Why your tort?

[wrmitchell22]

I picked a Sulcata because my husband worked at a house that bred them and he put the idea in my head over a year ago. Then I saw a breeder selling them in Tucson (20 mins from me) and so it was I picked Boulder specifically because he was active and bright eyed and pushed through his brothers and sister

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I wanted a tortoise that was not too small and that could live outside in AZ. I decided on a leopard because they don't dig up the yard or tunnel like a sulcata but are somehat similar, can live on native AZ plants, and becaue I think they are the prettiest tortoise babies.

I love Boulder So MUCH! however I love leopards, if I had done more research I may got one instead of a Sulcata, but I am very happy with my baby!

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

I like a challenge!

 

[Yvonne G]

I didn't pick my first tortoise. My son had some box turtles and a desert tortoise and when he bought a rottweiler pup, he couldn't keep the pup away from the turtles and tortoise, so he asked me if I would take them.

I was totally enraptured of them, and that's what started the whole thing with me...about 35 years ago.

 

[cemmons12]

I like a challenge!

Love this picture!

 

[DesertGrandma]

I like a challenge!

OMG!! Now that is scary looking. I feel like running away, haha.

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My very first tortoise was my Grandfather's pet Hermann's, which he found around the end of WWII, and I inherited her at his passing, when I was a teenager. 19 years later, upon her passing, I went looking for another Hermann's, but found nothing locally, so, eventually, I got some different tortoises (a pair of Greeks, 5 Russians, a hinge-back, a Leopard and a sulcata). The Greeks and the hinge-back were sickly and didn't live all that long, and the Leopard and the Russians were killed by a predator (possibly coyotes), leaving only the sulcata, who kept getting larger while my spine problems got worse, so I found her a new home.

About a week later, I found out that a guy not too far away was breeding Eastern Hermann's torts, so I went over and bought Jennifer, and later rescued an Iberian.

After joining here and falling under the influences of some of our breeders, I decided to try breeding Hermann's tort, so I added Ophelia, Apollonia and Ptolemy to make up my "herd".

Hermanns must be in your genetic makeup

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I picked a Sulcata because my husband worked at a house that bred them and he put the idea in my head over a year ago. Then I saw a breeder selling them in Tucson (20 mins from me) and so it was I picked Boulder specifically because he was active and bright eyed and pushed through his brothers and sister

---

I wanted a tortoise that was not too small and that could live outside in AZ. I decided on a leopard because they don't dig up the yard or tunnel like a sulcata but are somehat similar, can live on native AZ plants, and becaue I think they are the prettiest tortoise babies.

I love Boulder So MUCH! however I love leopards, if I had done more research I may got one instead of a Sulcata, but I am very happy with my baby!

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I love sulcatas too. Just afraid it would be too much for me to handle. Also had to consider that in 30 years I might not be able to pick him up to go see the vet He would be too big, and I would be too old, haha.

 

[laramie]

I like a challenge!

great pics!

 

[ascott]

I totally stepped into it without realizing it was happening LOL....but once I had dug a few burrow attempts and was sitting on a log in the heat of the day taking a break sweat pouring off of me, sitting and realizing what I was doing...I was hooked and so I love each and every one of my guys (and girl RESs)....it is all fun stuff I started out with my first guy Haus....now I have Humphry, Herman and Ghamara along with the two RESs "the Judd sisters" (when they were younger and growing one really took off on the size in comparison to the other one and since they are both females and one a bit different in size to the other....The Judd sisters just popped up one day at where I use to work and it just kinda stuck...)

 

[CtTortoiseMom]

We were doing a favor by keeping a tortoise for a week and as I was stressing to the kids "only a week" this sweet face looked over the side of the storage bin and I was in love! Now I have two leopards and have removed furniture to accommodate their enclosures!!

 

[Baoh]

Ivory Sulcatas: breeding pair/colony and showpieces
het Sunset Hypo Gpps: breeding pair and showpieces
Burmese Blacks: breeding colony and neat pets
Giant Yellowfoots: breeding colony and neat pets

Burmese Brown: was meant to be a pet; will resell
Gpb: was meant to be a pet; will resell
het Ivory Sulcatas: originally an intended breeding colony; may resell
Testudo hermanni hermanni male: was a part of a breeding pair; will resell

Possible Gpp or GpbxGpp cross: not sure yet

Aldabra arriving later this month: pet big-shelled cow

 

[drgnfly2265]

I like a challenge!

