Buying a tortoise

[Mr. Doortoise]

I was wondering if I should buy a hermann's tortoise. I live in Texas and it gets to 100 degrees in the shade so I'm looking for other easy tortoises that are more suited to the environment.

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Hello and good morning
I've had my Herrmanns for about 10-12years , I give them greasy water everyday , 1/4 of their enclosure is covered so they get plenty of shade . And from what they ( my Herrmanns ) tell me they are happy . And I live in Phx. , AZ . And it gets HOT here !

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Xxx spell check : not greasy but fresh water !

 

[Mr. Doortoise]

really?

 

[Mr. Doortoise]

because care guides always say temps of 70-80 degrees are optimal in the day.

 

[Mr. Doortoise]

or do the tortoises thermo regulate by burrowing into the substrate to keep cool?

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

My Herrmanns don't burrow in the ground but like I said 1/4 of the enclosure is covered and fresh water daily .

 

[tglazie]

I live in San Antonio, TX. I'm not sure where you live, but I've kept Hermanns, Russians, Greeks, and Margies (as well as Sulcatas, Redfoots, and Hingebacks), and they all do quite well, even in the high heat and humidity, with some environmental manipulation. Like Grandpa Turtle says, so long as you offer shade, plenty of hiding places, and water everyday, your tortoises will thrive. Keep in mind that when the high heat of summer comes, your tortoises will eat less and be less active, but this doesn't indicate a lack of health. It's hot. All animals slow down when it's hot (well, except for sulcatas, which I found simply loved it when it was ninety degrees and eighty percent humidity). But you will find that Hermanns highest level of activity is when the temps are in the upper seventies to mid eighties with bright sunshine.

T.G.

 

[Mr. Doortoise]

Thanks! I live in College Station, Texas home of the Aggies.

 

[Mr. Doortoise]

Also where should I buy a tort? I was considering backwater reptiles because you can put a preferred gender but they are about $25 more expensive than underground reptiles.

 

[JAYGEE]

Also where should I buy a tort? I was considering backwater reptiles because you can put a preferred gender but they are about $25 more expensive than underground reptiles.

Look in the classifieds section here, there are plenty of members selling torts.

 

[tglazie]

From what I've read concerning backwater reptiles, they don't take the greatest of care when it comes to their animals. Keep in mind that this is from what I've read. I have no personal experience with them. I have, however, had personal experience with dealer provided animals, and most of these are not up to the standard of many breeders here on the forum, and when it comes to Hermanns, we have several breeders who produce some of the most exceptional animals you will ever see in the hobby. When it comes to all forms of Testudo, Chris, Gary, and Tim/Robbin come to mind as being among the best breeders. Every one of their animals I have received has been perfect in every way, well started and supremely healthy. They also incubate for female, which is a giant plus, given the surplus of males on the market.

When it comes to a hatchling or juvenile, certain sites may offer a choice when it comes to sex, but keep in mind that there is no reliable method for sexing hatchlings or juveniles. Even if said hatchling or juvenile was incubated for a certain gender, there is still an outside chance that the tortoise will not conform to this designation. I've been keeping tortoises for a while, and for me, part of the fun (and part of the heart ache) has been raising hatchlings, waiting to figure out if Michael is really Michelle or if James is actually Jamie. Hopefully one day, there will be an app for that. That would be so great if I could just activate an app, aim a camera at my juvenile tortoise, and know instantly whether or not it was male or female. It would also be nice if I could find out bloodlines using such an app to better determine the geographical origin of my tortoises, but genetics research is still pretty far from this. Anywho, I hope this info is of some help, despite my flight of fancy.

T.G.

 

[Killerrookie]

From what I've read concerning backwater reptiles, they don't take the greatest of care when it comes to their animals. Keep in mind that this is from what I've read. I have no personal experience with them. I have, however, had personal experience with dealer provided animals, and most of these are not up to the standard of many breeders here on the forum, and when it comes to Hermanns, we have several breeders who produce some of the most exceptional animals you will ever see in the hobby. When it comes to all forms of Testudo, Chris, Gary, and Tim/Robbin come to mind as being among the best breeders. Every one of their animals I have received has been perfect in every way, well started and supremely healthy. They also incubate for female, which is a giant plus, given the surplus of males on the market.

When it comes to a hatchling or juvenile, certain sites may offer a choice when it comes to sex, but keep in mind that there is no reliable method for sexing hatchlings or juveniles. Even if said hatchling or juvenile was incubated for a certain gender, there is still an outside chance that the tortoise will not conform to this designation. I've been keeping tortoises for a while, and for me, part of the fun (and part of the heart ache) has been raising hatchlings, waiting to figure out if Michael is really Michelle or if James is actually Jamie. Hopefully one day, there will be an app for that. That would be so great if I could just activate an app, aim a camera at my juvenile tortoise, and know instantly whether or not it was male or female. It would also be nice if I could find out bloodlines using such an app to better determine the geographical origin of my tortoises, but genetics research is still pretty far from this. Anywho, I hope this info is of some help, despite my flight of fancy.

T.G.

I have some personal experience with Backwater Reptiles and my newt came in dead when I opened it so I called them and called and called and they never answered back. I had Experience with Underground Reptiles and Turtlesource and well. Both very great and I got my Redfoot from Turtle Source.

 

[clg89]

Arizona tortoise compound is a great site to get tortoise from! I have ordered 2 hermans from them and they are fabulous!! Andrew(the owner) is great to work with.

 

[Raymo2477]

It's best to by from someone on the forum. I have two Hermanns from Garden state Tortoise and they're doing great.

Just be aware, unless you're buying an adult, gender is just a guess. Yes breeders can try to temp sex, but it's not 100%