Been lurking for a while.

[Say]

Hey y'all!

I'm Sarah, from Nashville, Tennessee (USA)! I am quite a traveler though, and I have lived in Germany for a brief time as well as several other states. Tennessee will always be home, though, so I know humidity levels (which stay pretty high here) will be great for the tortoises I have been looking into.

Sadly, I am not yet a tortoise mum, but only a dog mum. I've been lurking these forums for about a month now, reading and learning. I am a lover of education, in fact I am currently pursuing my Master's.

I am not intending to get my first tortoise until the beginning of 2018, but I thought I should go ahead and introduce myself because I know closer to time I will have loads of questions.. although so far if I've had a question, I've been able to find the answer here.

That's all for now. Look forward to chatting with y'all.

☀️

 

[Yvonne G]

Welcome to the Forum, Sarah!

 

[PJay]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[Tom]

Hello and welcome.

What species are you interested in so far?

 

[daniellenc]

Welcome and you won't regret lurking before buying. I had my enclosure planned and then set-up weeks ahead of time once I decided on the type of tort I wanted.

 

[Say]

Hello and welcome.

What species are you interested in so far?

My love for animals has me "liking" them all, haha. I love the look of Leopards and Stars both, but I'm unsure if they're are suitable for a novice keeper yet. I do have tons of experience with other animals, as I live on a farm and worked through my undergraduate time as a veterinary technician.

Nevertheless, for my first, I have been considering Hermann's, Redfoots, and Greeks so far! I'm open to any suggestions as I do intend to have a space both inside and outside (so it would probably need to be a species able to handle higher humidity) so that weather permitting they can be outdoors often, once past their fragile stage.

 

[daniellenc]

My love for animals has me "liking" them all, haha. I love the look of Leopards and Stars both, but I'm unsure if they're are suitable for a novice keeper yet. I do have tons of experience with other animals, as I live on a farm and worked through my undergraduate time as a veterinary technician.

Nevertheless, for my first, I have been considering Hermann's, Redfoots, and Greeks so far! I'm open to any suggestions as I do intend to have a space both inside and outside (so it would probably need to be a species able to handle higher humidity) so that weather permitting they can be outdoors often, once past their fragile stage.

Red foots thrive in high humidity and don't get as big as the leopards do which is why I chose a red foot for us. Maryland is grossly humid until winter, and while I loved the look o a leopard hey require much more space. I also love the look of the stars but my bank account not so much, lol

 

[Say]

Red foots thrive in high humidity and don't get as big as the leopards do which is why I chose a red foot for us. Maryland is grossly humid until winter, and while I loved the look o a leopard hey require much more space. I also love the look of the stars but my bank account not so much, lol

That's one of the considerations I had as well, size and humidity levels.
And stars are just so expensive I agree.

 

[daniellenc]

That's one of the considerations I had as well, size and humidity levels.
And stars are just so expensive I agree.

Exactly why we went redfoot. Larger than the greeks/hermanns/ russians, beautiful colors, smaller than a leopard, love humidity, and not a few grand to purchase. Especially as a new owner myself I didn't want to invest in a star to be heart broken later.

 

[Tom]

My love for animals has me "liking" them all, haha. I love the look of Leopards and Stars both, but I'm unsure if they're are suitable for a novice keeper yet. I do have tons of experience with other animals, as I live on a farm and worked through my undergraduate time as a veterinary technician.

Nevertheless, for my first, I have been considering Hermann's, Redfoots, and Greeks so far! I'm open to any suggestions as I do intend to have a space both inside and outside (so it would probably need to be a species able to handle higher humidity) so that weather permitting they can be outdoors often, once past their fragile stage.

The South African Leopards get larger, are very personable, and would thrive in your climate.

If you like stars, you really can't beat the Burmese Star, Geochelone platynota, for personality, hardiness, beauty and manageable size. A really big female might reach 10" in length and males are smaller. These thrive in tropical monsoon conditions and would thrive in your summer climate outdoors, but also be relatively easy to house indoors in winter.

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

 

[Say]

The South African Leopards get larger, are very personable, and would thrive in your climate.

If you like stars, you really can't beat the Burmese Star, Geochelone platynota, for personality, hardiness, beauty and manageable size. A really big female might reach 10" in length and males are smaller. These thrive in tropical monsoon conditions and would thrive in your summer climate outdoors, but also be relatively easy to house indoors in winter.

View attachment 212639

I would love to have one, and with as much time as I have, I have plenty of time to both save and research luckily. Those are absolutely beautiful!

 

[Redfool]

When I got into "torting" 25 years ago I wanted a big tort. I took a backwards approach and thought what would be best in my environment instead of supplying an environment for it. As I get on in years I realized I couldn't handle a 75lb. Sulcata. You also must understand that your first tortoise with proper care will long outlive all of us. As for me, with a shaded back yard in central Florida with numerous hibiscus bushes, my four 10lb. redfoots have seamlessly blended in.

 

[Tom]

I took a backwards approach and thought what would be best in my environment instead of supplying an environment for it.

That's not backwards! That is how every one should do it!!!

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

When I got into "torting" 25 years ago I wanted a big tort. I took a backwards approach and thought what would be best in my environment instead of supplying an environment for it. As I get on in years I realized I couldn't handle a 75lb. Sulcata. You also must understand that your first tortoise with proper care will long outlive all of us. As for me, with a shaded back yard in central Florida with numerous hibiscus bushes, my four 10lb. redfoots have seamlessly blended in.

You mean they've escaped ?

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Hello, Sarah, and a very warm welcome to Tortoise Forum
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
is a good read to start.
Read up on all the species you like in our species specific sections to see which best suits your needs and what takes your fancy. Anything is possible if you get the set up right.

 

[RosemaryDW]

Welcome!

 

[Clamhandsmcgee]

Very smart of you to read and research before purchasing a tortoise! Too many people buy one not knowing what they're getting into. As a Tennessee native, I'd recommend a Russian because they are hardy, inexpensive, small, and they hibernate if you decide to. Or you can house them indoors and not hibernate them. I will tell you this though, they can be addictive!

 

[Say]

Very smart of you to read and research before purchasing a tortoise! Too many people buy one not knowing what they're getting into. As a Tennessee native, I'd recommend a Russian because they are hardy, inexpensive, small, and they hibernate if you decide to. Or you can house them indoors and not hibernate them. I will tell you this though, they can be addictive!

Thank you for the recommendation! They were also a consideration of mine but I was afraid they wouldn't do as well in the humidity we all know and love so much! Ha. Do you keep any here in TN? Do adults do ok outside? Of course, inside would be an option on scorching days or the winter time.

I'm afraid I've caught the bug either way. I cannot wait!

 

[Clamhandsmcgee]

Yes, I keep 3 adult Russians and I have a sulcata hatchling. Always make sure there's shade and water. I hibernate my Russians, but some keepers don't. Mine are doing great in the humidity.