friendly?

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Scooter

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So my fiancée has been looking at getting a tortoise of his own. He wants to know what the friendliest tortoise (most interactive with humans) are. I told him sulcatas, RF,and Russians. He doesn't want a sulcata since we have one already. What else is considered a "friendly" tortoise? I also thought about box turtles, what do you all think? Thanks
 

Tom

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In general Russians and sulcatas are the most "friendly". There are individuals of others that get really tame and comfortable too.

I try to pick my tortoises based on my environment. Its very hot and dry here, so I stick to sulcatas, leopards and CDT's. I try to stay away from redfoots and Burmese torts (both of which I absolutely love) because I can't provide the right environment for them. Maybe I should say "optimal" environment. Anyhow, maybe this will influence your decision one way or the other.
 
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Scooter

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Thanks Tom. We live in Florida. He is not sure what he wants right now. He has been looking and seems too like the RF and aldabras. I am thinking RF or some other "forest" tortoise would be good since we already have two Homes and the care would be similar.
 

shellfreak

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eastern box turtles are very active and personable. they enjoy being around humans. if you are an early riser, these are a great companion. they get up at the crack of dawn foraging for food. Red foots are great as well.
 

Terry Allan Hall

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Scooter said:
So my fiancée has been looking at getting a tortoise of his own. He wants to know what the friendliest tortoise (most interactive with humans) are. I told him sulcatas, RF,and Russians. He doesn't want a sulcata since we have one already. What else is considered a "friendly" tortoise? I also thought about box turtles, what do you all think? Thanks

Hermann's are generally friendlier than Russians.
 

earthyman71

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a few of my eastern boxies are very dog-like in their interactions with me - watching me when i come in the room, getting excited at feeding time and letting me pet their heads.
 

Jacqui

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:D I think your going to get every possible tortoise and turtle listed here! :D To me, it's not so much a species thing as it is an individual thing. Add to that how it is raised, how it is treated, even it's housing. By housing I mean so many of mine turn more uninterested in humnas once they are outside and the humans lose to some extint their food god status for natural hunting/grazing.

An example are my Russians who inside are a lot more personable then inside. That is not something I honestly noticed so much in the sulcatas or even in the DT, when I had him.

Then take any species, in this case let's use the three larger Leopards I have outside. One hides all the time, one is mainly friendly when it's chow time, and then one is the friendliest guy around. He loves to "help" me trim his weeds, ect.

Or even look at the hingebacks, I have several who would be in my personal collection's top ten individuals (perhaps even top 5) for personality and outgoing/friendliness, but then I have two whom would be the very last two on the entire list.

If I had to go with just one, I would have to vote for the sulcatas. For your situation, I would say, pick the type you like the best. Then go for an outgoing one and continue to give him the type of life that will succeed in continuing it's friendliness. I sincerely think a friendly tortoise is not born, it's a product of it's life.
 
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Scooter

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Very well put Jacqui thank you. Also thank you to everyone else for your responses.
 

GBtortoises

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Eastern Hermann's are hardy, curious, outgoing, rarely ever affraid of anything and can be kept outdoors most or all of the year in most of the U.S. They also don't get too large to manage.

I have Hermann's and Russians and the Hermann's win the "personality" contest hands down over Russians!
 
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