what tortoise shall i get?

[charlie1234]

hello
im a new member looking for a tortoise that doesnt hibernate,that is quite small and one that is very active.it has to be able to live in a smallish enviroment and when it has grown up fully its not massive.any help will be appreciated.i dont have much space for a big enclosure.
thanks

 

[SarahChelonoidis]

To help us narrow it down more: What is your definition of 'quite small'? What's your price range? How large of an enclosure do you have room for?

 

[charlie1234]

i have room for 2 and a half foot by 2 and a half foot is that big enough?

 

[SarahChelonoidis]

i have room for 2 and a half foot by 2 and a half foot is that big enough?

Sorry. Not for an adult tortoise of any species, no, it isn't big enough.

 

[charlie1234]

ok

 

[Lyn W]

i have room for 2 and a half foot by 2 and a half foot is that big enough?

That's even a bit too small for a baby.
Where do you live? Do you have outside space and a warm summer climate?
That will help members give you the correct advice.

 

[Gillian M]

A very warm welcome to the forum!

I sincerely hope you find and get the tort you're looking for. But I believe you are going to have to make quite a large enclosure: these cute little animals need a lot of space to roam around in, and not feel "imprisoned in a cell" which may cause a lot of stress. And...good luck!

 

[Kathy Coles]

I thought I had enough space for my tort when I bought her. Nope. She is now over 5 Kg and getting bigger. Funny how a 4 inch darling just keeps going and going and going. Good thing you're doing your research. Torts take a lot of space.

 

[Gillian M]

I thought I had enough space for my tort when I bought her. Nope. She is now over 5 Kg and getting bigger. Funny how a 4 inch darling just keeps going and going and going. Good thing you're doing your research. Torts take a lot of space.

Oh yes they do. And don't forget they are used to living in the wild, where they roam around without boundaries/borders/red lights.

 

[Speedy-1]

Hi and welcome !

 

[Jacqui]

Could add a second story, too, even that won't help much.

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Hello Charlie

 

[TerrapinStation]

Don't get discouraged! check out the enclosure section for some good ideas. You are definitely doing the right thing by figuring out the enclosure and all the details BEFORE you buy the tort.

Redfoots are great, hardy, personable and affordable once you get your enclosure situation figured out.

 

[Lyn W]

Don't get discouraged! check out the enclosure section for some good ideas. You are definitely doing the right thing by figuring out the enclosure and all the details BEFORE you buy the tort.

Redfoots are great, hardy, personable and affordable once you get your enclosure situation figured out.

Don't RFs grow quite big though?
He says he only has room for a 2'6" x 2'6" enclosure.

 

[Yvonne G]

See, the problem with a 2 and a half foot square box is that after you have all the "furniture" in there, there's no room for the tortoise to move around. You need a feeder, a waterer, a couple of hiding places and a couple of plants. The plants give the tortoise respite from the bright, hot light shining on him all the time, so in my opinion, they are quite necessary.



The Russian tortoise depicted is full grown. They are a small species, but they are hard-wired to roam over large distances. He would be climbing the walls and scratching at the corners all the time in such a small space.

It probably would be against the Animal Welfare Act to house a tortoise in such a small space:

http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/Animal Welfare Act Tortoise Housing.pdf

 

[TerrapinStation]

Don't RFs grow quite big though?
He says he only has room for a 2'6" x 2'6" enclosure.

Yes they do get big, but not as big as other species. Sorry if anybody thought I meant that they stay small.I was merely suggesting a Redfoot after the proper enclosure was created.

 

[SarahChelonoidis]

Yes they do get big, but not as big as other species. Sorry if anybody thought I meant that they stay small.I was merely suggesting a Redfoot after the proper enclosure was created.

Redfoots are great, but a 12-16" adult tortoise in a 2.5'x2.5' footprint is never going to work.

 

[TerrapinStation]

unfortunately, I do not think that any tortoise will thrive in a 2.5 x 2.5 enclosure..... Maybe a goldfish would be better????

 

[keepergale]

Lots of great reptile options for that size space. Unfortunately a tortoise isn't one of them.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Hello, and a very warm welcome to Tortoise Forum.
It's great you've come here to do some research.
Have a look at our species specific section , learn a ll you can about the ones that appeal to you and later, when your circumstances change, you'll be ready!