Leopard tortoise in Collage?

Grace-Sophia

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Hey guys, so I know it’s a few years away still but I will be a freshmen in Highschool this next school year, I already have 3 tortoises for those of you who haven’t watched my other threads. I would absolutely adore to have a Lepord one day, sadly that day will not be soon. My question is is that has anyone ever cared for a larger tortoise species while in collage? Like a leopard? I would love to get one (one day) I was hoping I could get some input from some of you more experienced keepers out there. And yes, I am fully aware that I still have plenty of time, I am also aware that tortoises are EXPENSIVE especially for a newbie in collage living. Does anyone have any ideas as to if I could pull this off? :) thank you!
 

wellington

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A leopard would not do good if you can only keep it indoors. They get fairly large for any indoor enclosure unless you can give it a good sized bedroom. They need more room then you can give in a dorm or rental.
 

Tom

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Its easy to put a leopard tortoise in a collage. Whether or not its easy to keep a leopard tortoise in college is another story and it depends on your circumstances. I kept leopards, sulcatas, large snakes a 7-8 foot water monitor, and a few other odds and ends in college. Suited me just fine.
 

Grace-Sophia

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Its easy to put a leopard tortoise in a collage. Whether or not its easy to keep a leopard tortoise in college is another story and it depends on your circumstances. I kept leopards, sulcatas, large snakes a 7-8 foot water monitor, and a few other odds and ends in college. Suited me just fine.
That sounds fantastic! What did you major in collage in? Did you have a job and a rental home to house all of those animals?
 

Grace-Sophia

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For those of you who are curious I am the class of 2025, its crazy how time flies, so exited to get my 4th baby!
 

wellington

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Its easy to put a leopard tortoise in a collage. Whether or not its easy to keep a leopard tortoise in college is another story and it depends on your circumstances. I kept leopards, sulcatas, large snakes a 7-8 foot water monitor, and a few other odds and ends in college. Suited me just fine.
Yes please expand on how you cared for them. Were they hatchlings or juniors that should have outdoor space?
You are leaving this very wide open for a bunch of poor tortoises getting shoved in an aquarium for the rest of the person's college years. Knowing what you know now, would you do it again or different?
 

Grace-Sophia

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Yes please expand on how you cared for them. Were they hatchlings or juniors that should have outdoor space?
You are leaving this very wide open for a bunch of poor tortoises getting shoved in an aquarium for the rest of the person's college years. Knowing what you know now, would you do it again or different?
Hello @wellington, I fully know the space a tortoise needs and NEVER would I EVER, EVER put a poor baby in a tank, If I were to get one in college I would probably rent an apartment with an extra room to keep the baby in, and when I do eventually get a house in the future I would build him/her a around a 12 x 12 ft enclosure out doors. I have two Hermanns and one Russian as of right now and they are on the smaller side and they will all eventually all have their own roughly 5 x 5ft enclosure ( still need to build one more) I am fully aware that Leopards need a huge amount of space and if I cannot provide it with what it needs I promise you that I will wait!
 

wellington

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Hello @wellington, I fully know the space a tortoise needs and NEVER would I EVER, EVER put a poor baby in a tank, If I were to get one in college I would probably rent an apartment with an extra room to keep the baby in, and when I do eventually get a house in the future I would build him/her a around a 12 x 12 ft enclosure out doors. I have two Hermanns and one Russian as of right now and they are on the smaller side and they will all eventually all have their own roughly 5 x 5ft enclosure ( still need to build one more) I am fully aware that Leopards need a huge amount of space and if I cannot provide it with what it needs I promise you that I will wait!
Wasn't really meaning my last post towards you, as you are here asking. It's for those that don't join in and read threads or posts wanting to find the answer they are searching for and that's all the research they do. They see Tom say yes it's okay, they search no further. Most kids in college are in dorms usually the first year or so then rent a 3-4 bedroom house with 3,4, or more residents splitting the rent. I used to be a landlord to college kids. They don't have the money, time nor more importantly the space for a descent size enclosure for anything larger then a hatchling.
 

queen koopa

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Hello @wellington, I fully know the space a tortoise needs and NEVER would I EVER, EVER put a poor baby in a tank, If I were to get one in college I would probably rent an apartment with an extra room to keep the baby in, and when I do eventually get a house in the future I would build him/her a around a 12 x 12 ft enclosure out doors. I have two Hermanns and one Russian as of right now and they are on the smaller side and they will all eventually all have their own roughly 5 x 5ft enclosure ( still need to build one more) I am fully aware that Leopards need a huge amount of space and if I cannot provide it with what it needs I promise you that I will wait!
I feel you answered your own question here. You need way more space than you can provide at this time. So you should wait until you actually have the property and plan in place to house a large tortoise.
 

