hello - SF Bay area resident with questions about tortoises

[btpmc72]

hello Tortoise Forum!

I live on the coast in the SF Bay Area (near Half Moon Bay). I have always admired tortoises - such magnificent animals - and am now considering one as a pet. BUT I will only pursue if I can learn real hand from experts what it takes to be a good tortoise owner in order to ensure their happiness health. If it is something I can't commit to I would never take it on. Couple questions pop in my mind - if you have answers to these or any other information I should consider please let me know - thank you!
- is the coastal area of the San Francisco Bay area a good area to keep a turtle outdoors? (moderate temperatures mostly all year - lowest is mid 30s in winter and highest 80)
- is there a breed that is "easiest"?
- how do I ensure they are getting adequate nutrients? Is their guidance on what foods and vitamins are required and the quantity?
- do they need a specialized vet?
- I read they need a lot of room - what does "a lot" mean?
- are they messy?
- does anyone have dogs with their tortoises? I have 2 labrador retrievers.

Thanks!

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Dogs use tortoises as chew toys and kill them. NEVER allow dogs to be with tortoises. Depending on your species HMB is kinda cool. Most or a lot of tortoises need 85 degrees or so.Russians and Redfoots are easy keepers. But Sulcata have more personality than any other tort. You read up on what they should eat, and feed them that. Look at the 'stickies at the start of this section.
Yes, they need an exotic Vet. A dog and cat Vet will know nothing about tortoises.As for room that also depends on the species.Yes, they are messy. Now....I'm talking about Sulcata because I don't know what species you want, and Sulcata are about the best torts around. You might care for a Hermanni, they stay small and are pretty easy keepers. I have 4 Sulcata now. But 2 are up for adoption. Stick around and keep asking questions.....welcome

 

[wellington]

Hello and Welcome. Most any tortoise will be doable. It all depends on what your willing to do and how much you can afford to do. I have 4 leopards, soon to be 5 and a Russian and live in Chicago with cold snowy winters. They live outside in summer and in a heated shed in winter.
My advice, read all you can on the ones that you like and get the one you really want and that you feel you can handle the requirements for.

 

[Big Charlie]

I have an 18 year old sulcata and he has our entire backyard to roam in. You can get away with less space. Some people fence off part of their yards. That way your dogs can be kept away from the tortoise and still be allowed outdoors.

I'm in central California where it is warmer than where you are. Charlie stays outdoors year round and has a heated box he uses on cold nights. I recently learned that the temperatures on the ground can be warmer than the air temperature so a tort might do better in your area than you might expect.

Whatever tortoise you get, if it is a baby, you'll keep it mostly indoors at first. Babies are more difficult to take care of than adults. There is a lot to do to set up the perfect environment for them, but once you get it right, it is fairly easy. Even babies need a large enclosure. Babies need to be soaked daily. As they get older, the soakings can be less frequent.

The diet is pretty easy as long as you are willing to let weeds grow in your yard. Charlie lives entirely on what grows in our yard, and since he grazes, he feeds himself.

You need a specialized vet only if your tort has a problem. I've never taken Charlie to a vet but I have the name of one if I need it. Torts don't need preventative medical care like dogs and cats.

If you read some of the threads in each species section as well as in the general discussion, you can get an idea of the challenges that face tortoise owners.

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Hi

 

[btpmc72]

Dogs use tortoises as chew toys and kill them. NEVER allow dogs to be with tortoises. Depending on your species HMB is kinda cool. Most or a lot of tortoises need 85 degrees or so.Russians and Redfoots are easy keepers. But Sulcata have more personality than any other tort. You read up on what they should eat, and feed them that. Look at the 'stickies at the start of this section.
Yes, they need an exotic Vet. A dog and cat Vet will know nothing about tortoises.As for room that also depends on the species.Yes, they are messy. Now....I'm talking about Sulcata because I don't know what species you want, and Sulcata are about the best torts around. You might care for a Hermanni, they stay small and are pretty easy keepers. I have 4 Sulcata now. But 2 are up for adoption. Stick around and keep asking questions.....welcome

thanks - very helpful and much appreciated!

