What was your first tortoise?

[NorCal tortoise guy]

What was your first tortoise?
How did you get it?
Do you still have it?
How long did you have/ have you had it?

My first tortoise was a hatchling sulcata that a friend found walking down the road. I do still have her and have had her for 15 years.

Would love to hear others stories!

 

[TechnoCheese]

My first and only tortoise

 

[daniellenc]

My first and only tortoise is a red foot who’s just now a year old. He came from tortoise supply and has been a joy!

 

[Sesel]

What was your first tortoise?

An Aldabra Giant Tortoise.

How did you get it?

It was a gift from my grandfather. He used to breed them and gave each newborn grandchild one

Do you still have it?

Yes.

How long did you have/ have you had it?

Around 30 years.

Here he is with his 'beard'

 

[NorCal tortoise guy]

An Aldabra Giant Tortoise.


It was a gift from my grandfather. He used to breed them and gave each newborn grandchild one


Yes.
View attachment 239920


Around 30 years.

Here he is with his 'beard'

View attachment 239921

Way cool!!

 

[Big Charlie]

I've only had one. A sulcata who is 19 years old. I got him as a hatchling at a pet store, and still have him.

 

[bouaboua]

I've only had one. A sulcata who is 19 years old. I got him as a hatchling at a pet store, and still have him.

Way cool! ! ! ! ! !

 

[Katie1231]

Greek tortoise. 3 months.

 

[bouaboua]

Sulcata is our first tortoise. We got him from a aquarium store in April 2013.

This is him, enjoy his lunch today.

 

[GrienWizz]

2 Redfoots
Shelly And Faed
I have had them for about 2-3 months

 

[Toddrickfl1]

I found my first RF walking around in the everglades in South Florida when I was a kid. Unfortunately I don't have him anymore. I had him a few months and ended up trading a pet store for a few female box turtles because I was obsessed with trying to breed them. I'm in my late thirties now and have had my second RF Murphy since January and he hopefully will be with me the rest of my life!

 

[NorCal tortoise guy]

I found my first RF walking around in the everglades in South Florida when I was a kid. Unfortunately I don't have him anymore. I had him a few months and ended up trading a pet store for a few female box turtles because I was obsessed with trying to breed them. I'm in my late thirties now and have had my second RF Murphy since January and he hopefully will be with me the rest of my life!

Florida sounds like such a cool place to call home!

 

[Toddrickfl1]

Florida sounds like such a cool place to call home!

I do miss catching all kinds of critters down there, and it's a great place to own a tortoise. However I don't miss what I call the three H's Heat, Humidity, And Hurricanes

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I received two adult Redfoot tortoises. A pair. From a Co worker who had them in a small container on his patio.
This was before the internet.
I got them for free and housed them outside in what I considered to be a large 3 x 18 foot long pen.
They mated 24/7 and followed each other around....Slept together...Got along great.
WRONG!!!
I had no clue that they were being mistreated. I had no idea and only ancient, already outdated books to go by.
They lived in that situation for another 4 to 5 years before I traded them to a fellow that owns a large, local reptile retail shop for a Scarlet Kingsnake.
The snake promptly escaped from his cage in my garage and was never seen again.
I really had NO IDEA.
The next time I purchased a small Redfoot tortoise from a flea market, I knew better what to do and she and I have been together for quite some time.... learning together.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I do miss catching all kinds of critters down there, and it's a great place to own a tortoise. However I don't miss what I call the three H's Heat, Humidity, And Hurricanes

Shhhh!
One of these people might buy my house.
Florida is a paradise!!

 

[Jay Bagley]

Sheldon our Sulcata. First and only (for now). Got him online doing random Google searches from a private breeder on some online classified ad.

 

[Redfool]

Got my 1st Redfoot hatchling I n 1985 from a central Florida tortoise farm. Four more in the next two years. Grew to two males and three females. Had to swap one of the males for a female. Now have had a nice peaceful 1:4 colony for over 30 years.

 

[Chloebark]

Walter, my Russian (male), was my first tortoise. I actually had a red eared slider (Tenzin-male) and an eastern river cooter (Little Turtle-female) before my first tortoise purchase. This was all over 6 years ago and I still have all of them today (and then some!)

The turtles were gifts and I purchased Walter at a pet store. I wouldn’t do that again today but I like to think I saved him! They are all my babies!

The other RES are Sonny and Bean (both female) and the newest tort is a Leopard named Rhae (sex unknown).

 

[KarenSoCal]

I've had Chug, my DT, since last Aug. He's my first tort.
He was given to me by a friend who moved out of state.
She wanted to give me 2, Chug, about 10-12 yrs old, and Gramps, about 30 yrs old. Knowing nothing about them I accepted. But I did my research and decided I would be biting off more than I could chew. It was 123 deg and a church friend was helping me build an enclosure. I couldn't tell him we had to make another one in that heat. Plus the aggression issues that would arise.
So Gramps went back to the family who had him before my friend, and he's doing very well.

 

[NorCal tortoise guy]

Thank you all for sharing! I’m loving all the stories and pictures!!!! Keep them coming!!!