Hi :) Help me choose a tortoise?

[ceesummer]

Hi
My name is Claudia, pleased to be joining this website! I've already had a little bit of a browse through and found some really useful information!

Me and my boyfriend will be getting our first tortoise (hopefully) in the next couple of months. I want to make sure I know what I'm doing before I get one though, so any help/advice would be much appreciated!

We don't currently live together so the plan was that I would have him for a month and then my boyfriend would have him for a month.. is this okay? Or will this stress out the tortoise?

Also, I was planning on getting either a Russian Tortoise or a Hermann Tortoise, which would be better for a first time tortoise owner?

I don't have an amazing amount of space so they seem the most appropriate size that I can cater for.

Any help/advice is welcome!

 

[Yvonne G]

Welcome to the Forum, Claudia!

If you have the tortoise in a large habitat, and the habitat goes from one house to the other, then it won't make any difference to the tortoise. However, if only the tortoise goes from house to house in a separate enclosure each time, it might be stressful for him.

 

[ceesummer]

Welcome to the Forum, Claudia!

If you have the tortoise in a large habitat, and the habitat goes from one house to the other, then it won't make any difference to the tortoise. However, if only the tortoise goes from house to house in a separate enclosure each time, it might be stressful for him.

Thanks!! I'm hoping to have a portable large habitat that can be moved between us so that he has some familiar surroundings

 

[Jacqui]

Hi Claudia! So your going to get a small tortoise and try to share it between the two homes? I suppose it could be done, but I do think it would add some stress to the tortoise. Not sure if it would be "too much" or not. Sounds like a lot of work too, especially since the size enclosure we are talking is pretty bulky and large for ease of moving.

 

[ceesummer]

Hi Claudia! So your going to get a small tortoise and try to share it between the two homes? I suppose it could be done, but I do think it would add some stress to the tortoise. Not sure if it would be "too much" or not. Sounds like a lot of work too, especially since the size enclosure we are talking is pretty bulky and large for ease of moving.

What would be signs that I should look out for to see if he is stressed about the moving? Obviously if he does start being stressed it's not something that we will continue to do. And the ease of moving isn't a problem

 

[Tortilla1989]

Hey Claudia! Welcome, this forum is FULL of helpful people and answers to all your Tortoise Questions!! Cant wait to hear more about your New Tortoise when you get Him/her!!! I am a proud new owner of a Russian Tortoise named Tortilla and I LOVE her, I don't know anything about hermans... But I keep reading Russian Tortoises are pretty tough cookies and can adapt to a lot of different things.

_Tortilla_

 

[ceesummer]

Hey Claudia! Welcome, this forum is FULL of helpful people and answers to all your Tortoise Questions!! Cant wait to hear more about your New Tortoise when you get Him/her!!! I am a proud new owner of a Russian Tortoise named Tortilla and I LOVE her, I don't know anything about hermans... But I keep reading Russian Tortoises are pretty tough cookies and can adapt to a lot of different things.

_Tortilla_

Tell me about it, i've found so much useful information already! Yeah i'm leaning more towards Russian's, but I'm going to have a big more of a research before I decide for sure. It's very helpful to know that they adapt! That's always a good thing in my books. Thanks!

 

[immayo]

I don't know if this question would help but do you guys think if she had 2 separate enclosures but set them both up exactly the same if this would cause the tortoise not to get stressed out? Would be interesting to test out!

 

[mainey34]

Hello and welcome. Russian is a good choice, my preference...very hearty..and forgiving...cute little buggers also...whichever way you go good luck and post pics...

 

[tortisimo]

I Have a russian, Morpheus, and he's tough as nails and really cute. After the first few days, he started climbing on my hand whenever he saw it. I recommend a Russian tortiose.

 

[cemmons12]

Yes, I too think a Russian is a great 1st tort! I love my little 9 yearold rescue Ophelia. But she wasnt to fond of being handle'd due to kids being aloud to poke and most like'ly drop her. I don't know her 1st 9 years other then a very bad diet of all romain, lived on nasty *** cat litter, and only had a 100 watt regular light bulb. Now she is very happy, as of late, to have her head rub'd on all the time. She will watch us with so much interest its amazing how she has changed since I got her. She eats Mazuri and spring mix and other dark leafy greens, she has a Zoo Med Powersun MVB buld on 12 hours a day and a red night/heat lamp for 12 hours. She is doing great, I hope this helps you some what! Best of luck!

 

[TORTOISEMAN1]

Welcome to the forum! Russian is good

 

[JoesMum]

Russians are great tortoises, BUT...

Russians need space. Within a couple of years they will outgrow what I would call a portable environment. Russians love to dig, so giving them a good depth of substrate to dig in adds weight. Russians need to roam... that means they need a large enclosure.

Many tortoises seem to find car journeys stressful; they really aren't that portable. Joe loathes them... probably because he associates it with the vet, but even so.

More than anything, the best place for a Russian is outdoors. When the weather is fine, they need an outdoor enclosure with space to roam and somewhere to sun-bathe.

Even in the UK, this is possible. Our unusually warm winter meant Joe didn't hibernate until November 29th this winter. He was out in the garden until then with a heat lamp in a dog kennel to bask under. Many owners don't hibernate their tortoises and bring them indoors for the colder season.

There's a link to Tom's Beginner Mistakes thread in my signature below. It's worth a read.

 

[Spn785]

I would go with a Russian, if you can transport an enclosure that is at least 5' x 3' and is deep enough for the tort to dig and still not be able to climb out of it. I have a friend whose Russian actually loved car rides. He would go nuts looking out the window.