Help Me Choose My First Tortoise

[SWDK]

Thanks! I checked and they do have 3 yearlings available. My only concern is they live outside year round. Will it get screwed up if it suddenly gets moved to an indoor enclosure?

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I've also seen some for sale at a discounted price for having a scute issue. What does that mean and is it something to stay away from? It sounds bad to me, but I have no clue.

 

[Jacqui]

Actually scute issues normally means you would be getting an extra special animal. Usually it's just they have extra and/or split scutes making each one unique and special. It is still a very healthy animal in all other ways.

Have you looked at the two beauties Edna has for sale? Those would be the ones I would pick from, if it were me.

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http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Eastern-Hermanns-males-for-sale#axzz21YgkhNBQ

 

[SWDK]

Ha, I actually looked at the post yesterday. Like I said, I thought a split scute was bad so I didn't give them a 2nd thought. Thanks for the heads up. I'll have to PM Edna.

 

[CourtneyAndCarl]

As far as I know, the reason that the ones with "scute issues" are less expensive is because they aren't breeding perfection, but unless you are planning on breeding you tort, it's not a big deal.

I would also go with Edna's, but they aren't yearlings so I figured I wouldn't bring it up

 

[Jacqui]

As far as I know, the reason that the ones with "scute issues" are less expensive is because they aren't breeding perfection, but unless you are planning on breeding you tort, it's not a big deal.

I would also go with Edna's, but they aren't yearlings so I figured I wouldn't bring it up

They are still very young, main thing is, you know these tortoises have had fantastic care and much more indiviual attention then somebody with more tortoises can usually give.

As far as breeding, there is no problems with using a split scute for breeding.

 

[SWDK]

How old do you think those torts are? They still have some growing to do? I liked the yearling idea bc I could watch it grow. What's the average adult size for a male Eastern Hermanns?

 

[emmalaub]

i loveee my russian

 

[Jacqui]

How old do you think those torts are? They still have some growing to do? I liked the yearling idea bc I could watch it grow. What's the average adult size for a male Eastern Hermanns?

I would suggest PMing Edna and asking her for more details on them.

 

[emmalaub]

russians are amazing

 

[SWDK]

How old do you think those torts are? They still have some growing to do? I liked the yearling idea bc I could watch it grow. What's the average adult size for a male Eastern Hermanns?

I would suggest PMing Edna and asking her for more details on them.

I PM'd her a few min after I posted the question.

 

[Jacqui]

How old do you think those torts are? They still have some growing to do? I liked the yearling idea bc I could watch it grow. What's the average adult size for a male Eastern Hermanns?

I would suggest PMing Edna and asking her for more details on them.

I PM'd her a few min after I posted the question.

okay

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

SWDK, NO tortoise is suited for indoor life... and 8-9 months indoors? Maybe for a Redfoot or other tropical!!! All the 3 you mentioned can stay outdoors and even hibernate outdoors in your location- only it is way to humid for that. And more than that, they hibernate in habitat.
I would use that great "duplex" for a Bearded Dragon or something else ! For a tortoise, outdoor, and winter in fridge or special hibernation enclosure. You seem to have the hand for building things.
For humidity, the hardiness decrease from Hermanni, Ibera to Horsfieldi. As fellows suggested above, I'd say Hermanni too.

I realize that no tortoise or any other creature is suited for a life indoors. I'm just trying to do the best with what I've got to work with. I can probably get it outside in some of the cooler months during spring and fall, but I'll have to heat the hide box. Keeping that in mind, would the tortoise even want to walk around in colder temps of just stay in its heated hide box? If it will just stay where the heat is then I see no benefit to subjecting the tortoise to unnaturally cooler temps when it won't be getting any natural sunlight. Please correct me if my noob way of thinking is flawed.

On nice (60F+) late fall/winter/early spring days, my 4 get to get a little sun on my porch. Otherwise, they have an indoor home from mid-October until about mid-April, then outside 24/7 the rest of the year.

No advantage to brumating (hibernating) a pet tortoise, and in nearly 40 years of sharing my home w/ them, I never have bothered w/ it. No downside to allowing them to stay awake year-round, and it's MUCH easier to monitor their health day-to-day.

OTOH, every year, a few tortoises die in brumation...not worth the risk, IMO.

 

[CourtneyAndCarl]

I've always read that, once again, brumation really only matters if you plan on breeding. I never do, so I don't plan on taking the risk.

 

[SWDK]

SWDK, NO tortoise is suited for indoor life... and 8-9 months indoors? Maybe for a Redfoot or other tropical!!! All the 3 you mentioned can stay outdoors and even hibernate outdoors in your location- only it is way to humid for that. And more than that, they hibernate in habitat.
I would use that great "duplex" for a Bearded Dragon or something else ! For a tortoise, outdoor, and winter in fridge or special hibernation enclosure. You seem to have the hand for building things.
For humidity, the hardiness decrease from Hermanni, Ibera to Horsfieldi. As fellows suggested above, I'd say Hermanni too.

I realize that no tortoise or any other creature is suited for a life indoors. I'm just trying to do the best with what I've got to work with. I can probably get it outside in some of the cooler months during spring and fall, but I'll have to heat the hide box. Keeping that in mind, would the tortoise even want to walk around in colder temps of just stay in its heated hide box? If it will just stay where the heat is then I see no benefit to subjecting the tortoise to unnaturally cooler temps when it won't be getting any natural sunlight. Please correct me if my noob way of thinking is flawed.

On nice (60F+) late fall/winter/early spring days, my 4 get to get a little sun on my porch. Otherwise, they have an indoor home from mid-October until about mid-April, then outside 24/7 the rest of the year.

No advantage to brumating (hibernating) a pet tortoise, and in nearly 40 years of sharing my home w/ them, I never have bothered w/ it. No downside to allowing them to stay awake year-round, and it's MUCH easier to monitor their health day-to-day.

OTOH, every year, a few tortoises die in brumation...not worth the risk, IMO.

That makes me feel alot better that you keep 4 torts indoors during the same months I would.

I definitely would not mess around with hibernation.

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How old do you think those torts are? They still have some growing to do? I liked the yearling idea bc I could watch it grow. What's the average adult size for a male Eastern Hermanns?

I would suggest PMing Edna and asking her for more details on them.

I PM'd her a few min after I posted the question.

okay

Thanks again jacqui! Edna is quick on the draw with PM's and has been very helpful.

 

[SWDK]

Well I'm happy to report that I'll soon be a proud new owner to one of Edna's eastern Hermanns. I decided on the first one pictured in her thread. Thank you jacqui for letting me know about Edna's torts. Thank you Edna for being an absolute pleasure to work with.

 

[Jacqui]

Well I'm happy to report that I'll soon be a proud new owner to one of Edna's eastern Hermanns. I decided on the first one pictured in her thread. Thank you jacqui for letting me know about Edna's torts. Thank you Edna for being an absolute pleasure to work with.

Your welcome! I have learned when I am getting tempted by a tortoise, it's best to find somebody who needs it more then I do, before I give in to temptation. The first one would have been the one I bought, if I had given in.

 

[SWDK]

Haha, your evil plan worked.

 

[Jacqui]

Haha, your evil plan worked.

 

[Edna]

I just realized that Cream gets to go live in the Taj Mahal of tortoise enclosures. Woot woot! Tall cotton for that little guy!

 

[SWDK]

I hope it turns out to be the taj mahal of tortoise enclosures...wishful thinking. I honestly cannot wait to get the little fella.