Best tortoise for our temps?

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Moozillion

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Hi to all. I do not yet have a tortoise- plan to get one in a year or 2, so am researching a bunch in the meantime. I live in south Louisiana- within easy commute of New Orleans. I plan to have any tortoise outside as much as possible, but inside, some, too. Our summers get REALLY hot and generally humid. For example, the forecast for this week is mid-90s to 102F for the highs and 70-78 for the nighttime lows with nighttime humidity around 60% and daytime humidity in 40%, with the odd thunderstorm. July and Aug will be hotter. am currently leaning towards the Hermanns. Thoughts?

Addition: I know box turtles and red eared sliders are native to our area, so they can obviously manage just fine, but I'm drawn to the Hermanns or the Russians...
 

Madkins007

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You would do OK with most species other than the more desert-loving, but considering your humidity- have you thought about red-footed tortoises?
 

Terry Allan Hall

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Agree w/ Mark...while I, too, love Hermann's tortoises the best, a red-foot would also be a great choice, due to the higher humidity Louisiana, particularily the southern coastal part, has.

Definitely worth considering before you buy.
 

Moozillion

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I thought about red foots, but they're a little large, aren't they? I was thinking of the smaller torts for hurricane evacuation. We live close enough to the coast that hurricanes DEFINITELY impact us, and many people evacuate further north. We are well above any flood zones, and, blessedly we had no damage from Katrina, but there was tons of damage all through our subdivision, so we were very lucky. Even smaller storms cause big problems and have attendant tornados. We stayed for Katrina but never again will I stay for a direct or near-direct hit from a hurricane. And I will NEVER leave my animals behind. So I figure the smaller ones would be easier to take with us.
 

StudentoftheReptile

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Redfoots have reportedly gotten as large as 18", but they typically stay around 12-14." About the size of a small watermelon.
 

tortadise

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hello and welcome! I have worked in baton rouge and new orleans, I totaly understand the humidity, it is very very muggy. The redfoot is going to be the best for your temperate locations. Any tortoise specie will have to be brought inside in the winter there. So need to make certain of your preperations accordingly. It takes quite a while for redfoots to get over 12-14" in length. They stay relatively managable in size, and have wonderful personalities.
 

Moozillion

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Thanks so much! I will look more closely at the red foots! :)
 
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