♥ ♥ ♥ I wanna hug them all ♥ ♥ ♥

 

[Stephanie]

I was looking to get a cherry head for the past few years. I had done ample research (including using Terry's guide as my "Cherry head Bible".
I keep telling myself that I will only have Piglet, but Tom's guide has opened my eyes to the possibly of a sulcata someday...(I have the backyard for it, afterall...hmmm) as it was the first guide that made me realize they don't have to end up having pyramiding.

 

[mommytoeandj]

I got a Greek because it will stay little and looks prettier to me than a Russian!

 

[arby2774]

I had been familiar with the care of torts because an aquantience was the caregiver for the torts at our local museum but had never considered owning one until someone in the area was desperately trying to get rid of her russian and the museum can't take any more. I also babysat for a sulcata and leopard for 3 years. I got my baby sulcata because I miss Max so much now that he went back hone.

 

[chase thorn]

well i did not have a choice for my sulcatas... my dad is known as "Dr.Doolittle" and he brought home two sulcatas about 8 years ago ( i was 8) and that is what started my love for tortoises!
just three days ago i got a russian! i have researched them for hours and have a good idea on how to give great care for them! i just love their size and durability!

 

[Nay]

Chase Thorn, that's funny!
Your Dad being Dr. Dolittle, my son just calls his mom 'Nuts' for bringing home every little thing. He doesn't even question when he comes home and the oven is slightly open and asks what's inside ,and its a batch of bay squirrels, (or chipmunks, or birds) Not that we are cooking them , it's just the safest place to keep them away from the cats.
My first tort was a wood turtle someone brought into work because they thought it was dieing and wanted to give it up. I researched it, got it soo healthy, only to have my visiting mom let out dog we had at the time on to the porch and poor thing became a chew toy. It almost made it but sadly did not. I have loved them ever since. We next got a pair of Russians, again from a get rid of situation. Then an ornate Louise, then I got dragged to a reptile show and my son badgered me to by this huge(to me) RF. It was the last day of the show and this guy was so pyramided, and the guy selling it gave me this song and dance how he had him from a baby etc, I gave him 50 bucks for him and never looked back. Jack is the coolest tort I ever saw and we love him. I have a hubby who is wonderful and we have spent many hours trying to make our enclosures what they need. Most all from you guys here.
My present list is 2 ornates, 2 RFs and a leopard. Comfy amount for us!

 

[Terry Allan Hall]

My very first tortoise was my Grandfather's pet Hermann's, which he found around the end of WWII, and I inherited her at his passing, when I was a teenager. 19 years later, upon her passing, I went looking for another Hermann's, but found nothing locally, so, eventually, I got some different tortoises (a pair of Greeks, 5 Russians, a hinge-back, a Leopard and a sulcata). The Greeks and the hinge-back were sickly and didn't live all that long, and the Leopard and the Russians were killed by a predator (possibly coyotes), leaving only the sulcata, who kept getting larger while my spine problems got worse, so I found her a new home.

About a week later, I found out that a guy not too far away was breeding Eastern Hermann's torts, so I went over and bought Jennifer, and later rescued an Iberian.

After joining here and falling under the influences of some of our breeders, I decided to try breeding Hermann's tort, so I added Ophelia, Apollonia and Ptolemy to make up my "herd".

Hermanns must be in your genetic makeup

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LOL...I suspect you're right!

 

[HLogic]

My first chelonian was a road rescued box turtle when I was 4. A few years later, I paid $8 for a Red-Footed Tort in a pet shop in a mall in Philadelphia, PA. "Ben" (Franklin, of course), was trained to come when called (tapping on the ground) and eventually made a mad dash for the wild in SE Ohio. Ben was never seen again... After many years of snakes & lizards, becoming less than enthusiastic about continuing to breed them (it was too easy) and followed by the selling of all of my herps, I had the opportunity to acquire some M. e. phayrei[/] followed shortly by a move to Florida, the purchase of a house w/property and an opportunity to acquire breeding groups of Cherryhead and Yellow-Footed torts. I now have 6 genera, 8 species and 11 subspecies of tortoise.

All of the species were acquired for breeding purposes - some to expand the availability of uncommon captive bred specimens, others to defray the costs of maintaining those kept to expand the availability of uncommon captive bred specimens and as a whole, hopefully something to keep me off the streets when I get old and cantankerous.