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If you start (in college) with a hatchling it might still be small enough by the time you graduate to still be living in the closed chamber in which you started him. But bear in mind, if he outgrows his closed chamber he'll need lots of room to motate. Walking aids digestion.
 

wellington

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Hello @wellington, I fully know the space a tortoise needs and NEVER would I EVER, EVER put a poor baby in a tank, If I were to get one in college I would probably rent an apartment with an extra room to keep the baby in, and when I do eventually get a house in the future I would build him/her a around a 12 x 12 ft enclosure out doors. I have two Hermanns and one Russian as of right now and they are on the smaller side and they will all eventually all have their own roughly 5 x 5ft enclosure ( still need to build one more) I am fully aware that Leopards need a huge amount of space and if I cannot provide it with what it needs I promise you that I will wait!
Just an fyi. Adult Hermann's anx Russians need a minimum of a 4x8 foot. Leopards much more.
 

tinothetort

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Hello! I'm currently a junior in college and I'm living in a dorm on campus with a tortoise! I was in the same position as you where I wanted to get a tortoise my freshman year, but knowing how big some of them can get and so quickly, I decided to wait a few years before getting a hatchling (I have an Eastern Hermann's tortoise). If you plan on living on campus, I would recommend looking at the college's animal policy first as some animals may be off-limits. For example, my university allows turtles/tortoises and fish in a maximum tank size of ten gallons (I modified a plastic tub into an enclosure to get past the ten-gallon limit), and any other animal has to be approved as either an emotional support animal or service animal. I struck lucky and didn't get any roommates this year, so I just make sure my floors are clean and let the little guy have full reign of the bedrooms and living room when he/she wants to move around! I know leopard tortoises grow a bit faster, so I would recommend waiting a bit, or living off-campus if you want to get one in your first year. Hope this helps!
 

wellington

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Hello! I'm currently a junior in college and I'm living in a dorm on campus with a tortoise! I was in the same position as you where I wanted to get a tortoise my freshman year, but knowing how big some of them can get and so quickly, I decided to wait a few years before getting a hatchling (I have an Eastern Hermann's tortoise). If you plan on living on campus, I would recommend looking at the college's animal policy first as some animals may be off-limits. For example, my university allows turtles/tortoises and fish in a maximum tank size of ten gallons (I modified a plastic tub into an enclosure to get past the ten-gallon limit), and any other animal has to be approved as either an emotional support animal or service animal. I struck lucky and didn't get any roommates this year, so I just make sure my floors are clean and let the little guy have full reign of the bedrooms and living room when he/she wants to move around! I know leopard tortoises grow a bit faster, so I would recommend waiting a bit, or living off-campus if you want to get one in your first year. Hope this helps!
Letting a tortoise roam the floor is dangerous for the tort and not proper housing and care.
 

tinothetort

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Letting a tortoise roam the floor is dangerous for the tort and not proper housing and care.
Hello! I understand that it is a debated topic on letting tortoises roam around the floors and I just thought I would add that I only let him walk around when I can have my full attention on him. I live alone and keep my carpets clean (it's not thick enough to the point where he can get his claws stuck) so I know there will not be any problems with him ingesting something he shouldn't, getting stepped on, or getting attacked by another animal. I'm used to having my room warm (above 80s) and have heaters as well so the floor does not get too cold. I have minimal furniture so I know he will not get stuck anywhere, but I add makeshift hides and items so that he's not walking on an entirely horizontal surface. If you would want to talk further about this, feel free to message me privately, I'm sure there's plenty more that I could learn! :)
 

wellington

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Hello! I understand that it is a debated topic on letting tortoises roam around the floors and I just thought I would add that I only let him walk around when I can have my full attention on him. I live alone and keep my carpets clean (it's not thick enough to the point where he can get his claws stuck) so I know there will not be any problems with him ingesting something he shouldn't, getting stepped on, or getting attacked by another animal. I'm used to having my room warm (above 80s) and have heaters as well so the floor does not get too cold. I have minimal furniture so I know he will not get stuck anywhere, but I add makeshift hides and items so that he's not walking on an entirely horizontal surface. If you would want to talk further about this, feel free to message me privately, I'm sure there's plenty more that I could learn! :)
There are many threads and or posts on the subject. Everyone says the same thing you did, until something happens to their tort. It's only debatable by those that want to let their torts roam. Wish you and your tort luck that you are the one that nothing will happen too.
 
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