Another vote for a Russian. They're very tough, which is ideal for a classroom situation. Greeks or Hermann's would also be good choices.
To those on the first page who insist that she shouldn't have any animals... I actually agree very much with Zamric's statement. With very few exceptions, you DO have to be genuinely interested in an animal to really care for it right. There are certain animals that I can't take care of properly to save my life, because they just don't command me the way certain others do. I can't keep a rat cage clean, a litter box scooped, or fish healthy. Does that mean I shouldn't have any pet at all? NO! All that means is that I shouldn't have THOSE animals. To me, keeping a pair of rats healthy or a 10 gallon fish tank clean is a million times harder than maintaining a collection of 15 or so assorted reptiles for the simple reason that rats and fish don't enthrall me the same way reptiles do.
It sounds like "Ms Smith" is truly enthralled by tortoises. With Zamric's guidance, I think she'll do GREAT.
To those on the first page who insist that she shouldn't have any animals... I actually agree very much with Zamric's statement. With very few exceptions, you DO have to be genuinely interested in an animal to really care for it right. There are certain animals that I can't take care of properly to save my life, because they just don't command me the way certain others do. I can't keep a rat cage clean, a litter box scooped, or fish healthy. Does that mean I shouldn't have any pet at all? NO! All that means is that I shouldn't have THOSE animals. To me, keeping a pair of rats healthy or a 10 gallon fish tank clean is a million times harder than maintaining a collection of 15 or so assorted reptiles for the simple reason that rats and fish don't enthrall me the same way reptiles do.
It sounds like "Ms Smith" is truly enthralled by tortoises. With Zamric's guidance, I think she'll do GREAT.