What is the right tortoise for me?

[Gillian M]

Hi and welcome to the forum! A lot of research will help you picking the right tortoise, and god luck!

 

[ArizonaVol]

A Russian or Mediterranean type of tortoise would be my first suggestion.

Oh, and just to put the thought in your head...an Indian Star tortoise might be a good fit for you as well! . A bit more pricey than most of the aforementioned types so it would not be my first suggestion.

Neal, it looks like you live in AZ. Do you have any turtle breeders that you suggest locally?

 

[leigti]

There are also tortoises that you can adopt, they will he may be wild caught but if that doesn't bother you then look into it.

 

[Neal]

The bulk of people I know locally deal with larger species like sulcatas and leopards, so unfortunately I do not know many who deal with smaller tortoises that would have any available any time soon.

We have the Mesa reptile show in two weeks. There are usually some good vendors there selling tortoises.

 

[wellington]

There are advantageous to raising your own if you are committed to the harder care and prepared for it. I found that once I had my set up (diet, temps, enclosure, humidity, lighting) all dialed in that it became a breeze. Plus I get the advantage knowing my tort was raised correctly and is in good health. I also have become familiar to her (or him..) & she is not shy around me. There is a great section on Leopards here:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/forums/leopard-tortoises.87/

and members like @wellington can probably tell you more about them since they have a lot of experience with the species.

Actually, Tom and Neal can help you out more then me. My experience is minimal compared to theirs and what I know, I learned from Tom and this forum.
Once you have the set up correct, following Toms,threads, I think it's pretty easy. My leopard that I raised is very out going with me. My two other ones, that I did not raise, are coming around pretty good. They are getting used to the fact that I'm the food giver. I think they are probably easier then RF, as they are not prone to shell rot like the RF are with high humidity.

 

[Ciri]

I would suggest looking for reptile rescue groups. I know the Phoenix Herpetological Society rescues tortoises, and there are few rescue groups in Tucson as well. Good luck finding the creature you're looking for. Also, keep in mind that for species who hibernate this time of year, they are just about to start hibernating and may not be offered for adoption right now.

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

I live in PHz, AZ and I have Marginated , Greek , ADT, Russians ,3Toes box turtles ,and Ornate box ,and Herrmann's . That stay out side . And Leopards Egyptions , and pancakes that I bring in for the winter . I think you should think about Marginated .


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[Earth Mama]

I have redfoots and Russians. For your climate I would suggest a Russian. They are small, active and almost always have very big personalities. I love my redfoots. They are a great, friendly tortoise but the like high humidity. I live in Houston so that works well for me. The Russians (adults) don't need as much humidity and I've truly enjoyed their personalities. I'm sure you'll let us know what you choose. Good luck and kudos for doing your homework on the different species.