Hi everyone! ;)

[Lyn W]

Okay, thanks. Originally I was thinking about getting two baby redfoots, no specific gender, from petco. Now I'm not so sure it's a good place to get them. Online it said they were about ten dollars, but from what I've seen with others they're close to one hundred dollars each. I can't afford spending two hundred dollars on just the tortoises, which is why I'd like to know what to look for to make sure they're healthy in case there isn't anywhere else with lower prices.

Hi Marissa it's not recommended to keep torts in pairs, they are solitary creatures and like to be alone so don't need friends One will become dominant and subtly harass the other You may think they are just playing or cuddling but they don't do that and the weaker tort could become ill through stress. So maybe just concentrate on saving for the one with all the correct equipment to keep it happy and healthy.

 

[MNM]

Thankyou everyone! I'll be going to petco sometime this week to get an idea of what they have so I can know where I'll be getting my tortoises from. Thanks again! Also, I've read that two redfoots are fine as long as they have plenty of space, and I've got a few friends who each have like 5 or 6 in their single tortoise pen. They've had them for several years and said that the tortoises don't go near each other except for when being bathed, basking together, and eating + drinking occasionally.

 

[NicoleB26]

Welcome! I have REDFOOTS myself ...excellent choice! They do have some important housing requirements though. My advice would be to set up your enclosure and get your temps and humidity regulated before bringing your new family member home. It will be easier on you and the tort. Also a closed chamber enclosure is the easiest way to maintain humidity. You can do a forum search to get ideas on different ways to set one up. Good luck and beware tortoises are addicting!!!

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Redfoots seem to get along together better than most other species, though that's only what I have heard.

 

[MNM]

For my indoor housing, I plan to build a tortoise table that will be three feet by seven feet with either a screen or glass lid. I'll have to most it every few hours, but I've found that if you put a towel over top of the screen it will help told humidity. For the outdoor housing, there is a garden behind my shed in our backyard that I will weed and transform into a habitat. It's already fenced in, so I just have to put misters, a hide house, food + water dishes, and plant some plants and probably some grass and moss. It's about ten feet by ten feet so it should be plenty of space for two tortoises.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Don't forget that if you use a glass or perspex cover, the light must be inside, as otherwise it will filter out the UVB.

 

[MNM]

Okay, thanks for letting me know!

 

[JoesMum]

Hi Marissa

Keeping tortoises of any type in pairs is generally not recommended. One becomes dominant and there's only only one other tort to pick on so the other tort gets no respite and can become very sick.

If you want more than one, a group of three or more in a large enclosure with plenty of sight boundaries is better.

Tortoises are not social like us, so they really don't get lonely and are just fine on their own.

Tom's Beginner Mistakes thread is very good http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

 

[Lyn W]

Thankyou everyone! I'll be going to petco sometime this week to get an idea of what they have so I can know where I'll be getting my tortoises from. Thanks again! Also, I've read that two redfoots are fine as long as they have plenty of space, and I've got a few friends who each have like 5 or 6 in their single tortoise pen. They've had them for several years and said that the tortoises don't go near each other except for when being bathed, basking together, and eating + drinking occasionally.

Hi Marissa groups work better than 2 - but the more you have, the more space you need. I think 4 x 8 is recommended for 1 you may get away with smaller for a baby but you would have to more than double that as they grow so that they thrive.

Do a search here for Petco and see if any one has put anything about them to check if they are good to buy from or not, but from what I've read pet shop tortoises aren't always started correctly. Petco may be OK but do your research on them.

 

[MNM]

Okay, thankyou. I'll definitely do some more research about groups living together and the space needed. And petco if course.

 

[MNM]

I forgot to mention earlier... I have both a cat and a dog. I know they could hurt or even kill a tortoise, which is why I will definately be getting a secure lid to the tortoise habitats. Could they possibly give a tortoise disease, or could a tortoise give one of them a disease? Both the dog and cat are up to date on their vaccinations and stuff, but I just wanted to ask. My cat, Spooky (9 pound female American medium hair/Maine Coon mix), likes to climb everywhere in my room... on the desk, my fish tank, my clothes drawers, my book shelf, and she would sit on top of my hermit crab tank when I had hermit crabs. She can jump onto any surface, even one 5 feet from the ground! My dog, Hershey (female pitbull ~ at least I think she has pitbull in her... ~ /lab/Australian cattle dog mix) is a 65 pound klutz! =D She also goes everywhere, is pretty much all muscle, and is a high jumper. When she was about three months old, she jumped three feet onto our stove top. Luckily it was off! She chases anything that moves... including the cat! =D If they touched the tortoise or if the tortoise ate any fur that may have fallen into the enclosure, could either of them possibly get sick? Could them being around stress out the tortoise? And could the tortoise's presence make them uncomfortable and scared? Also, very sorry this is such a long post... I get carried away with everything. Thanks so much for your patience when reading this! I might post a couple pics of Hershey and Spooky later on. Even though they have nothing to do with tortoises... trust me, they're both really adorable!

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

I don't think disease is too much of an issue, but as you've read, it's better that they have completely separate enclosures because of the chew toy stuff.
Swallowed hair could cause an impaction and should also be avoided.
Yes, dogs and cats can stress tortoises too, as can anything in it's territory that it's not used to, including you, at least until it gets used to you.
Don't think torts stress out dogs and cats much, unless your dog/cat is of a particularly nervous disposition or you have a very large aggressive tortoise.
There are threads where you can post pictures of cats/ dogs and other pets.

 

[MNM]

The dog and cat probably won't be as afraid of them as they will be curious. Would it stress out the torts less if I slowly introduced them to the dog and cat? I can't keep the dog and cat out of my room forever, but I'd be able to for a few months. Could it work if I didn't let the dog and cat anywhere near them for the first few months and then slowly introduced them to each other by letting them just see eachother for like five minutes a day for a month or two and then letting the dog and cat be allowed in my room like they normally are right now?

 

[Myroli]

The dog and cat probably won't be as afraid of them as they will be curious. Would it stress out the torts less if I slowly introduced them to the dog and cat? I can't keep the dog and cat out of my room forever, but I'd be able to for a few months. Could it work if I didn't let the dog and cat anywhere near them for the first few months and then slowly introduced them to each other by letting them just see eachother for like five minutes a day for a month or two and then letting the dog and cat be allowed in my room like they normally are right now?

I have three dogs that sleep in my room(where my sulcata hatchling lives) and he's never cared because they can't get into his enclosure, so I would say as long as there is absolutely no way for your cat and dog to get to them, they should be fine from the beginning

 

[MNM]

Ok, thanks. I'm glad the other pets won't be a problem! I just have to make sure the torts don't swallow any fur...

 

[Myroli]

Ok, thanks. I'm glad the other pets won't be a problem! I just have to make sure the torts don't swallow any fur...

If the enclosure is covered hair shouldn't really be able to get in there

 

[MNM]

When I open the lid some hair might fall in, or she might try to climb in while I'm misting or putting in food. I can't wait till I get some torts! They are so adorable!!!

 

[Myroli]

When I open the lid some hair might fall in, or she might try to climb in while I'm misting or putting in food. I can't wait till I get some torts! They are so adorable!!!

Then just keep them out of your room while you're actually handling/taking care of it, and before opening the lid maybe dust it off

 

[MNM]

Ok, thankyou!

 

[Gillian M]

Hi Marissa and a very warm welcome to the forum!

You've come to the right place for help, I can assure you.

Good luck with picking your tort, and please post pics once you get it, and keep us updated.