Hello!

Hi everyone! I've been browsing here for a few weeks now and decided I might as well make an account.

I'm still in the research stage, so I don't have a tortoise yet, but hopefully soon! I live in Alberta, Canada so my main concern is a species that does alright inside for most of the year and doesn't get massive.

My potential tortoise list is as follows:
Russian tortoise
Red footed tortoise
Hermann's tortoise

I would love some input on which you think would be best and why. I'm a beginner to tortoises but I keep reptile and arachnid species that can be quite sensitive so touchy care requirements don't scare me.

Thanks, and it's a pleasure to meet you all!

Hi, and welcome to the Forum!

Russian tortoises are a good first tortoise. They are pretty forgiving of poor care while you're learning the ropes.

Thanks!

How much tougher is a redfoot to start with? That's what's most readily available here right now.

Not tough at all, just a different type of care. RF tortoises require a humid environment, so a covered enclosure would be best to accomplish that. We have a great care sheet for you to read:

https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/redfoot-care-sheet.171582/

I'm working my way through it right now! Their diet seems more complex too but that wouldn't be a problem. I'm used to weird diets.

Hi

Grandpa Turtle 144 said:

Hi
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Thanks!

geckers said:

I keep reptile and arachnid species that can be quite sensitive so touchy care requirements don't scare me.

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Oh boy, don't let @Tom find out about them! We'll have virtual spiders running all over the forum again. Very hard to round them up and catch them and put them away. LOL!

KarenSoCal said:

Oh boy, don't let @Tom find out about them! We'll have virtual spiders running all over the forum again. Very hard to round them up and catch them and put them away. LOL!

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Uh oh, that sounds dangerous. I'll try to keep my e-spiders to myself!

Welcome! I had posted a spider horror story in this forum a while back, but to save me further embarrassment I will refrain from repeating it. Lol

Welcome!! Keep us informed on your tort decision.. I love seeing new babies!!!

Assuming the little redfoots I'm going to see today look healthy, I think that's what I've settled on. Got a little last minute work to do on the enclosure as per the suggestions on my other post, and then I'm going to meet the breeder this afternoon. If everything goes well with my adjustments and at the breeder's, I might have a tortoise tonight!

Welcome to TFO!

Jamie