Hello! Im Logan and I do not yet have a tortoise, but I am in the process of creating my table as we speak. I am no stranger to keeping animals (mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and fish) but I am new to keeping a tortoise. Size doesn't really matter to me however I was hoping for a bigger guy that can walk around outside and inside my home. I live in the Indianapolis Indiana area and was hoping for some advice on picking a species. First question would be advice on which breed to get. Then second question would be where in the world can I find the little guys? I can only find Russians around me and only from chain stores (not preferred) Thanks for the help in advance!
Hello! Seeking advice
- Thread starter Pyro40
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- Nov 17, 2013
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This site has a For Sale section:
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Also try these:
http://www.faunaclassifieds.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=54
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First off welcome to the forums you came to the right place for advice. Next I do not recommend letting tortoises free roam the house as it can get sick off of cool drafts throughout the house, dust particles and carpet fibers can cause problems. Tortoises need a envorment that replicates the wild as much as possible like most reptiles. Outdoor enclosures are the best way to keep tortoises when possible. In IN winters can be tough for some species so I would go with a smaller species That can live indoors during the cooler days. Tortoises that hibernate are a good choice as well. I don't know if you would want a bigger totoides up north unless your willing to provide a fairly large outdoor enclosure and heated hide it a dedicated room in your house for a big tortoise. There are many breeders on this site that can help ya get a captive bred tortoises which is the way to go. Look into russian, greek, Hermann tortoises they stay fairly small and are pretty hardy little tortoises. They also have great personalities for their size. You say size isn't a problem. Even for those smaller species space is needed. They roam and walk. I would build a table as big as possible, if size isn't a option that go as big as you can go. I keep my Russians in a 15 foot by 9 foot enclosure. My Greek tortoise has about the same size.
Kyle
Kyle
Hello and welcome Logan.
Best place to get a tortoise is directly from a breeder that starts them correctly. Many breeders don't start babies correctly, and death weeks or months later is the result. Many breeders of many species here.
Tortoise tables are fine for some species as adults, but any species will do best with a closed chamber to start off in.
I agree with Kyle about a tortoise free-roaming your house. I've seen that end in disaster far too many times.
Here is some general info:
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
Once you pick a species, we can link you to some more specific threads.
Hello, Logan, and a very warm welcome to Tortoise Forum. 
Here are some trusted, recommended breeders and dealers:
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/breeders-list.64666/
Here are some trusted, recommended breeders and dealers:
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/breeders-list.64666/
Welcome to the Forum, Logan!
Thanks for the great advice everyone! I for sure wasn't thinking free range tortoise, rather supervised walks in the house but I didn't realize even the carpet fibers could be a problem for him! I'll definitely be taking the time for a bigger table in that case! I was thinking either a Russian or Greek would probably be best, I was also curious about redfoots but I will need to do more research for those guys! I don't think the climate is suitable.
