TELL ME ABOUT YOUR TORT!

[DrewsLife727]

Ok well I'm assuming every member here has a tortoise I just want to see which tortoise is most abundant here in TFO. Just comment on the bottom and tell us what kind of tort you have and why you decided to get them. If you have more than one species then tell us about your favorite or all of them if you like typing Ok lets see how this goes TFO! Lets see Tortoise pride!

 

[FLINTUS]

RE: Ultimate POLL!!!! Which Tort Dominates TFO!

Can't see a poll

 

[DrewsLife727]

RE: Ultimate POLL!!!! Which Tort Dominates TFO!

Can't see a poll

ya that was a fail so I completely changed this thread

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Ok I will start. I currently own Redfoots, Cherryheads, Golden Greeks, Sulcatas, and Leopard Tortoises. I love em all! I got them from various sources from breeders, to pet stores, to craigslist, and one who walked to my doorstep. They are all special to me and if I were to go for a favorite it would be my Cherryheads. I just think they are beautiful torts!

 

[FLINTUS]

OK, I have two red foots(both believed to be male)-Cerezo(Cherry in Spanish) and Kevin/Brazil(Kevin was what his old owner used to call him). Cerezo was from a private breeder and Kevin was from a lady who realised she did not have enough space for him as an adult.The previous owner of Kevin rescued him from a pet shop, he had severe pyramidng and a soft shell and the vet thought he might not live but she put him on a high-calcium diet and his shell is not too bad now. In the future, I'm looking for some female RF's, and maybe some Hingebacks or Elongateds.

 

[Zabbi0]

I have my little one & only Sami. Initially she was a Sampson. Haha. She is a sully. I got her a year ago at a flea market from a guy who bred them. I plan to get my second baby- a Leo- this summer.

 

[ustwoandthekids]

Hi I have two one is a sulcata called beast and the other one is a marginated called humbug (kept separate) they are both around a year old but I have not had them long. The sulcata is 129.7g and is very out going and eats loads the marginated is 58.3g and is not so out going but very sweet.

 

[Nixxy]

I have only one tortoise, but I also have a turtle.

As a long time pet caretaker (I refuse to say I own them! If anything, they seem to own me..), and someone who loves reptiles, it was bound to happen sooner or later. I have been handling reptiles my whole life, and be it removing a snake for someone from their yard/house, or just catching turtles and snakes while out hiking, and studying them..They've always played large role in my life.

Well, earlier this summer I got myself a cute little Stinkpot turtle. I quickly fell in love with her, and caring for her, and looked online for any sort of websites for advice. I stumbled on Tortoise Forum, here...And well, within a month I had also gotten myself a beautiful Red Footed Tortoise.

They are both such friendly and outgoing little shelled animals, and always seem to brighten up my day. One of my favorite things, is that they both love to be hand fed.

Have to say, tortoise/turtle (Or any reptile) husbandry has been a real rewarding experience. When I have a bigger house, and more land, I hope to one day have an Aldabra, as well.

 

[Moozillion]

My only (and first!) tort is a Hermann's. I got Hermann's because they stay small, are sturdy, friendly and beautiful!

 

[TortTopper]

Well I've got two beautiful torts, 1 Indian star and 1 sulcata Although, I think the most abundant torts in the forum are the sulcatas.

 

[AllCoExPat]

I got my first tort yesterday. George is a very solid looking male Russian. I have the feeling that as I learn more about tort keeping, he may become the first of several.

 

[melfannin]

My husband and I have Russian torts. When we got our first one, our housemates had a Russian, so it was the logical choice at the time. We love em!

 

[FLINTUS]

Well I've got two beautiful torts, 1 Indian star and 1 sulcata Although, I think the most abundant torts in the forum are the sulcatas.

It seems that way, however I've never lived in the US. Here in the UK I'd say(without doing subspecies):
1) Horsfields
2) Hermann's
3) Spur Thigh
4/5 are a toss up between red foots and leopards and stars
7) Marginated
8) Sulcata
9) Pancake
10) Probably Bells Hingebacks or Yellow Foots

 

[mctlong]

I've got four:

1 Russian: My male Russian "Indy" is the most active tortoise we own. He was the first member of our herd. We got him because he happened to be the type of tortoise our local pet store sold. Despite being wild-caught (and maybe because of the years he spent with us in captivity), he LOVES people and the treats we bring. He is always the first to greet us in the morning. He lives alone in his pen because he becomes super aggressive and territorial around other torts, a complaint I've heard from other Russian owners. Around people, he's very easy-going and super easy to care for. The most important lesson we've learned about this species is that, despite their tiny size, they need ALOT of grazing space to prevent them from becoming neurotic.

2 Burmese Stars: I've got two CB female burmese stars, Anakin and Bellatrix, who share a pen. (Well, I think they're both female, the jury is still out on Anakin). I got them because they are the most beautiful tort species I've ever seen. They are far less active and much more shy than our other torts. They hide more and are skittish around people. Their care is a little more complicated then our Russian since they don't tolerate temperature fluctuations well and don't hibernate. On the up side, they tolerate each other very well without any noticeable bullying. We plan on purchasing a male and breeding them when they're older.

