hibernate, but are twice the size of a hermanns or Russian and therefore need a much bigger enclosure. They also require higher heat and humidity. FYI tortoises don’t bond like a mammal. My redfoot greets me when I go in his cage but it’s because he knows he’s getting fed. He is a character though.



I also vote red foot out of the 3 you mentioned. They are beautiful tortoises. I love their colors. Hermanns and Russians are also great tortoise. I would have just about every species if I could properly house and provide excellent care for them. You can’t go wrong with which ever you pick [emoji846][emoji217]


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## ReptilesAreAwesome (Jun 23, 2018)

Tortoisefanatic88 said:


> I also vote red foot out of the 3 you mentioned. They are beautiful tortoises. I love their colors. Hermanns and Russians are also great tortoise. I would have just about every species if I could properly house and provide excellent care for them. You can’t go wrong with which ever you pick [emoji846][emoji217]
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Yeah I have been leaning toward Redfoots anyway because of there great nature and I LOVE the fact that they are large but the main reason that the Russian and Hermanns torts are here to is because it is a bit harder to find a captive bred and also our Scottish climate is a bit better suted for them. If I were to get a Redfoot then I would have to keep it inside for the majority of the time.


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## Tortoisefanatic88 (Jun 23, 2018)

ReptilesAreAwesome said:


> Yeah I have been leaning toward Redfoots anyway because of there great nature and I LOVE the fact that they are large but the main reason that the Russian and Hermanns torts are here to is because it is a bit harder to find a captive bred and also our Scottish climate is a bit better suted for them. If I were to get a Redfoot then I would have to keep it inside for the majority of the time.



That is another reason I forgot to mention. I love all tortoises but prefer larger ones as you can tell from my avatar picture  If you are leaning towards red foots also considering looking into yellow foots. They get a little bigger than a red foot. If you love red foot size you'll love their size too. Just a thought


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## Toddrickfl1 (Jun 23, 2018)

Redfoot! How could you say no to this face!


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## daniellenc (Jun 23, 2018)

Climate matters for sure. Where I live it is cold November-mid April. So half the year he is indoors but in the right enclosure with lots of room, heat, and humidity he is happy. You will need a closed chamber to provide the humidity so a bit more work for sure but I didn’t want to have to hibernate a tortoise or fight one who would want to.


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## bonsai tortoise (Jun 23, 2018)

My Redfoots are the most “personable” but it’s really food driven. Keeping them inside in winter is kind of a bummer for me because of the humidity and they make more of a mess because of their size. My testudo are easier only because the cleanup seems easier and keeping them indoors in the cold is easier too. Having said that, they’re all amazing and I have no favorites.


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## ReptilesAreAwesome (Jun 23, 2018)

That is a good idea I will look into it. Just wondering do yellow foots have the same care as Redfoots or are there some differences besides comidating the different sizes of course


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## daniellenc (Jun 23, 2018)

Same care just lighter in color and tend to be larger.


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## ReptilesAreAwesome (Jun 23, 2018)

daniellenc said:


> Same care just lighter in color and tend to be larger.


Ok thank you


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## Tom (Jun 23, 2018)

All three species have good personalities. If you go with a red foot, it will need an entire room dedicated to heat and humidity year round. Very difficult to house in your climate. Either of the other two will be much easier.

All individual tortoises have their own personalities. You might get a very shy red foot or a very bold hermanni, or vice versa. There is no way to predict this. None of them will "bond" with you, but all of them can become familiar with you and seek out attention or food in time.


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## KBeam (Jun 25, 2018)

ReptilesAreAwesome said:


> So I have decided on these three species for my first tort.
> Hermanns
> Horsefield
> Redfoot
> I basically want a tortoise that will bond with me and enjoy interaction so I would like to know which one would most likely have that kind of personality. Also I would like my tortoise to be docile and most importantly entertaining because I have heard that tortoises are boring so I want a species of tortoise that would prove that that is not the case. I would like to hear from anyone that has any of these species. Even if you don’t have all of them I would like to hear your thoughts. Thanks



I have Hermann’s baby and I was surprised by how personable he’s been right from the start. I live in central Illinois, USA so pretty harsh winters.


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