Where can i get a tortoise from a cheap reliable source

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Hi, ive been wondering if there are any cheap options to get a tortoise. Im looking for a hermanns tortoise or a russian tortoise but i cant seem to find any local breeders. I live in the Dallas, TX area. Any places would help. Thanks
 
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Do you know of any tortoises on craigslist in my area because i already checked and msged all of them. And i already have the enclosure set up just looking for a tortoise. Thanks
 

Tom

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Hi, ive been wondering if there are any cheap options to get a tortoise. Im looking for a hermanns tortoise or a russian tortoise but i cant seem to find any local breeders. I live in the Dallas, TX area. Any places would help. Thanks
Don't look for a cheap tortoise. Look for a healthy tortoise. Any money you save on getting a cheap one will soon be spent tenfold at the vets office tying to save it. The initial purchase price of the tortoise is nothing compared to the long term care and housing. $50 one way or the other is inconsequential.
 

willee638

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I guess for most of us living in different regions of the world a retile pet shop is the usual source of purchase because tortoise breeders don't deal with single quantity customers, but in the States you can find reputable breeders from online retailing sites. I prefer having a chance to choose the one I want at a pet shop ask questions & examining them to see if it's heathy, I don't believe reputable breeders online will sell anyone a sick tort & they most likely comes with full warrantee/ exchange or money back.
 
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Don't look for a cheap tortoise. Look for a healthy tortoise. Any money you save on getting a cheap one will soon be spent tenfold at the vets office tying to save it. The initial purchase price of the tortoise is nothing compared to the long term care and housing. $50 one way or the other is inconsequential.
OK thanks
 

russian/sulcata/tortoise

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My girlfriend bought me a Russian tortoise from this site for Christmas and she had a great experience. It came after Christmas because the owner of redfoot ranch didn’t want to ship in the frigid weather conditions, he stayed in contact with her the whole time and kept her updated through the whole process. Once the tortoise arrived, it was very safely packaged and healthy. Amazing weight and healthy new growth.
 

wellington

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How about showing us your set up and telling us about the details. Like the kind of lights and heat your using. Kind of substrate and dishes. The size of the enclosure etc. Then we can help you make any needed improvements before you add a tortoise to it
An adult Russian or Hermanns needs a minimum space of a 4x8 foot.
As already stated, even a free tortoise is expensive. Reptiles are not cheap pets.
 

Toddrickfl1

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No such thing as a "Cheap" tortoise.
 

Yvonne G

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A good UVB light (MUST have or shell and bones will be weak and tortoise will die):

mercury vapor bulb.jpg About $50

A fixture to hold the light (Have to get one with a ceramic base because the light gets too hot to use the plastic base ones):

ceramic clamp light.jpg About $15

A ceramic heat emitter for night time heat (provides heat without light):

ceramic heat emitter.jpg About $25

Some sort of tub to use as an enclosure:

christmas tree bin-1.jpg About $35

or you can build a tort table:

tort table d.jpgtort table g.jpg For about $50

A couple bags of substrate (I like to use fir bark):

https://www.chewy.com/zoo-med-premium-repti-bark-natural/dp/123790

(You'll need more than one bag)


A tile to feed on, a plant saucer for water, a hiding place - About $25 or $30

One or two surge protectors:

1585060469180.png About $15

Tortoise off craig's list - Free

Do you need to buy all this stuff? no, not really, but the better question is, "How long to do expect your new, free or cheap tortoise to live?" Without all the stuff shown above your tortoise won't live a year.
 
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A good UVB light (MUST have or shell and bones will be weak and tortoise will die):

View attachment 288723 About $50

A fixture to hold the light (Have to get one with a ceramic base because the light gets too hot to use the plastic base ones):

View attachment 288724 About $15

A ceramic heat emitter for night time heat (provides heat without light):

View attachment 288725 About $25

Some sort of tub to use as an enclosure:

View attachment 288726 About $35

or you can build a tort table:

View attachment 288727View attachment 288728 For about $50

A couple bags of substrate (I like to use fir bark):

https://www.chewy.com/zoo-med-premium-repti-bark-natural/dp/123790

(You'll need more than one bag)


A tile to feed on, a plant saucer for water, a hiding place - About $25 or $30

One or two surge protectors:

View attachment 288729 About $15

Tortoise off craig's list - Free

Do you need to buy all this stuff? no, not really, but the better question is, "How long to do expect your new, free or cheap tortoise to live?" Without all the stuff shown above your tortoise won't live a year.
thx
 

willee638

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How about showing us your set up and telling us about the details. Like the kind of lights and heat your using. Kind of substrate and dishes. The size of the enclosure etc. Then we can help you make any needed improvements before you add a tortoise to it
An adult Russian or Hermanns needs a minimum space of a 4x8 foot.
As already stated, even a free tortoise is expensive. Reptiles are not cheap pets.
Yeah exactly, I had a turtle placed in my care for 2 weeks & fell in love so decided on getting a land tortoise which is my preference. The cost of my pet tortoise was one quarter of what I would spend on housing it, feeding, lights, enclosure & space, many would be tortoise pet owners soon found out they can't afford the upkeep or adequate space.
 
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Yeah exactly, I had a turtle placed in my care for 2 weeks & fell in love so decided on getting a land tortoise which is my preference. The cost of my pet tortoise was one quarter of what I would spend on housing it, feeding, lights, enclosure & space, many would be tortoise pet owners soon found out they can't afford the upkeep or adequate space.
Ok thx
 

Lindalee7

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Jul 14, 2019
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Miami,Florida
Hi, ive been wondering if there are any cheap options to get a tortoise. Im looking for a hermanns tortoise or a russian tortoise but i cant seem to find any local breeders. I live in the Dallas, TX area. Any places would help. Thanks

Please don’t purchase a “cheap” pet just because you want one.
Most animals (including and especially torts and other reptiles) can and will get very pricey to own and properly maintain. If you go cheap, you will undoubtably end up with a poorly cared for and unhealthy pet.
Do the adequate research necessary for whatever tortoise you may be interested in, make a budget as to what you can afford, and make a decision if a tortoise is the right pet for you.
Please keep in mind they may need special veterinary care at some point in their lives and that will also be quite costly.
✌?
 

polDurna

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All of the above being real aside...

Welcome to our Forum!
We love to help out prospective tortoise parents, save those pennies, buy the right stuff as you go along show us what you got and ask lots of questions, educate yourself for who you want to nurture and we will continue to back you through the day you get your shelly love and beyond!
 

Archie's mom

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Welcome....one thing I didn't think of when I got my Archie was what if the power goes out especially in the winter and your little guys lights go out. I got a solar generator now near his cage and had to use it already this winter.
 

willee638

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Another thing to remember is always have back up bulbs uvb and heat....hard to tell when they're running low and can quit without any warning.
Those are very good points, it's a concern if you live in cold parts with harsh winters & most tortoises species needs lights & heat sources. When the first time my UVA+UVB full spectrum bulb went I panicked because it was in February still winter, but now having my tort for close to 2 months I learnt if you take your tort outdoors for natural sunlight 3 times per week & feed them some calcium carbonate supplement with D3 you don't need a UVB light constantly on every single day & I can also just use an ordinary incandescent light bulb for heat instead of a UVA light & my tort still able to see & distinguish colours & recognises foods which I was mistakenly lead to believe only a UVA bulb is necessary to this.
 

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