# Which kind stay small?



## Gus. (Apr 16, 2017)

So what kinds of tortoise species stay small for their whole life?


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## teresaf (Apr 16, 2017)

Russian tortoises And box turtles... There are more somebody else will answer. What kind of dog is in your avatar. totally cute.


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## counting (Apr 16, 2017)

Egyptian tortoises too?

I know I'm the tesudo family they stay smaller than many others.


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## wellington (Apr 16, 2017)

Hermanns also.


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## dmmj (Apr 16, 2017)

the padloper tortoise is one of the smallest but not commercially available


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## RosemaryDW (Apr 16, 2017)

Do you mean small in physical size? Or that can live in a smaller space? A small tortoise still needs a pretty big space; they wallk more than you might think!


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## teresaf (Apr 16, 2017)

I don't know anything about these but look into a pancake tortoise.


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## SarahChelonoidis (Apr 17, 2017)

I assume you are looking for a pet, then pancakes and Egyptians are both worth looking for.


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## Gus. (Apr 17, 2017)

teresaf said:


> Russian tortoises And box turtles... There are more somebody else will answer. What kind of dog is in your avatar. totally cute.



I think they have those two kinds at my local petstore. 



counting said:


> Egyptian tortoises too?
> 
> I know I'm the tesudo family they stay smaller than many others.





wellington said:


> Hermanns also.





dmmj said:


> the padloper tortoise is one of the smallest but not commercially available



Oh yeah? I'll have to look up some pics. 




RosemaryDW said:


> Do you mean small in physical size? Or that can live in a smaller space? A small tortoise still needs a pretty big space; they wallk more than you might think!



Yeah in physical size. I don't have a ton of free space, but maybe I could figure something out. 



teresaf said:


> I don't know anything about these but look into a pancake tortoise.



Okay 



SarahChelonoidis said:


> I assume you are looking for a pet, then pancakes and Egyptians are both worth looking for.



Yeah a pet, thanks for the tips.


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## counting (Apr 18, 2017)

Gus. said:


> I think they have those two kinds at my local petstore.


Depending on location you might be able to get one from a breeder on here, shipped even, more or equally afforadably than a pet store and healthier. Many pet store are wild caught in poor shape, heavy parasite loads, with unknown origins. With a breeder on here you'd have more selection in species and you'd know how they are started and more background information is likely. Something to consider!

If you want to look into certain species, check out the species specific forums. I creepedon't them a lot before settling on a species and sub species.

Oh and as people will mention on here, small size doesn't mean they will need a small enclosure. Though the standards seem to vary, most tortoises in the wild have a large range and they need to move in order to aid in digestion, so even the smaller species still need a reasonably large sized habitat. I'm sure some experienced members can help you sort out just what you'd need for your species before you buy.


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## TriterTortoise (Apr 21, 2017)

"I think they have some at my local petstore"


DO NOT BUY FROM ANY PET STORE. They get their reptiles from the wild, are kept in tiny plastic containers, and are force bred. Force breeding can lead to many bad diseases and other things you don't want. The people also don't take care of the tortoises well, and house them together in small aquariums. Most of the employees don't know how to take care of them.

I bought one of my torts from a petstore and we immediately found signs of parasites, shell rotting, and sickness. He is doing well now, but that is luck right there.

Moral of the story: DONT GIVE THESE SICK PEOPLE YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY, THEY DONT DESERVE IT.


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## Gus. (Apr 21, 2017)

Actually I think I am not going to get a tortoise after all. They seem like a big responsibility and require a lot of space that I don't have.


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## teresaf (Apr 21, 2017)

What about a turtle then? Get a big tank....? I want a matamata but they require quite a big area when they get big.


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## counting (Apr 22, 2017)

Very good decision if you don't feel you can provide a good life for that animal.


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## JoesMum (Apr 22, 2017)

Gus. said:


> I think they have those two kinds at my local petstore.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Even the smallest species need an enclosure approaching 4'x8' (1.5 x 2.2 metres) once they stop being babies ... after the first couple of years. 

They are active creatures. Don't get sucked into buying more than one either. They're solitary and territorial. They don't need, want or particularly like company - another tort is simply a rival for food and space.


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