# Research help Largest and smallest pet Tortoises



## Rover15 (Sep 28, 2012)

I'm hoping this is in the right area it is my first thread I normally try to get my questions answered in already made threads but most where closed

So here goes the question(s) I need help getting answered

What are the largest and smallest pet tortoises if you can also include how rare or how easy they are to get(I'm in canada so rare is impossible ) that would help along with if they hibernate or not (I know most large do not)

I'm not ready nor set up for a large tortoise but want to gain some knowledge. However I'm getting 1 maybe 2 yellow footed tortoise(s) in november/december but come spring 2013(I want to do all my research now so I'm prepared) I want a second species but smaller then a yellow footed so any help knowledge and opinions are always accepted I love to learn about tortoises

Thank you to all that help I hope this starts a debate I'd like to here everyone's side/point of view


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## GBtortoises (Sep 28, 2012)

*RE: Reserach help Largest and smallest pet Tortoises*

The largest tortoise species available in captivity are Aldabra's and Galapagos. The smallest is Egyptian tortoises. Being available in captivity does not necessarily mean that they are good for beginners, easy to keep or should be kept in certain situations.

Redfoots might be a better choice than Yellowfoots too. Other smaller species are the Hermann's subspecies, some Greek tortoise subspecies and Russians.


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## Rover15 (Sep 28, 2012)

*RE: Reserach help Largest and smallest pet Tortoises*

Why would you say red foot over yellow? I have a lot of book smarts on reds and yellows just lack hands on experience but its the look of the yellows the size (larger then reds) but I'm building a 3' by 3' tortoise table and out side ill have a 6 foot by 4 foot pen with a 4 foot long by 2 wide dog house converted to a heated tortoise hut. I just wouldn't be set up for a sucata or larger.


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## StudentoftheReptile (Sep 28, 2012)

*RE: Reserach help Largest and smallest pet Tortoises*

Indeed. Green iguanas and savannah monitors are very cheap and readily available, but both species are poor choices for beginners.


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## Tom (Sep 28, 2012)

*RE: Reserach help Largest and smallest pet Tortoises*



Rover15 said:


> Why would you say red foot over yellow? I have a lot of book smarts on reds and yellows just lack hands on experience but its the look of the yellows the size (larger then reds) but I'm building a 3' by 3' tortoise table and out side ill have a 6 foot by 4 foot pen with a 4 foot long by 2 wide dog house converted to a heated tortoise hut. I just wouldn't be set up for a sucata or larger.



Those sizes are no where near big enough for an adult yellow foot. Good sizes to start a small hatchling. You could house a russian in something those dimensions, but a little bigger would be better.


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## GBtortoises (Sep 28, 2012)

*RE: Reserach help Largest and smallest pet Tortoises*

Yellowfoots for one generally get much larger as mature adults. Being true forest dwellers Yellowfoots have a narrower environmental tolerance than Redfoots which have evolved from similar but slightly different conditions over the vast geographical range that the species is found in. In other words, Redfoots are generally more adaptable than Yellowfoots. The Redfoots adaptability shows in the fact that they are very commonly produced and available in captivity on a regular basis. Yellowfoots are not readily produced in captivity and do even come close to the captive born numbers that Redfoots have reached. Very few Yellowfoots can compare to the outgoing personalities or inquisitive nature that Redfoots have. Of course there are always exceptions to that generalization but when getting one you never know what you have until you have it. 
In comparison to Yellowfoots, Redfoots make much better "pets" for beginners and in general.


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## Rover15 (Sep 28, 2012)

*RE: Reserach help Largest and smallest pet Tortoises*

Tom my sizes are for a hatchling I have more room but I don't want to lose it out side and I want to beable to contorl my temps I honeslty have about 12 by 14 space in my back yard that is free and in a year or so ill be moving to a more contry setting situation so my space will increase by 10 times that amout if not bigger.

Gbtortoise

The yellow foots I've found are from a breeder here in ontario and I know they are captive breed and captive born I understand red foots are more beginner tortoise, however I like the challenge and even though it would be my first hands on experience with a tortoise I have tons of free time I don't go back to work till march 2013 so I can keep a ready eye and spend the time to notice change and to ensure that it would thrive.

Now I do know hachlings do have a higher fail rate I'm taking this chance because I have the time to work with it I will be the trasporter as well as the support from this site I do listen to now both gb tortoise and tom with my reply and maybe a bit more understanding do you feel that I would beable to both house and care for a yellow foot hatchling over a recomended red foot? And a side question is a tortoise that hibernates better then one that doesn't?


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## GBtortoises (Sep 28, 2012)

*RE: Reserach help Largest and smallest pet Tortoises*

"And a side question is a tortoise that hibernates better then one that doesn't?"

One has no advantage over the other if they are cared for correctly respective to their environmental needs. It comes down to the choice of the keeper in terms of what they are willing to devote (time, space, money) and the resources that they have available to them to properly keep any given species.


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## Rover15 (Sep 28, 2012)

*RE: Reserach help Largest and smallest pet Tortoises*

That is part of the reason I am getting the yellow footed because I don't have to hibernate it but in the spring I want a smaller tortoises that will hibernate reason why I want to get feed back and.ideas for smaller torts so I can read up do my research now so I can be prepared and know what I'm getting into. I also want to know as much as possible about my new tort before getting it like I've done with the red and yellow foots. I know that the best time to get a tort that hibernates is in the spring a few weeks after it comes out of hibernation that is again why I say spring is when ill pick one up


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## Terry Allan Hall (Sep 28, 2012)

*RE: Reserach help Largest and smallest pet Tortoises*



Rover15 said:


> Why would you say red foot over yellow? I have a lot of book smarts on reds and yellows just lack hands on experience but its the look of the yellows the size (larger then reds) but I'm building a 3' by 3' tortoise table and out side ill have a 6 foot by 4 foot pen with a 4 foot long by 2 wide dog house converted to a heated tortoise hut. I just wouldn't be set up for a sucata or larger.