1 Sulcata: We have 4-month-old juvenile sulcata named Chief who lives in her own outdoor pen. We got her because we had extra space and I'd heard really great things about sulcata personalities. These seem to be the most common pet tortoises here in SoCal. Chief is captive bred and fearless around people. A very energetic eating machine. Her personality is similar to our Russian, except that the Russian is a little bolder in seeking out human attention (and treats).

 

[Levi the Leopard]

I have a 9 month old leopard i bought from a local breeder as a brand new hatchling. I am very pleased with this species.

I am currently working on my outdoor enclosures so that i can house more torts.

My eventual goal is 3 leopards and a Russian group of 1 male to 3 or 4 females.

As time goes on we will see what exactly happens

 

[TortyTom]

I have one Sulcata "Darwin" that I rescued from a guy that was dumping it into a ditch. I have always loved them but never had any, other then box turtles when I was young. I'm afraid this Sulcata has started something, because now I want a leopard too! and a Russian and a Greek and a Red Foot a Yellow Foot and an Aldabra! Haha I'm not joking! lol

 

[Tortus]

I have one leopard.

They've always been my favorite tortoise, even though I knew very little about tortoises beforehand. Oddly enough, it was due to the pyramiding which I thought looked kind of cool. All the ones I saw in pet shops growing up were pyramided. I know it's not the best thing now. When I saw how inexpensive they can outside of pet shops, I finally broke down and got one. All the soaking and humidifying and whatnot is a bit more time-consuming than I anticipated, but I have no regrets.

I didn't know sulcatas even existed before I came here, believe it or not. I'm sure I'd seen them but didn't know what they were called. They seem nice enough but get a little too big for me since I may have to keep my leo indoors during the winter.

 

[DrewsLife727]

I have one Sulcata "Darwin" that I rescued from a guy that was dumping it into a ditch. I have always loved them but never had any, other then box turtles when I was young. I'm afraid this Sulcata has started something, because now I want a leopard too! and a Russian and a Greek and a Red Foot a Yellow Foot and an Aldabra! Haha I'm not joking! lol

This is the story of my like it all started with a rescued sulcata ha

 

[mira_kaylee]

I have two Russians. I bought my male first, simply because out of all of the different reptiles and later all of the different tortoises that I held he was by far my favorite. His personality is just so adorable! Not to mention that he liked me right away as well Admittedly my female was bought to be a future breeding partner for him. For me it was never about the breed, it was about which individual tort captured my heart!

 

[SDDTMama]

I received Owen (gopherus agassizii) from a coworker who owns a 3-year-old sulcata. She couldn't keep Owen, too (at the time, a hatchling) due to their size differences and the lack of space available to eventually build them their own separate outdoor enclosures.
Owen is now approx. 5 months old, and he brings me so much joy! I was pleasantly surprised by 'his' personality- he's so friendly and curious and *definitely* tame (he'll crawl into our palm to get out of his tortoise table and take food from our hands ❤).
I'd say I'd eventually like to own another tort, but Owen takes up so much of my time and concern (Are his temps right? Has he pooped lately? Has he been eating his cuttle bone or does he need more supplementation? Did he get soaked today? Was it long enough? Does he need another soak? Does he get enough hay in his diet? Do I vary his produce enough? Does he eat too many dandelion greens? Has he expelled urates? Are they the right consistency? Did he get enough exercise/ stimulation today? Is his routine staying consistent? Is his skin too dry? Is he pyramiding? Is he gaining enough weight? Is he growing too quickly? Etc, etc, etc . . . It's never ending) -that I cannot imagine taking on another slew of concerns wrapped up in the cutest little shelled 'package'.
My hat's off to all those who do . . .

 

[gieseygirly]

As a kid growing up I had an Eastern box turtle which I have such fond memories of. Ever since having Barney (the Eastern box turtle), I always knew I'd eventually become the proud owner of another shelled friend. The time finally came a month & a half ago when I rescued my first tortoise from PetSmart - a female Russian we named Delilah. I just happened to pass by this teeny glass aquarium the store was housing her in and immediately looked at my husband and he knew we were taking her home. So the breed of choice is just because we happened to stumble across her in the store & I couldn't stand seeing her in that teeny aquarium just digging away at the glass. I knew nothing about Russian tortoises a month ago, but now, after hours of research and several trips to the petstore (several returns, purchases, more returns, & hundreds of dollars later) I am confident that we are providing Delilah the best home she can have. I have no regrets - I love her to pieces! She loves her neck to be rubbed and already recognizes my voice. Also, she loves to be handfed - she's quite a lil piggy! That being said, I'm not going to stop with her. Being that Delilah is WC, I really want to raise a hatchling - either another Russian or perhaps a RF. Will there be any hatchlings on here anytime soon? I've already got my husband working on a second tortoise table