 

[btpmc72]

I have an 18 year old sulcata and he has our entire backyard to roam in. You can get away with less space. Some people fence off part of their yards. That way your dogs can be kept away from the tortoise and still be allowed outdoors.

I'm in central California where it is warmer than where you are. Charlie stays outdoors year round and has a heated box he uses on cold nights. I recently learned that the temperatures on the ground can be warmer than the air temperature so a tort might do better in your area than you might expect.

Whatever tortoise you get, if it is a baby, you'll keep it mostly indoors at first. Babies are more difficult to take care of than adults. There is a lot to do to set up the perfect environment for them, but once you get it right, it is fairly easy. Even babies need a large enclosure. Babies need to be soaked daily. As they get older, the soakings can be less frequent.

The diet is pretty easy as long as you are willing to let weeds grow in your yard. Charlie lives entirely on what grows in our yard, and since he grazes, he feeds himself.

You need a specialized vet only if your tort has a problem. I've never taken Charlie to a vet but I have the name of one if I need it. Torts don't need preventative medical care like dogs and cats.

If you read some of the threads in each species section as well as in the general discussion, you can get an idea of the challenges that face tortoise owners.

many thanks Big Charlie! Your Big Charlie is beautiful!

 

[btpmc72]

Hello and Welcome. Most any tortoise will be doable. It all depends on what your willing to do and how much you can afford to do. I have 4 leopards, soon to be 5 and a Russian and live in Chicago with cold snowy winters. They live outside in summer and in a heated shed in winter.
My advice, read all you can on the ones that you like and get the one you really want and that you feel you can handle the requirements for.

Thank you!!!

 

[Tom]

hello Tortoise Forum!

I live on the coast in the SF Bay Area (near Half Moon Bay). I have always admired tortoises - such magnificent animals - and am now considering one as a pet. BUT I will only pursue if I can learn real hand from experts what it takes to be a good tortoise owner in order to ensure their happiness health. If it is something I can't commit to I would never take it on. Couple questions pop in my mind - if you have answers to these or any other information I should consider please let me know - thank you!
- is the coastal area of the San Francisco Bay area a good area to keep a turtle outdoors? (moderate temperatures mostly all year - lowest is mid 30s in winter and highest 80)
- is there a breed that is "easiest"?
- how do I ensure they are getting adequate nutrients? Is their guidance on what foods and vitamins are required and the quantity?
- do they need a specialized vet?
- I read they need a lot of room - what does "a lot" mean?
- are they messy?
- does anyone have dogs with their tortoises? I have 2 labrador retrievers.

Thanks!

Hello and welcome.

Your climate is not good tortoise weather most of the year. This means you will need to have a large indoor set up, and you can put your tortoise in its outdoor enclosure during fair weather. For most of the Testudo species we recommend a minimum of 4x8' for enclosure size, and larger than that would be better.

"Breed" indicates varieties of the same species. The different tortoises are differentiated by species or subspecies.

Generally speaking greeks, russians and hermanni are pretty easy keepers and don't get too large, destructive or messy. These will also fare better in your cooler climate than a tropical spices will, as long as certain environmental parameters are maintained.

Diet will depend on species, but it will be pretty easy where you are. For most species a wide variety of broadleaf weeds will be the best diet. We can get more specific once you pick a species. It is not hard to feed a single tortoise.

Yes. You will need to find a reptile vet, but be cautious as most vets know very little about tortoise care. Bad advice is likely. We will help. Lukcily, most tortoises, if housed correctly, will never need a vet.

Dogs and tortoises do NOT mix. They should be kept separated and precautions should be taken so that your dogs can not gain access to the tortoise in the event of an "accident" where someone lets the dogs out into the back yard because they forgot or didn't know the tortoise was out. Proper housing and fencing is a must. Training can help, but should not be relied upon.


Please keep the questions coming.

Here are a couple of threads that might shed some more light on what will be required:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/outdoor-enclosures.121732/

 

[Kapidolo Farms]

A greenhouse will make a big difference for you on non-foggy days. I don't know how many fog intrusion days you may get.

