djones8623
New Member
Hi there,
I'm new to the forum and I figured this would be a great outlet to help me do some research into getting a tortoise. I've always loved turtles/tortoises and such. I had a turtle I kept for years and years when I was a kid. I've been thinking about getting a tortoise for a while, but I'm the type of person who tries to talk myself out of getting something I want for a while, just to make sure I really want it. Anyway, a lot of months have gone by, and I still want one. So, that has led me to doing some research as to the variety that would be best for me, if there is one. My current situation is that I own the home I live in, which is settled on around 2 acres. We have a pretty nice fenced in back yard (about a quarter of an acre) and I initially thought that would be a great area for a tortoise to be happy in. I was reading up on Sulcata Tortoises and I was all into the idea of getting one of those for a while... until I read that they are literal escape artists and that they have been known to dig holes that are 30 feet long. My wife would kill me if I allowed that. Plus I can't stand the idea of a pet digging out and getting gone/run over. All that being said, I was just wondering if anybody had any recommendation on a nice larger species of tortoise that has a nice personality and is also less likely to want to dig huge holes and escape? I'm fine with some digging. My back yard is far from perfect. And I also do not mind if I end up having to bury some wire or some other obstacle around the perimeter of my fence to make certain they can't burrow out. I just can't have huge craters in my yard. Any advice?
Also, I'm wondering about the practicality of my plan in the first place. I may need my bubble burst, but I'd rather get to the reality of keeping a tortoise quickly. I Live in South Carolina. For the most part, we have a nice, warm climate. If I was to get a tortoise, I would like to keep him outside after he got some size to him. Would it be practical to build some sort of structure, similar to, say, a dog house and keep it heated during the winter months for him to stay in? I just have no idea what's best in overwintering a tortoise and what is practical.
Thanks in advance for any tips/help,
Daniel Jones
I'm new to the forum and I figured this would be a great outlet to help me do some research into getting a tortoise. I've always loved turtles/tortoises and such. I had a turtle I kept for years and years when I was a kid. I've been thinking about getting a tortoise for a while, but I'm the type of person who tries to talk myself out of getting something I want for a while, just to make sure I really want it. Anyway, a lot of months have gone by, and I still want one. So, that has led me to doing some research as to the variety that would be best for me, if there is one. My current situation is that I own the home I live in, which is settled on around 2 acres. We have a pretty nice fenced in back yard (about a quarter of an acre) and I initially thought that would be a great area for a tortoise to be happy in. I was reading up on Sulcata Tortoises and I was all into the idea of getting one of those for a while... until I read that they are literal escape artists and that they have been known to dig holes that are 30 feet long. My wife would kill me if I allowed that. Plus I can't stand the idea of a pet digging out and getting gone/run over. All that being said, I was just wondering if anybody had any recommendation on a nice larger species of tortoise that has a nice personality and is also less likely to want to dig huge holes and escape? I'm fine with some digging. My back yard is far from perfect. And I also do not mind if I end up having to bury some wire or some other obstacle around the perimeter of my fence to make certain they can't burrow out. I just can't have huge craters in my yard. Any advice?
Also, I'm wondering about the practicality of my plan in the first place. I may need my bubble burst, but I'd rather get to the reality of keeping a tortoise quickly. I Live in South Carolina. For the most part, we have a nice, warm climate. If I was to get a tortoise, I would like to keep him outside after he got some size to him. Would it be practical to build some sort of structure, similar to, say, a dog house and keep it heated during the winter months for him to stay in? I just have no idea what's best in overwintering a tortoise and what is practical.
Thanks in advance for any tips/help,
Daniel Jones