New and need guidance on what species to get!

[PerfectSprawl]

Hello friends,

Unsure of whether or not I'm breaking post rules by posting what is most likely a commonly asked question. I'm a college student who lives at home and have had growing interest in purchasing a tortoise, however, I'm unsure of what species (breed?) to get. A bit of background: I live in a 3 bedroom apartment and I'm on the east coast of the US. I know I can't house a Sulcata, which bums me out but I like to remain a realist and not take on larger than life tasks such as that. I'd like something medium-sized, but would that be manageable in an apartment? How would one even define a "medium-sized tortoise" species? Thanks in advance everyone; I really want to get educated on my choices before I commit to buying the living essentials, food and the tortoise itself.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

A Redfoot is medium sized, but an adult of 10-15" would require at least 8 to 12' square feet at a very bare minimum. About the size of a guest room.
Don't get me wrong, people DO keep tortoises in apartments, but have realistic ideas of what it will take.
How about getting a baby with a couple of years until it gets big. It would give you time to have your own place later.
I suggest a smaller species that grows slowly. Nothing medium or large.
There are several smaller species, but they will also eventually require very large (for an indoors animal) lodging, special lighting and heating.

 

[naturalman91]

i agree a red foot is medium sized. i keep a tortoise in a apartment for a month more anyway until i move into my own home, it's not easy keeping them in a apartment imagine a california king sized bed that's pretty much the space they need and also they need to get out doors i was lucky enough to get a yard with my apartment.....

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Hello and a very warm welcome to Tortoise Forum.
You are very welcome to ask any questions you want. You have come to the right place and it is great that you are seeking advice before committing yourself to a lifetime of tortoise care.
Even smaller species need a minimum of 4' by 8' to be happy and preferably outdoor space too. It may be possible to keep a baby in a smaller enclosure, but not for long.
Russians, Greeks and Hermanns are examples of smaller tortoises that make a good starter tortoise, but still require a lot of space.
Good luck with your decision, it may be better to wait until you have more space.

 

[Gillian M]

Seeing to the fact that you live in a flat (I do too), then the smaller the tortoise, the better. Take your time and don't rush things.

A very warm welcome to the forum. You'll get all the help you need, and do not hesitate to ask any questions. Good luck with the tort you pick; keep us updated please.

 

[Tom]

Tortoises require large enclosures with lots of room to move about and they do best when they have large outdoor enclosures for fair weather, and large indoor enclosures for not-so-nice weather. If space is limited, there are other reptile pets that do just fine in smaller indoor enclosures.

 

[Yvonne G]

Welcome to the Forum!

I believe that a tortoise's main habitat should be outdoors, with a secondary habitat indoors during inclement weather. Tortoises are not domesticated animals, and they do much, much better when living outside. I operate a turtle and tortoise rescue, and I've seen first hand the poor, deformed turtles and tortoises that have been kept indoors. They need the sun to help them grow properly.

If you do have to keep a tortoise indoors all the time, then it would be best for his health to provide him with the very best UVB light. They are pretty costly.

Most Russian tortoises that you can buy now-a-days are wild caught. This means that you would be taking a tortoise that is used to wandering over great distances and locking him up in solitary confinement.

In my opinion, you would do well to find a baby tortoise, a captive bred baby that needs to be kept indoors for the first year or so. By the time the baby is too big to be kept indoors, your life may have changed enough that you can set him up outside.

 

[PerfectSprawl]

How about a Hermann's tortoise, this seems like the perfect fit for me and my living arrangements (in a flat).

 

[Tom]

How about a Hermann's tortoise, this seems like the perfect fit for me and my living arrangements (in a flat).

Can you make a 4x8' indoor enclosure and an even larger outdoor enclosure? If yes, then hermanns tortoises are a fantastic species and you will love it.

 

[PerfectSprawl]

Can you make a 4x8' indoor enclosure and an even larger outdoor enclosure? If yes, then hermanns tortoises are a fantastic species and you will love it.

Yeah, I can comfortably do that, but I'm still doing a bit more research on the best ways to care for them.
I've also read that tortoises often flip themselves onto their backs, should I be worried about my future tortoise doing this in dying in it's infancy? What are some steps I can take to ensure it matures safely?

 

[ZEROPILOT]

You can minimize the flipping by reading about the correct food and water plates/bowls, etc. and by limiting the climbing and falling off possibilities.
Also, never have a light directly above any location that he is likely to flip or has before. The heat will quickly harm or kill him.
As they grow larger they are less and less likely to flip and more and more adept at flipping back over by themselves.
I have a 15 year old, large male Redfoot that I found upside down and kicking just last week. He flipped trying to mate with a larger and stronger female. So..it happens.

 

[JennK]

Look into box turtles. While I am still new at this, I absolutely love them! They have great personalities and stay quite small. Also, in the reading I have done it suggests that the three toed box turtle is the most friendly indoor turtle! They prefer colder temps, require less space, and are native to the U.S my guys share an enclosure with my iguana, which is 5'x2' and the two of them are more than happy in there. At least until I upgrade to a 8'x3'... I also have a collapsible play pen that measure 4x4 so that I can take them outside while I am gardening or reading. Since it is collapsible it allows me to move it around the yard so that they can explore multiple areas. Some times I take the, for a walk. Where I just allow them to free roam the yard and follow behind them.

 

[johnsonnboswell]

I have had my oldest box turtle for 39 years. In my experience, although they can be kept in smallish habitats for the winter, in the summer outdoors they are even more active than my tortoises. I would not chose this species on the basis of their size or consider that they require less space than russian tortoises or similar sized ones.