Some Testudo species (marginataed) that are coastal in the Mediterranean will work, after all it's called a Mediterranean climate for a reason. Shelter from wet cold is required for most any species. With a heated night house inside a greenhouse, that opens into an entirely outdoor space and there is not species restriction other than for size, a Galapagos tortoise would need something considerable larger than redfoots for example.

Dogs and tortoises don't mix, ever, despite some images you may see or advice to the contrary.

Specialized reptile (tortoise vets) are best, as many vets have not looked at more recent (last 20 years) updates to treatment and care, and practice what is now considered poor medicine. There is an unrated list here on TFO and the Association of Amphibian and Reptile vets (AARV) keeps an updated list too.

I don't think of tortoises as messy, but that is relative. They don't use a box like cats, but don't make a mess on purpose like a bird.

There are many good quality prepared tortoise diets available as well as poor ones. It's not so difficult to provide consistent nutritious foods.

Space and 'alot of space' is species dependent. I have not found a metric where you can measure the tortoise or weight it and then multiply by some factors to determine enclosure size. More is better, but a well managed small space can be good to great. Many visual barriers at tortoise eye level, plants and things to walk around or through help.

Your post of questions broach the idea you may seek to have a 'yard tortoise' where little interaction for husbandry may be required, yet you are asking many good questions. There are a few species that work well for 'most of the time indoors' to 'all the time indoors'. Like us, they do like outside time, but a long quality life can be made for them entirely indoors. People can live in Antarctica with specialize enclosure or run around in shorts and a t-shirt. Both work, one is more intensive to manage than the other.

A few species I have direct experience with that are common enough to get, that can also have a quality life indoors are Egyptian tortoises and pancake tortoises. However neither of these would be outside year round animals even with an nighthouse/greenhouse scenario. They would have an 'outside' season and an 'inside' season'.

Larger species that could work well are redfoots, yellowfoots, radiated, and elongated tortoises. They have threshold temp that should never be broached. All but the radiated should not ever be exposed to less than 65F, and then only an occasional overnight. Radiated are tougher, but why risk pushing the immune system? These are all five to 30 pound tortoises, more or less.

Asian Mountain tortoises do okay down into the upper 40'sF for brief periods and seem to know their tolerance and make there way to a nighthouse for warmth. They get much bigger, up to 50/60 pounds and could be considered messy as far as tortoises go.

You need to sort out more specifically what lengths you are willing to go to ($$$) in developing an enclosure, also keeping in mind that most tortoise will live a 40 to 50 year life at a minimum.

There are many more considerations to sort out with a specific species in mind.

 

[Stuart S.]

Hello and Welcome!

 

[aechols83]

Hey there...I'm a Tortoise and Forum newbie myself and not too far from you down in Santa Cruz. You're a little bit colder and moister more of the time than we are down here but close enough that I've had the same question about which tortoise breed for the climate. I'm pretty sure I'll end up getting a Mediterranean...either an Eastern Hermann's or an Ibera Greek. I am leaning towards the Hermann's because I keep hearing they are good for beginners, hardy and can acclimate better to a CA coastal environment. From what I've read, Redfoots/Cherry Heads can handle cold better and also the higher moisture. I think Russians were mentioned and they were on my list at first. From what I hear though they don't do particularly well with moisture and can develop fungus, respiratory problems etc. Does anyone else have thoughts on/experience with that?

I'm planning on getting a hatchling so they'll be inside for quite a while but I'd ultimately love to transition and for it to live out in the yard as it matures. At first I had the idea that as an adult it could just roam about in our large enclosed, planted yard with a spot for some "amenities" like a shallow water area, dry covered space to rest, etc. The more I've been reading and hearing though, the more I think the tortoise will need a dedicated, enclosed area of the yard with an insulated night box that can be heated since it can get chilly here at night.

Anyways, glad to see another new Tortoise person and someone else from my locale. Let us know what you decide and how you're faring.

Best,
Adam

 

[Yvonne G]

Welcome!