Longtime turtle enthusiast venturing into tort territory!

[barefootpoetry]

Hi there, my name is Jill and I'm a mom of 2 boys living in VA. I've kept turtles throughout my childhood as our farm was located in the midst of some heavy turtle breeding grounds. I kept mainly wild-caught painteds, and one boxie although we let him go once we discovered that they are close to becoming endangered in our area. We also had some pretty big snapping turts occasionally enter our property, but they were mean nasty buggers so we left them alone. I had lots of fun constructing elaborate enclosures for them out of just about anything: glass aquariums, a metal washtub, Rubbermaid containers, even an old porcelain bathtub. I loved spending hours hunting bugs for them to eat.

Now that I'm an adult and I have kids of my own, I yearn to own turts again, but I feel drawn more to torts these days as I think they would be a more practical pet for me. I'm currently researching what kind of tort would be best for us. Initially I was drawn to bigger breeds like the Sulcata, but since we live in a small apartment with no yard I quickly realized what a very bad idea that would be, although I must admit I was smitten with the notion of a big ol' tortoise stomping around my house! I like the looks of redfoots but again, I think they might get a little too big for what space I have to offer. I figure a typical beginner's tort like a Russian or Hermans would probably be my best bet.

The one thing that is holding me back is price. Most websites I've visited that look reputable charge upwards of $150 for young torts. That's a lot to spend for me. I'm sure the high cost is purposely set to deter people from getting a cute little tort on a whim and then ditching it when it gets too big, so I'm willing to start saving. I've tried looking for adoption sites that might offer torts at a lower cost, but I'm thrown off by the fact that no one would know the tort's true history and it could have diseases or parasites, something a reputable breeder wouldn't. I wish there was a local place here in VA I could visit to get a tort firsthand as the idea of mailing a live animal, especially such an expensive one, scares me. The site I like the most uses UPS to ship their animals and UPS is notorious for practically going out of their way to destroy their packages.

Anyway, that's enough rambling from me for now. It's going to be a long time before I have both the time and money to dedicate to a tort of my own, so for now I am just reading, learning, and dreaming.

 

[micki]

hi Jill and welcome to the forum.

 

[Isa]

Hello Jill
Welcome to the forum,
I have an Hermann and I do not regret my choice.
Good luck .

 

[egyptiandan]

Welcome to the forum Jill

If you look through the for sale section here you might find one a bit less expensive.

Danny

 

[Tim/Robin]

Welcome Jill,

You will find a great group of people here that all love torts. Eastern Hermanns are not hard to come by and stay small. We love to watch our little Herms grow. Something you may think about to avoid shipping is going to a reptile expo. If you check Kingsnake.com Events located here, http://www.kingsnake.com/events.html you will find several coming in the next months in VA. Maybe you can find one that is close to you. We had a lot of fun at our first show this past weekend. If you do, know what you are after and what a going price is, then you will know if you are getting a good deal. It is just a thought on saving on shipping.

Again, welcome.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Jill and WELCOME to the forum!!! Good for you to be thinking ahead and planning for your new tortoise! However I must be a wet blanket and toss some water on your flames. Now this is just my opinion, and we all have our own opinions, but you must look at it from all angles and this is just one: In my opinion, tortoises are wild animals. They haven't undergone eons of human intervention to make them be a domesticated animal. And as a wild animal, it is in their best interest to live outside. Since you live in an apartment, is that going to be possible? Do you have a patio or balcony where the tortoise can wander around in the outdoors and get some real sunlight when the weather permits? If you DO decide to get a tortoise and you have nowhere to let him be outside occasionally when weather permits, then its going to be very expensive for you to provide the correct lighting for his health. You can't keep him under a regular incandescent bulb, he has to have the UVB that he would get from natural sunshine, and those bulbs are expensive and sometimes harmful. And even though you've had this special $70 bulb for 6 months now and it still works, you have to discard it and buy a new one because it has lost its ability to provide the UVB that it had when new. Tortoises that eat like water turtles, that is, carion or bugs, etc. are better at getting what they need from their food, but tortoises that are strictly vegetarians get what they need from the sun...or that expensive light.

I really don't want to squelch your enthusiasm, and I certainly hope others who have successfully kept tortoises in an apartment will chime in and give you some pointers.

It's nice to meet you, and, again: Welcome to the forum!!

Yvonne

 

[barefootpoetry]

Hi Jill and WELCOME to the forum!!! Good for you to be thinking ahead and planning for your new tortoise! However I must be a wet blanket and toss some water on your flames. Now this is just my opinion, and we all have our own opinions, but you must look at it from all angles and this is just one: In my opinion, tortoises are wild animals. They haven't undergone eons of human intervention to make them be a domesticated animal. And as a wild animal, it is in their best interest to live outside. Since you live in an apartment, is that going to be possible? Do you have a patio or balcony where the tortoise can wander around in the outdoors and get some real sunlight when the weather permits? If you DO decide to get a tortoise and you have nowhere to let him be outside occasionally when weather permits, then its going to be very expensive for you to provide the correct lighting for his health. You can't keep him under a regular incandescent bulb, he has to have the UVB that he would get from natural sunshine, and those bulbs are expensive and sometimes harmful. And even though you've had this special $70 bulb for 6 months now and it still works, you have to discard it and buy a new one because it has lost its ability to provide the UVB that it had when new. Tortoises that eat like water turtles, that is, carion or bugs, etc. are better at getting what they need from their food, but tortoises that are strictly vegetarians get what they need from the sun...or that expensive light.

I really don't want to squelch your enthusiasm, and I certainly hope others who have successfully kept tortoises in an apartment will chime in and give you some pointers.

It's nice to meet you, and, again: Welcome to the forum!!

Yvonne

No need for apologies Yvonne, because you are right! We do have a "yard" in the front of our building that I can take a tort outside to stomp around in (supervised!) during nice weather. The boys and I like to sit out there and dig in the dirt, so it wouldn't be much of a stretch to take the tort too. I could conceivably build a movable pen like I did for my turtles when I had to clean their tubs and wanted to air them out. And we do have a porch that recieves lots of sunshine that I could move the whole enclosure to during the summer. I certainly wouldn't want my tortie to be stuck inside for the rest of his life! I have hopes that within a few years we can afford a house of our own with a yard and I could build an outdoor pen for the warm months. But being in an apartment for an indefinite amount of time is mainly what is making me think long and hard about whether or not this is a good idea.

 

[Jacqui]

Hi Jill and family! Good luck on your decision, sounds like you will make the right choice.

 

[Crazy1]

Hi Jill and welcome to the forum. My hats off to you for doing your research before you obtain a tort. I am sure you will do what is best for you, your family and the tort. again, welcome.

 

[kevantheman35]

the way i see it torts are very cheap for a lifelong companion. someday i hope to own a few egyption torts but the money is a big issue for me. good luck!