Best tortoise species for outdoors in California

[Phreeflow]

Our family has really fallen in love with tortoises and have been doing a ton of research and have already built a large enclosure that they can’t dig under and several hides and various microclimates. We’ve also planted lots of tortoise safe greens with auto drippers so we are ready to buy or adopt.

Aside from adopting desert tortoises or buying a sulcata as many of our neighbors have, what are some other species that would do well outdoors in California? So far, we are thinking Hermann’s would do well in our climate based on what we’ve read. Can anyone please confirm if they’d do well and also offer suggestions of other species? Thank you

 

[TeamZissou]

Where in CA? Climates differ a lot depending if you live in Reading, San Diego, or Stovepipe Wells.

What size tortoise did you have in mind? The enclosure size and construction needs can vary a lot for an Aldabra or an Egyptian.

Are you planning on getting an adult or hatchling? Hatchlings do better for the first couple years indoors, in a closed chamber, regardless of the location.

 

[Phreeflow]

Where in CA? Climates differ a lot depending if you live in Reading, San Diego, or Stovepipe Wells.

What size tortoise did you have in mind? The enclosure size and construction needs can vary a lot for an Aldabra or an Egyptian.

Are you planning on getting an adult or hatchling? Hatchlings do better for the first couple years indoors, in a closed chamber, regardless of the location.

Located in Santa Clarita and would prefer a small to medium size tort. Would also prefer adults as we have already built a 12ft x 8ft outdoor enclosure. Open to raising out babies depending on the species as cost is a factor. Btw: could I keep a group of small/med tortoises in this size enclosure or would it only accommodate just one. They would also have access to the entire yard daily when I let them out to roam

 

[TeamZissou]

Located in Santa Clarita and would prefer a small to medium size tort. Would also prefer adults as we have already built a 12ft x 8ft outdoor enclosure. Open to raising out babies depending on the species as cost is a factor. Btw: could I keep a group of small/med tortoises in this size enclosure or would it only accommodate just one. They would also have access to the entire yard daily when I let them out to roam

Realistically, many types of tortoises will do well for you outside except the species that require a lot of humidity like Redfoot, elongated, and other SE Asian tortoises. Though if you are determined enough, you can provide each species what it needs anywhere.

There are many tortoises on the smaller end of the spectrum to choose from, primarily from the Testudo genus including Russians, Greeks, Hermann's, and Marginated. Egyptians are the smallest tortoises you'll find available, but they are particularly sensitive so most keepers have them inside full time. HermanniHaven.com is a great resource for seeing the huge variety of Greeks and different subspecies of Hermann's. Whether or not you can have them outside year round depends on your winter temps and if that particular species (or subspecies) can brumate (hibernate). The general recommendation here is not to leave them on their own outside during the winter, even in CA, but rather to brumate them in a fridge.

Home | hermannihavenhome

www.hermannihaven.com

For a 12x8' you may be able to get away with a group of three Testudos, though bigger is always better. Pairs are not a good idea due to bullying/territoriality.

Indian and Burmese stars are also on the smaller end, but if you were to buy a hatching, you'd definitely need to raise it inside for a few years.

Allowing them to roam in the yard can be risky. There are many stories on here of people who have done so and lost tortoises. They are good at hiding if you take your eye off them for even a minute!

 

[Phreeflow]

Realistically, many types of tortoises will do well for you outside except the species that require a lot of humidity like Redfoot, elongated, and other SE Asian tortoises. Though if you are determined enough, you can provide each species what it needs anywhere.

There are many tortoises on the smaller end of the spectrum to choose from, primarily from the Testudo genus including Russians, Greeks, Hermann's, and Marginated. Egyptians are the smallest tortoises you'll find available, but they are particularly sensitive so most keepers have them inside full time. HermanniHaven.com is a great resource for seeing the huge variety of Greeks and different subspecies of Hermann's. Whether or not you can have them outside year round depends on your winter temps and if that particular species (or subspecies) can brumate (hibernate). The general recommendation here is not to leave them on their own outside during the winter, even in CA, but rather to brumate them in a fridge.

Home | hermannihavenhome

www.hermannihaven.com

For a 12x8' you may be able to get away with a group of three Testudos, though bigger is always better. Pairs are not a good idea due to bullying/territoriality.

