Tortoise n00b doing research...

[n3rdchik]

Hola!

Not a tortoise owner, yet. Still thinking/researching/deciding. I have wanted a pet for years, but my eldest is asthmatic and allergic to most mammals. I hadn't up to now even considered a tortoise, but was utterly charmed by tales of a happy little red foot on, of all things, a knitting website.

So, I have a million questions.....
Noise - I have 3 boys. Enough said. Is general noise, occasional yelling and stomping going to stress out a tortoise or will they be accustomed to it?

I live in Michigan. Any tortoise that lives with me would be an inside tortoise. And only get outside 3 months out of the year. (sulcatas are out)

Rainforest torts seem easier to feed (more people-like food) whereas the humidity level of a habitat may be harder to maintain.

And the suggestion to buy an established tort, especially for your first, where does one get such? All I have seen are hatchlings, cute adorable tempting baby torts for sale...

Look forward to learning from y'all!

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Welcome!

 

[ascott]

Welcome to the Forum
Tortoise feel vibrations vs "hearing"....so the tortoise would do much better if the enclosure is in a quiet place and not in the main traffic way...

If youthe are a new tort host I would say an established/not hatchling tort would be better..

 

[Tom]

Hello and welcome.

If you get one of the more gregarious species like russians, Hermanns or a redfoot, they are more likely to acclimate to the activity level and not be bothered by it. Many of us have kids and our torts usually do fine.

Good luck to you.

 

[Arizona Sulcata]

Welcome!

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

Welcome to TFO! Please allow me to address your questions.

Not a tortoise owner, yet. Still thinking/researching/deciding. I have wanted a pet for years, but my eldest is asthmatic and allergic to most mammals. I hadn't up to now even considered a tortoise, but was utterly charmed by tales of a happy little red foot on, of all things, a knitting website.

Yeah, that's a cute website.
Anyway, I can relate to your situation. Being an animal lover, but very allergic and asthmatic myself, it was very sad when I had to give up my mammalian pets. However, one of the reasons I got into turtles was because they are touted as a hypoallergenic pet. Of course, they're not the same as a cat or dog, but in their own way turtles are very charming, and I really got into them.

So yes, turtles are a hypoallergenic pet. However, what they don't tell you is that the bedding for their enclosures may still be allergenic. If your child is allergic to dogs and cats, he might also be allergic to various types of wood, fungi, etc. in which case a turtle might be fine, but the substrate it lives on might not be.

The substrates that most people use are coconut coir, cypress mulch, orchid bark, topsoil, potting soil, organic soil, or some combination of these, because they are good at retaining some moisture, which tortoises and box turtles need. I found that cypress mulch and soil harbored fungi, which aggravated my allergies. Orchid bark may be okay, but if it consists mostly of fir bark, it probably doesn't retain moisture particularly well. In my case, coco coir was a great solution, because not only was it a good substrate, it was not allergenic for me. Having said that, some people are allergic to coco coir, so whatever you choose, make sure both the animal and its environment are not allergenic to your child.

Noise - I have 3 boys. Enough said. Is general noise, occasional yelling and stomping going to stress out a tortoise or will they be accustomed to it?

The comments posted above were good. Turtles do not hear high frequencies very well, so they are limited to detecting low frequencies with their ears, as well as vibrations through their shells. They also have very good vision.

As a rule, being prey animals, turtles are afraid of large boisterous mammals, like humans. However, if they have not had any bad experiences like getting dropped or hurt, or if they have not been attacked by a carnivore like a dog, odds are they are going to be pretty bold and get used to you. They're probably more likely to be frightened by rapid movements than yelling. Just to be sure, it's best to give the tortoise a home in a quiet part of the house where it won't be disturbed very often. And of course, teach the kids how to treat it with respect.

I live in Michigan. Any tortoise that lives with me would be an inside tortoise. And only get outside 3 months out of the year. (sulcatas are out)

Rainforest torts seem easier to feed (more people-like food) whereas the humidity level of a habitat may be harder to maintain.

Yeah, sulcatas are out. And yes, maintaining a redfoot, yellowfoot, or leopard tortoise in Michigan would be difficult - not impossible, but probably more trouble than you're bargaining for. Since you live in a northern state, I would recommend going with one of the Mediterranean (Testudo) species: Ibera Greek (T. graeca ibera), eastern Hermann (T. hermanni boettgeri), or Russian (T. horsfieldii). Ibera Greeks and eastern Hermanns are native to southeastern Europe, and naturally hibernate for several months in the wild. Their cousins, the Russian tortoises, are the farthest-north ranging tortoise in the world, and between their hibernating and aestivating, they are active for only 3 months out of the year in nature. They would be more active than that in captivity. A Russian, eastern Hermann, or Ibera Greek would probably be a good choice.

Alternatively, you could go with a box turtle (Terrapene carolina). These are not true tortoises, but rather terrestrial members of the pond turtle family. Like tortoises, they live on land and eat plants, but unlike tortoises, they still swim fairly well, and they are actually omnivorous; in addition to plants, they also like to eat mushrooms, snails, slugs, worms, insects, and occasionally meat. This species is actually native to lower Michigan.

And the suggestion to buy an established tort, especially for your first, where does one get such? All I have seen are hatchlings, cute adorable tempting baby torts for sale...

Yeah, don't get a baby at this point, and obviously don't catch a wild box turtle. Try not to buy a wild-caught (WC) pet, either. It's usually best to buy a subadult or adult captive born and bred (CBB) tortoise or box turtle from a breeder. You can find them locally or order online.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi N3rd chik:

Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!

What would you like us to call you?

 

[n3rdchik]

Thank you for the warm welcome and thoughtful answers!

I had been looking at redfoots, but I am off to learn about the other species you suggested....

~Marka

 

[CLMoss]

Welcome and good luck finding a wonderful tortoise! Golden Greeks are really cute tortoises...

 

[Madkins007]

Hi!

1. Noise- Not really a problem unless they are always jostling the habitat itself all the time.

2. Species- There are many benefits to American box turtles, especially the Carolinian (aka Eastern) and the Three-toed. Small, hardy, easy to feed and care for, long-lived, and generally inexpensive. They would do well in Michigan.

Russian tortoises are a popular option as well, and very hardy and cold tolerant. I am not as up on them (for reasons I cannot explain, I have never been a big fan of them), but they would probably do better outdoors for a longer part of the year.

Red-footeds are my favorite, but the warm/humid issues, combined with size can make them tricky. The Brazilian or 'cherry-head' race is hardier, and usually more colorful to boot!

3. Age- hatchlings are indeed the most common, but you can often find 'yearlings' with a little shopping and patience, and of course, adult animals are actually fairly easy to find as people need to get rid of theirs for various reasons. I believe there were just a couple in the forums in the last few days that may not be too far from you.

 

[GeoTerraTestudo]

Welcome and good luck finding a wonderful tortoise! Golden Greeks are really cute tortoises...

Golden Greeks (Testudo graeca terrestris) are really cute, but IMHO, they are less likely to do well in Michigan than Ibera Greeks (Testudo graeca ibera). Golden Greeks come from Israel and Jordan, where the climate is more like that of California. Ibera Greeks come from Turkey, Iran, Bulgaria, and Romania, so they can tolerate colder temperatures and lower humidity a bit better.

 

[Zamric]

Welcome to the Forum!

 

[dmarcus]

Hello and welcome to the forum...

 

[TORTOISEMAN1]

Welcolme!