How common are pet tortoises?

Rex1718

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Just wondering how often you guys meet people with pet tortoises. I know a guy at work that has a sulcata.
And my cousin has a Russian tortoise. Other than that I don’t really know anyone with with a tortoise.
Glad I found some tortoise people here lol
 

Action

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My girlfriends daughter and family have a 5 year old Sulcata....That is what really got me interested. Although I have always liked them but that is what made me start learning about them. His name is Pinky and he is a he....lol
Pinky.jpg
 

Tim Carlisle

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I haven't met many tortoise owners in my immediate area (yet). I see them at the reptile shows, but most are out-of-state. I let mine prance around my front yard in the Summer, and have had folks stop their cars and ask me about him. More often than not I hear "I've always wanted a pet tortoise". Maybe I will spark some interest in my area with all the free advertising. lol
 

ZEROPILOT

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It's super un common.
I've only met ONE PERSON outside of this forum that kept tortoises.
Two if you include turtles.

I've been lucky enough to have met many TFO members in person and there are several more that I would love to meet. Some of them are actual friends of mine now.
Every one of them have been great people.
(So far)
 

Tom

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I think my perception is skewed by my career, the area where I live, and my hobbies. I know a lot of people with tortoises. Lots of friends, vets, family, neighbors...
 

Toddrickfl1

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I think my perception is skewed by my career, the area where I live, and my hobbies. I know a lot of people with tortoises. Lots of friends, vets, family, neighbors...
California seems to be a hot spot for keeping tortoises for some reason. I see more people on here from California than anywhere else in the world.
 

Tom

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California seems to be a hot spot for keeping tortoises for some reason. I see more people on here from California than anywhere else in the world.
Yes. The climate is nice. It also seems like every other backyard in AZ has a tortoise. Again, my perception is skewed based on the people I know, but there are quite a few. Florida is another area with higher than average tortoise keeper density. Texas is up there too. I didn't meet any tortoise keepers when I was in DesMoines in December...
 

ZEROPILOT

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Yes. The climate is nice. It also seems like every other backyard in AZ has a tortoise. Again, my perception is skewed based on the people I know, but there are quite a few. Florida is another area with higher than average tortoise keeper density. Texas is up there too. I didn't meet any tortoise keepers when I was in DesMoines in December...
Yes.
I am aware of many Redfoot here. Especially in the town of Pembroke Pines in that South American immigrant area. But as far as meeting them. Just one. (Two)
I also forgot a guy I used to work with and his two Sulcata. And his story of how one had pushed over a swing set and chased his daughter out of the yard.
I always say that keeping a Redfoot here is so simple, even I can do it.
 

TammyJ

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I think maybe the number of people here in Jamaica with redfoots can be counted on the fingers of one hand, including myself. There are also very few people with sulcatas. It's very very difficult or impossible to import them legally now, even the pet shops don't. How I got my redfoots was a straight exchange from the zoo for a young ball python.The zoo has redfoots and sulcatas and russians - and lots of RES that ended up there because they got too big for their owners who bought them from the pet shop as babies....old story.
 

Amy Spino

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I very rarely meet anyone that owns a turtle. Love this forum where there are fellow “turtle/tortoise” people! The other day I ran into someone I hadn’t seen since high school 30 or so years ago. They said “remember when you used to own that turtle?” Guess what? Timmy’s still alive and well! They were shocked!! Ha! Love the lifespan of box turtles
 

Blackdog1714

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I totally forgot! A good friend of mine turned her in-ground pool years ago into a turle pond. She has a whopper of a snapping turtle in their too! Goes well with the tame squirrel that lives in her enclosed porch!
 
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