new and questions

Hi everyone! I recently adopted an eastern box turtle, Sammy, from a family member. He has been much less energetic than usual the past few days and I think (but am not sure) that his breathing may have changed. I'm not sure if I need to be concerned about a possible respiratory infection or...

Hi! I have recently got a 3 year old Indian star tortoise male. We have only had him a couple of days but he has burrowed into the corner of his table and barely moved since. I'm presume that's because he a little scared and overwhelmed still but I just want to check that nothing is seriously...

Hello everyone!! My daughter was gifted a testudo tortoise for her 10th birthday. Just feeling a little overwhelmed. Doing our very best to research lighting, soaking, feeding, (little) handling... lots, but conflicting research. I don't want to mess anything up. She is soooo excited!? Any...

Hi everyone newbie here! I got the surprise of a lifetime the other day! My daughters box turtle “Jack” laid eggs! (I completely forgot turtles laid eggs and was trying hard to convince my 3rd old her boy turtle was a girl and laid eggs like her chickens ?) Well now “jack “ 1st laid 2 eggs 1...

Hello! I have been wanting a tortoise for years now but have been waiting because I wanted my son to get a bit older so he could be apart of the experience in raising it. I have been looking at getting a Russian but was wanting to make sure if it would be right for me. I live in southeast texas...

I'm Jake from Illinois and I currently dont have any turtles or tortoises as I'm doing research before I decide to commit to one. I would like to know what breeds are recommend for beginners and if there would be any I could possibly keep outdoors. I've got plenty of land with a lean-to with a...

Hello! I have a 5 year old Sulcata who recently moved into his new outside enclosure. He's been inside since we brought him home and I'm wondering if anyone has some helpful tips for when the weather turns. He's currently in a 15X15 pen that has a 2ft tall stone wall. We placed the pen on a...

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...

I was just given a medium sized male Sulcata Tortoise. He’s been through quite a stressful week. He was found on a local hiking trail, likely dumped, and then brought to me. We’ve had him 3 days and for the most part he has been hiding in his heated dog igloo. It’s been a full 24 hours since...

I have recently purchased a baby redfoot tortoise. So far everything is going well. I just have a few questions. 1. How often and how much should I feed her? I've read so many different things about feeding schedules and amounts and it's a bit confusing. 2. She seems to be staying away from...

Hi! I had just purchased a tortoise at Pet Smart about a week ago. They had told me that he was a “testudo tortoise” and upon more research I guess there’s different kinds of Testudo tortoises. I wanted to figure out which one mine is exactly so I can care for him properly. He isn’t eating very...

is this a good enclosure for my baby Sulcata? It’s a mixture of cypress mulch, organic top soil, and sphagnum moss. I planted some grass seeds, as well as an aloe plant and 2 other succulents. It stays about 80 degrees in there with the lights on and between 30-50 humidity if i spray it a few...

Helllooo! :) I am new here and not the best with posting tech etc... I have a redfoot who I adore named Lucy. She is hilarious.

Hi everyone! My name is Jeanna, and I am new to the Tortoise Forum. I am thinking of getting a Russian, but I have some concerns. The first thing I noticed was all of the conflicting information on everything from substrate to lighting and soaking. Needless to say, it is easy to get lost in...

Hi everyone, My name is Danielle, and I live in New Hampshire. I joined this form because my husband and I have been researching and trying to learn as much as we can before we get our own tortoise. If anyone has any pointers or can help me out that would be great! We are looking into as...

Hello, I'm very new here and do not actually have a tortoise yet, but I've been thinking about getting one for about a year and have been reading this forum for a few months now. I want to make sure I know what I'm getting into before I actually take the plunge and buy a tortoise. My first...

Hi everyone, I'm a new turtle mom and although my husband and I have done a lot of research, now that we have a turtle we have a few questions. Just as an introduction, this is Clementine. We were told she is a three toed boxie (even though she has four back claws and I have my doubts) and her...

I've recently taken over as the primary caregiver for my family's Russian, 007. She's lived with my mom for the past ten years, so it's a pretty big adjustment for all parties involved. She's a sweetheart and I aim to spoil her rotten! One thing I'm struggling with is establishing a decent...

Hello :-) My name is Chloe. I am 19 and I have been researching into getting a tortoise for a pet for two or so years now. I just haven’t made the leap yet! I came very close to getting a young Russian tortoise a few days ago but chickened out. I want to provide my tortoise with the best love...

Hello all, I’m new here. I found a hatchling in my enclosed pool yesterday. I am completely stumped on how he got in and how long he’s been in there. The pool is saltwater so I quickly got him into some freshwater and made a little space for him to be safe and not drown with dry land (as per...