For a pair of yellowfoots, you should plan on 8' X 8', minimally, and 12' X 8' would be better...they need some room to roam, to be healthy and happy...4' X 6' would be appropriate for a single Steppe tortoise or a smaller Greek, but nothing smaller.


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## Rover15 (Sep 28, 2012)

*RE: Reserach help Largest and smallest pet Tortoises*



Terry Allan Hall said:


> Rover15 said:
> 
> 
> > Why would you say red foot over yellow? I have a lot of book smarts on reds and yellows just lack hands on experience but its the look of the yellows the size (larger then reds) but I'm building a 3' by 3' tortoise table and out side ill have a 6 foot by 4 foot pen with a 4 foot long by 2 wide dog house converted to a heated tortoise hut. I just wouldn't be set up for a sucata or larger.
> ...



3'X3' indoor table would be okay for a single yellow foot hatchling right? With the outdoor ill set up for a 8'X8' not including the warm hut/hide but I'm most likely just getting one yellow footed tort just so I don't run into probs with the pair issue.

Is there a tort that when it is a full adult size would do well in a 3'X3? Prob not but I curious


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## CourtneyAndCarl (Sep 28, 2012)

*RE: Reserach help Largest and smallest pet Tortoises*



Rover15 said:


> Terry Allan Hall said:
> 
> 
> > Rover15 said:
> ...



No, not really. Even the smaller tortoises really like to roam around.


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## Rover15 (Sep 28, 2012)

*RE: Reserach help Largest and smallest pet Tortoises*

3'X3' indoor table would be okay for a single yellow foot hatchling right? With the outdoor ill set up for a 8'X8' not including the warm hut/hide but I'm most likely just getting one yellow footed tort just so I don't run into probs with the pair issue.

Is there a tort that when it is a full adult size would do well in a 3'X3? Prob not but I curious
[/quote]

No, not really. Even the smaller tortoises really like to roam around.
[/quote]

Like I said I didn't think so I figure the smallest adult tort would need at least a 3'X6' correct me if I'm wrong


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## StudentoftheReptile (Sep 28, 2012)

*RE: Reserach help Largest and smallest pet Tortoises*

Yeah, I would say 3x6' would adequate for a single adult Russian tortoise.


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## harris (Sep 28, 2012)

*RE: Reserach help Largest and smallest pet Tortoises*



Rover15 said:


> Tom my sizes are for a hatchling I have more room but I don't want to lose it out side and I want to beable to contorl my temps I honeslty have about 12 by 14 space in my back yard that is free and in a year or so ill be moving to a more contry setting situation so my space will increase by 10 times that amout if not bigger.



Your Yellowfoot will only be spending about 1/3 of the year outdoors at best based on where you're located so concentrate on what you can accomodate indoors and build your tortoise off of that. There are some really small tortoises (Spiders, Egyptians) that could thrive in a smaller environment but I wouldn't recommend one to a novice, let alone an intermediate keeper.


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## BowandWalter (Sep 28, 2012)

*RE: Reserach help Largest and smallest pet Tortoises*

3' by 3' is not ideal. Many members here, myself included, work with limited space. Some of us are students in dorms, or apartment dwellers. So it starts to become a compromise, Walters inside house is 2' by 3' right now, I literally can not fit anything larger, a few members even have adult tortoises in 50 gallon totes. My compromise is that my room has all the heating equipment to let Walter run around while I'm doing my studies. So he gets free range of the glorious 10' by 10' room I dwell in. I also go as often as I can to my cousins where he has free range of a fenced garden. At home he has a 7' by 4' outside pen that he lives in all summer. If your willing to put the work in its possible, but it's a lot more work and expense to keep them in a small pen.


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## Rover15 (Sep 28, 2012)

*RE: Reserach help Largest and smallest pet Tortoises*

A 3'x3' is only for my hatchling to start indoors I have a 4X8 area in my living room (where I'd like to keep my tort)also about a 10 by 5 spot in my bacement that I'd rather not use. now as it grows it will have run of the house as the other reptiles I have are cage only animals and are only out if being handled but a tort would have run of the house as it size would grant it now in a year ill be moving to a much larger house with tons of indoor and out door space.

But is there any doubt that a 3'x3' won't be good for a hatchling? I know larger is better but I want something where I can keep good control of temps I don't want to go to big to fast and stress over temps

How long does it take for a russain to get full grown?


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## BowandWalter (Sep 28, 2012)

*RE: Reserach help Largest and smallest pet Tortoises*

Walter is 5 years old and 4 inches long, he's a Hermann's not a Russian though. He's a pretty tiny feller.


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## Terry Allan Hall (Sep 28, 2012)

*RE: Reserach help Largest and smallest pet Tortoises*



Rover15 said:


> Terry Allan Hall said:
> 
> 
> > Rover15 said:
> ...



*A single Steppe tortoise or one of the smaller Greek subspecies (particularily a male, which will be smaller than a female) could get by in that during the cold part of the year (you do know that brumation is entirely optional, I trust), but either'd be happier, in the summer, in at least twice that space.

Tortoises like to move around as much as possible.*


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## Rover15 (Sep 29, 2012)

The 3'x3' is only for the from november december when I get the hatchling till it is warm enough to go out side where I can provide it a larger area where I can even heat it if need be. I'm hoping before I need to bring my tort inside that ill be in a new larger house but if not as I mentioned before I can provide a full 4'x8' and that should be okay for 3 years max 4 that I would keep it.

But as for smaller torts the russians and greeks are there any other types that are readily availible to canada??


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