Indian and Burmese stars are also on the smaller end, but if you were to buy a hatching, you'd definitely need to raise it inside for a few years.

Allowing them to roam in the yard can be risky. There are many stories on here of people who have done so and lost tortoises. They are good at hiding if you take your eye off them for even a minute!

Thanks for all the help. My favorite would be those Star torts you mentioned but that’s beyond my scope at the moment. In my area, it doesn’t get much colder than mid 50’s to 60’s even in winter with a dip down into the 40’s once in a while.

I was hoping to find a species that will brumate and follow the cyclical pattern of our climate…meaning I was hoping to find a species that would love it here since it suits them so well rather than forcing certain conditions through artificial means just to keep them. This is the reason I’m avoiding Redfoots, although I am a big fan of them.

So…based on your advice, Egyptians are out. Also, marginated look too flat like turtles in my eyes and Russians too bland so it seems Hermann’s and Greeks are what I should focus on. Any idea where i can find adults or subadults for sale or adoption?

 

[Phreeflow]

Also, if the space can support up to 3 smaller torts, what sex ratio is best? Can I get away with 1.2 or just get all females?

 

[TeamZissou]

Thanks for all the help. My favorite would be those Star torts you mentioned but that’s beyond my scope at the moment. In my area, it doesn’t get much colder than mid 50’s to 60’s even in winter with a dip down into the 40’s once in a while.

I was hoping to find a species that will brumate and follow the cyclical pattern of our climate…meaning I was hoping to find a species that would love it here since it suits them so well rather than forcing certain conditions through artificial means just to keep them. This is the reason I’m avoiding Redfoots, although I am a big fan of them.

So…based on your advice, Egyptians are out. Also, marginated look too flat like turtles in my eyes and Russians too bland so it seems Hermann’s and Greeks are what I should focus on. Any idea where i can find adults or subadults for sale or adoption?

True, marginated are not a highly domed species. But, they are neat in their own way and are very hardy. Other hardy species would be Ibera greeks and Hermann's. Chris Leone allows some of his Greeks and Hermann's to brumate outside in the winter in New Jersey. Chris has a nice distinction for the "hardy" and "sensitive" subspecies of Greeks in his care guide. You would want to avoid the sensitive subspecies as they could not be brumated. He also discusses brumation in his Hermann's care guide.

Greek Tortoise Care Guide

The Greek Tortoise Care Guide (Testudo graeca ssp) Chris Leone HermanniHaven.com GardenStateTortoise.com theTurtleRoom.com THIS CARE-SHEET IS DETAILED FOR A REASON. READ IT THOROUGHLY BEFORE PROCEEDING WITH OBTAINING A TORTOISE. Moroccan tortoise (Testudo graeca marokkensis) Introduction...

tortoiseforum.org

Sticky: HERMANN'S TORTOISE CARE SHEET *UPDATED

Josh and I corresponded last week about making an updated version of the Hermann's tortoise care sheet since the old one we have posted here is a bit outdated and a little too brief in my opinion. So, here is the new one equipped with photos. Look out for the April 2015 issue of Reptiles...

tortoiseforum.org

If I were you, I would look into Western Hermann's because they tend to have a richer coloration compared to Eastern or Dalmatian Hermann's. Ibera Greeks are also very cool and are said to have good personalities as well. In terms of sex ratio, either 1.2 or 0.3 would work as you suggested. The only risk would be if the male became overly aggressive he'd have to be separated, then you'd have two females that could potentially fight.

As for availability of adults, you are unlikely to find specific subspecies of Greeks or Hermann's up for adoption. Adults will cost more compared to hatchlings since someone has raised them for years and generally sell based on the potential for producing offspring for sale in future years. Rarity is also a factor.

A forum member, Rodriguez Chelonians has a yearling female Western Hermann's up for sale currently:

For Sale — Rodriguez Chelonians

www.rodriguezchelonians.com

AZ Tortoise Compound has good reviews on the forum as well. They have a few Eastern Hermann's adults, and hatchlings of a few other species:

Arizona Tortoise Compound

TortoiseSupply has some adults as well:

Tortoises for Sale from TortoiseSupply.com! Buy Your Tortoise Breeder Direct!

