Egyptian Tortoise Enclosure Early Planning

NJTortoiseFan

New Member
Joined
Jan 13, 2022
Messages
9
Location (City and/or State)
Philly
Hello All,
I am new to the forum. I kept reptiles when I was much younger, but have not done so in several years. In recent months I've been considering getting back into the hobby, and have settled on the Egyptian tortoise. Although it is more costly (and perhaps more delicate) than other options, I have determined that it is the best option for me since I will be moving into a New York City apartment this summer, and space will be at a premium. I don't intend to purchase the tortoise(s) until I move in several months, but I want to start the process of planning and learning now so I am in the best position to provide a happy and healthy environment for the tortoise(s). I first wanted to know what people think about minimum enclosure size either for one or two of these tortoises (I've seen different things on different websites). Relatedly, I was wondering what people think about the importance of getting two of these tortoises compared to one. While they generally don't live alone in the wild, would they be able to live a happy life alone in captivity, or is getting two of them really important? In the event that I get two, does it matter whether I get two males, two females, or one of each? These animals are very hard to find, so I may not have much flexibility in choosing the sexes of the animals. I would also welcome any general advice (beyond the specific questions I asked) from anyone who has kept or is keeping Egyptian tortoises (or tortoises in general!). As I said, I am starting this process early so I am ready to go when it comes time to purchase the tortoises. Thank you in advance for your insight.
 

Big Ron

Active Member
Tortoise Club
Joined
Dec 28, 2021
Messages
131
Location (City and/or State)
Florida
Hello All,
I am new to the forum. I kept reptiles when I was much younger, but have not done so in several years. In recent months I've been considering getting back into the hobby, and have settled on the Egyptian tortoise. Although it is more costly (and perhaps more delicate) than other options, I have determined that it is the best option for me since I will be moving into a New York City apartment this summer, and space will be at a premium. I don't intend to purchase the tortoise(s) until I move in several months, but I want to start the process of planning and learning now so I am in the best position to provide a happy and healthy environment for the tortoise(s). I first wanted to know what people think about minimum enclosure size either for one or two of these tortoises (I've seen different things on different websites). Relatedly, I was wondering what people think about the importance of getting two of these tortoises compared to one. While they generally don't live alone in the wild, would they be able to live a happy life alone in captivity, or is getting two of them really important? In the event that I get two, does it matter whether I get two males, two females, or one of each? These animals are very hard to find, so I may not have much flexibility in choosing the sexes of the animals. I would also welcome any general advice (beyond the specific questions I asked) from anyone who has kept or is keeping Egyptian tortoises (or tortoises in general!). As I said, I am starting this process early so I am ready to go when it comes time to purchase the tortoises. Thank you in advance for your insight.
there are plenty of serious pro on torts here,i'm sure they will get you all the help and information you need,welcome to the forum glad you joined i'm pretty new here myself,i live down in central Florida ,looking forward to seeing you around all the best to you and yours??
 

NJTortoiseFan

New Member
Joined
Jan 13, 2022
Messages
9
Location (City and/or State)
Philly
there are plenty of serious pro on torts here,i'm sure they will get you all the help and information you need,welcome to the forum glad you joined i'm pretty new here myself,i live down in central Florida ,looking forward to seeing you around all the best to you and yours??
Thank you! Look forward to interacting with you on here.
 

TaylorTortoise

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 24, 2020
Messages
1,461
Location (City and/or State)
Abington
First and foremost,
You should NEVER pair tortoises. The only time it is acceptable is if the space is larger than the required measurements for captivity. Males should never be in pairs. If you do decide to pair tortoises it should always be 1 male two female etc. (With large measurements of captivity depending upon species) Most tortoises do not like company they claim their space, food, hides and they do not like to share. Not even when I try to clean up their mess! They show me who's boss. They much prefer to be by themselves. I own two tortoises, however I have them separated since they are separate species.

Egyptians are a good option for smaller space. The husbandry of them I am not sure what the level requires in keeping a happy healthy Egyptian, however maybe some current owners can chime in to help out.

You can check out www.Hermannihaven.com my breeder sells Egyptian tortoises, and he has care sheets. You can go by these care sheets in providing the best care for your future tortoises'
 

NJTortoiseFan

New Member
Joined
Jan 13, 2022
Messages
9
Location (City and/or State)
Philly
First and foremost,
You should NEVER pair tortoises. The only time it is acceptable is if the space is larger than the required measurements for captivity. Males should never be in pairs. If you do decide to pair tortoises it should always be 1 male two female etc. (With large measurements of captivity depending upon species) Most tortoises do not like company they claim their space, food, hides and they do not like to share. Not even when I try to clean up their mess! They show me who's boss. They much prefer to be by themselves. I own two tortoises, however I have them separated since they are separate species.

Egyptians are a good option for smaller space. The husbandry of them I am not sure what the level requires in keeping a happy healthy Egyptian, however maybe some current owners can chime in to help out.

You can check out www.Hermannihaven.com my breeder sells Egyptian tortoises, and he has care sheets. You can go by these care sheets in providing the best care for your future tortoises'
I appreciate that. So it's good to know that keeping them alone is humane (that's what was best for me in the first place given space constraints). At this point I'm trying to figure out the appropriate enclosure size for a single Egyptian tortoise. I saw 2 feet x 2 feet somewhere, but that struck me as probably too small (though I am no expert).
 

TeamZissou

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 23, 2020
Messages
1,048
Location (City and/or State)
Albuquerque, NM
Here's a similar thread:


2 x 2 feet is definitely too small. 4x2 is probably too small as well for an adult. I recommend getting the Schramm and Beidenweig book.
 

G-stars

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jul 11, 2014
Messages
1,889
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
I keep all of my Egyptians in an enclosure no smaller then a 4x8. The smallest I would put one hatchling Egyptian into would be a 4x2. The smallest I would put one adult Egyptian into would be 4x4.
 
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