- Joined
- Apr 3, 2013
- Messages
- 10,876
Thank you Tom4x8' is the minimum indoor enclosure size I would recommend for an adult of any of the species you mentioned. My care sheet says this. You can find a care sheet that will say anything. Doesn't make it right. A box turtle or tortoise will not drop dead if kept in a 2x4' enclosure, but its not good for it and some would consider that inhumane. Tortoises wander over large distances in the wild. Locomotion helps move things through the digestive tract and keeps them fit. Lots of people don't have the space for a large indoor enclosure. My recommendation for them, and for you, is to find an animal that does fit within the confines of the space you have. When you have the proper amount of space for a tortoise at some point in the future, then go get a tortoise. There are lots of cool reptiles available that can live and thrive in smaller enclosures. Blue tongue skinks, for example are a fantastic species, friendly, easy to keep and will do just fine in a 2x4' enclosure.
I don't want this to devolve into an argument, but all of us stand to gain nothing by telling you these things. Our only interest is in the health and well being of chelonians. Keeping them in enclosures that are too small is just not good for them, and so we don't recommend it.
I also agree that buying a tortoise at a show is not a wise course of action, unless you have previous knowledge of the seller and know how well they start their babies. Many, if not most, tortoise breeders do not start their babies correctly. You stand a much better chance of finding a healthy baby that will not only survive, but thrive if you buy from one of the breeders here on this forum that starts their babies correctly.
Read this for more explanation:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/hatchling-failure-syndrome.23493/