TortoiseSupply.com is the West Coast's premiere supplier of captive bred tortoises for sale. Buy your tortoise here with confidence, and a health guarantee!

www.tortoisesupply.com

Lastly FaunaClassifieds is also a marketplace. It can be a mixed bag depending on how honest the seller is.

All that said, if you really love star tortoises, you should go for it! You're going to have this tortoise for a long time, so you might as well go with your #1 pick. Granted, the care would be different and it wouldn't be able to live outdoors year round. Also, if you were to get three Hermann's or Greeks, the cost would be about as much as one Burmese star.

 

[Phreeflow]

Wow thanks for all your help and wonderful info. Really appreciate your time and the resources you shared. I feel more confident about getting my first group of tortoises.

You make some really good points about the star tortoises…I do plan on having the tortoises forever and one star or 3 western Hermann’s is about the same cost. I guess the biggest draw on a group would be to one day hatch my very own baby torts in the distant future.

Lastly, how big a concern are raccoons and rats when keeping tortoises outdoors? We have no other pets like cats or dogs

 

[TeamZissou]

You can read about Chris Leone's predator strategy in his Greek cares sheet. He uses several measures from ultrasonic emitters to electric fences. The method typically recommended by people on the forum is a heated night box, where you go out every night and put the tortoises away until letting them out in the morning. This is discussed in this care sheet:

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

Aside from that, you'd have to build a predator proof cage with wire over top.

 

[Phreeflow]

Appreciate all the help. Way better info than anything I scoured on the internet or from pet store employees. Will have a lot of reading to do this weekend.

I hope I can eventually find some local members/breeders to buy from rather than ordering from some site or Craigslist. Also, a tort banging around in a shipping box is a bit unnerving

 

[TeamZissou]

No worries! Feel free to ask more questions.

Finding a local breeder is the best option whenever possible; however, it's not always an option depending on the species you choose. There are many breeders of different species on the forum, especially for stars.

Shipping of tortoises actually works out better than you would think, and they are shipped all the time.

Ordering from a some websites can be a bad idea, but the two suggested above are well regarded on the forum and the owners are known to people here. Another website, Tortoise Town has a reputation for selling sick or otherwise unhealthy tortoises and it does not usually work out. There's a section on vendor reviews here on the forum.

 

[PamelaIrene]

Our family has really fallen in love with tortoises and have been doing a ton of research and have already built a large enclosure that they can’t dig under and several hides and various microclimates. We’ve also planted lots of tortoise safe greens with auto drippers so we are ready to buy or adopt.

Aside from adopting desert tortoises or buying a sulcata as many of our neighbors have, what are some other species that would do well outdoors in California? So far, we are thinking Hermann’s would do well in our climate based on what we’ve read. Can anyone please confirm if they’d do well and also offer suggestions of other species? Thank you

Hi! We live in Costa Mesa, CA and have had two dessert tortoises for 14 years, since they were little ones.. see picture. We couldn't be happier with them. Perhaps you might consider one or two of them?

 

[Phreeflow]

No worries! Feel free to ask more questions.

Finding a local breeder is the best option whenever possible; however, it's not always an option depending on the species you choose. There are many breeders of different species on the forum, especially for stars.

Shipping of tortoises actually works out better than you would think, and they are shipped all the time.

Ordering from a some websites can be a bad idea, but the two suggested above are well regarded on the forum and the owners are known to people here. Another website, Tortoise Town has a reputation for selling sick or otherwise unhealthy tortoises and it does not usually work out. There's a section on vendor reviews here on the forum.

Thank you again. I did check out those sites and they seem to have beautiful torts with reasonable prices. Maybe one day I’ll work up the nerve to order online. For now, I’ll just have to patient and keep an eye out and hope I can find someone local.

Also, im glad to know there’s a vendor review section as I would have no idea where to go.

 

[Phreeflow]

Hi! We live in Costa Mesa, CA and have had two dessert tortoises for 14 years, since they were little ones.. see picture. We couldn't be happier with them. Perhaps you might consider one or two of them?

Yes, my friends own desert tortoises and that’s how we came to consider the idea of having tortoises. They are adorable. However, we fell in love with the Hermann’s. Maybe that will change if we can’t find any locally. Thank you