beginner questions

Hello! I'm new to the forum and me and my fiancee are considering getting a Russian tortoise. I've been browsing the threads for the past few days, but I don't think anyone has asked this question yet. We have a small apartment (about 500 sq ft), so we're on the fence about getting the critter...

Hi all, looking for some feedback! My boyfriend surprised me with this beautiful babe! Firstly, looks like a Russian tortoise, was labeled as testudo so just confirming it's a Russian? Wondering if you guys might have an idea of age? If old enough, I can tell if female or male, right? It weighs...

Hello Fellow Tortoise Lovers/Keepers, I got a 5-6 month old Baby Sulcata tortoise and it seems to be that his rear end is not growing as fast. And is a little on the curved side. He currently eats spring mix topped with calcium powder and treats. I'm still trying to get him to eat hay, however...

Hello, tortoiseforum! I'm a newbie here and was looking for some guidance on how to properly care for my red-foot hatchling, Bubba (named after Leatherface). On October 26th (9 days ago), I visited a local expo with intentions of picking up a few arthropods if I could find them. Instead, I...

Hi! I’m going to have my very first (cherry head) tortoise hatchling in a few months and I’m preparing its outdoor enclosure. I live in Manila, Philippines and our weather is usually 25C-35C and humidity from 70-85% and can even reach up to 90%+. I plan to have a 4ft x 2ft table (covered with...

Hello all, firstly I just want to say thank you for everyone who posts on this forum, all the information and advice on here has been a lifesaver and I’m so glad I found this site. We just bought a house, and as we’re moving in we saw that the old owners just left their tortoise. They were...

I am planning to build a pond in my garden (north west England) I have been looking into european pond turtles but I can't find whether they are compatible with fish. I would like to keep a turtle and fish if possible, the pond will be around 2ft deep and around 36 square foot. Does anyone know...

Hi all, I’m a new member and very excited to find this spot on the internet, as there’s a lot of conflicting and confusing information out there on tortie welfare. Myself and my partner are looking to get a tortoise together. We aren’t rushing into getting one yet until we have saved enough...

There are so many different opinions online of what UVB to get, it's rather overwhelming... I have a baby padloper tortoise (and a agma atra lizard, think of this as a smaller version of a bearded dragon if you don't know about it), what would be the best UVB to get them? I am now moving off of...

Hello friends, I am a beginner tortoise owner. I built this enclosure for my new russian tortoise. what do you guys think? Does it look suitable for a russian tortoise?

Hello! I made a post here a few weeks back about a Russian/Herrmans/Greek enclosure but between now and then I found the Leopard Tortoise and absolutely fell in love with its colors, personality, and above all it's size! Everything about it seems to be amazing, but before I move forward I do...

Last year I got a baby Greek Tortoise and everything necessary for him however, even after following everything I had read he still died. I still have the enclosure, substrate, etc. so I wanna get another one but I would like to know if there's anything you think I should know beforehand? I'm...

Hello lovely people of TortoiseForum! Now that I've been a tort parent for about a week and a half, I think I'm ready to introduce myself and Herman to the tort community! Herman is an adorable Eastern Hermann's tort (please correct me if I'm wrong ?) that I purchased 10 days ago from...

Dad I want a pet. Definitely the scariest words in the English language. So my questions for the esteemed members of this forum: What breed of small tortoise would make the best pet for a 9 y/o boy? Considering both personality and ease of care is there any breed that would be a good...

I was just wondering how my lil dude is doing. I got him in september and the owner told me that he was around 4 months old then. He's probably around 7 months now but is still pretty small; yet this little guy seems to have a black pit for a stomach and eats like a beast. I noticed that the...

Hello everyone, I just bought some Zoo Med eco earth loose coconut fiber substrate but i’m worried about having a mite infestation. I wanna know if others have had pleasant experiences with this substrate, or how I should clean it before adding it into the enclosure. - Thanks in advance!

I have bought a Horsefield Tortoise which the lady in the shop thought was about 6 months old, his shell is about 2.5 inches long, cutest little guy! Please can I get some advice on what to feed him as well as how much and how often. I've read so much info which contradicts itself, feeling very...

Hello! I might be getting a couple razorback musk turtles soon, and I have been doing some research about what they would need. I would like to give them as much space as possible so I was looking at getting the Aqueon 55 Gallon LED Aquarium Kit. But it doesn’t look like the hoods would provide...

hey! I'm about to get a sulcata and I've been doing a ton of research, but i can't find the answer to one thing. I know grass should be a huge part of their diet as well as some vegetables. Can y'all recommend a website to order some quality food to help create variety and make sure they're...

I am planning to get a tortoise and have an outdoor enclosure for him, however, I do not want a tortoise that will hibernate because I don't trust myself in doing so. And with an outdoor enclosure, I cannot keep it warm 24/7 so that he will not hibernate. What kind of tortoises will not...