Hello šŸ¢ friends :)

Frogb0i

New Member
Joined
Jul 5, 2022
Messages
1
Location (City and/or State)
Manchester, UK
Hi all,

Iā€™m a new member and very excited to find this spot on the internet, as thereā€™s a lot of conflicting and confusing information out there on tortie welfare.

Myself and my partner are looking to get a tortoise together. We arenā€™t rushing into getting one yet until we have saved enough for all the kit so we are currently in the research phase, and being the virgo that I am I want to know as much as possible beforehand.

Weā€™re currently looking for breed recommendations of tortoises that are small-medium sized, and want to know if there is much difference in temperament between male and female. Ideally we would like one that is inquisitive and not bitey/grumpy for our first experience. (My neighbour has one that just hides all day and heā€™s very bitey)

Our tortie will live inside, in an enclosure in the spare room so that we can monitor the temps/humidity. We own a medium sized patio garden, and will also get an outdoor enclosure that they can use with supervision when weā€™re outside.

We also have an senior cat (13) that currently uses the garden, although not that much due to her age. I have so far struggled to find credible sources of info for how to introduce the two / what to expect / how to deter her from pestering them if cats are even bothered with torties.

Lastly I found a website (tortoise protection group) which has a long list of U.K. accredited/certificated tortie breeders. Is this a credible site to source from? I also do not drive so would have to collect the tortie using public transport I.e taxi or train. Any tips on doing this safely would be much appreciated as I want to make sure they travel safely and are the least overwhelmed.

Thanks so much,

Luv & bugz,
Frog :)
 

zolasmum

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
May 19, 2015
Messages
2,004
Hello and welcome from Devon. You will be so glad you found this website, as you can absolutely trust the people here to give you up-to-date information, unlike other places. I have a Hermanns tortoise, who will be 22 on Friday, and he is fairly small, with a (generally) charming personality. Females are a bit larger than males in general, and possibly less inclined to be bitey - Zola doesn't bite except when he misses his aim when being hand-fed.
Russians(or Horsefields) are much the same size, but are extremely clever at escaping, and are very good climbers.
Good luck with your search
Angie
 

wellington

Well-Known Member
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Tortoise Club
Joined
Sep 6, 2011
Messages
49,660
Location (City and/or State)
Chicago, Illinois, USA

Mediterranean Tortoises (genus Testudo)​

Look in the section of the forum listed above.
All those species stay smaller.
Keep in mind the minimum size for these smaller species is a 4x8 enclosure. They should also have a secure outdoor enclosure to live in 24/7 when its warm out as adults.
 
Top