Soon to be Owner

Hi,

I have owned aquatic turtles when I was kid and now my son is begging me to get him a baby Hermann's. Trying to get up to speed on how to raise a tortoise so I am here researching. Specifically been trying to study on raising the tortoise indoors, due to predators (raccoons, coyotes, mountain lions, and bears) and people.

Just wanted to say hello from SoCal.

Hello and welcome.

The best strategy is to have a good indoor set up and a safe outdoor set up for nice weather. There are lots of examples of how to do both, for any stage of a tortoise's life, in the enclosure section.

Care for russians is similar to hermanni, so check out all of these for current and correct info:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread...or-other-herbivorous-tortoise-species.107734/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/sticky-hermanns-tortoise-care-sheet-updated.101410/

Be wary of pet store advice. They will typically try to sell you the wrong enclosure, the wrong bulbs, the wrong food, the wrong bowls, the wrong thermometers, the wrong substrate, and give you old, outdated, incorrect care info.

Thank you so much for the links. I will have my son read the with me also.

Welcome to the forum.

Hi! Love seeing a parent working together with the child!