Just starting to research tortoises

peddidle

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Joined
Jan 18, 2020
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1
Location (City and/or State)
Twin Falls
Hubby and I live in Southern Idaho, and a relatively local tortoise rescue got us thinking about adding a tortoise to our family. Before taking on the commitment, we want to make sure that a tortoise would be happy in our house and we'd be happy with having one. We're just in the very beginning stages of our research, and we're sure we'll find a lot of information on this forum to help us with our decision.

We currently have two dogs (16-1/2-year-old Dachshund mix and a 2-1/2-year-old Miniature Dachshund) and 3 fish tanks (10g guppy tank, 20g honey gourami tank, and 7.5g betta tank).

Looking forward to learning! :)
 

ZEROPILOT

REDFOOT WRANGLER
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Hello and welcome.
Will this be an outside or inside tortoise?
If its INSIDE, that will rule out the larger species. Not that there are any species that don't need a lot of room.
 

MPappagallo

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Jun 8, 2019
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Myrtle Beach, SC
Hubby and I live in Southern Idaho, and a relatively local tortoise rescue got us thinking about adding a tortoise to our family. Before taking on the commitment, we want to make sure that a tortoise would be happy in our house and we'd be happy with having one. We're just in the very beginning stages of our research, and we're sure we'll find a lot of information on this forum to help us with our decision.

We currently have two dogs (16-1/2-year-old Dachshund mix and a 2-1/2-year-old Miniature Dachshund) and 3 fish tanks (10g guppy tank, 20g honey gourami tank, and 7.5g betta tank).

Looking forward to learning! :)
Welcome to the forum! There is a ton of great info here that will help you learn everything you need to know about tortoises. Be sure to check the tabs at the top for species info, housing and feeding info, etc. If you are looking for a great tortoise that won't get too large to be kept in an indoor enclosure, you might want to consider a Russian tortoise. They are a sturdy little tortoise with a great personality, and they rarely get larger than 8" or so. Best of luck to you!
 

Ray--Opo

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Welcome and good luck on your decision on what species.
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
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Hello and welcome!

This little thread will help you figure out some of them main challenges for tortoises in general:
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

As you do your research, you'll find a lot of old, outdated, incorrect, and conflicting info. This can be frustrating. Who to listen to? Tortoise knowledge is always advancing. We are always trying and learning new things. There has been a large jump forward in the last 10 years or so concerning humidity and hydration for most species, and much of the old school tortoise community has not kept up. Many of them are even hostile to these new ideas, despite mountains of evidence and tens of thousands of examples all over the world proving the new methods work better. When you find this conflicting info, or anything else that doesn't add up, please feel free to ask us here. A forum like this will provide you with the most current, up to date info. We are happy to explain further, and all of us are here to talk tortoises. Your questions will fuel the conversation. :)

Here are a few points to ponder:
  • ALL tortoises, even the small species, need LARGE enclosures. Unlike some other reptiles that do just fine in small tanks, tortoises need room to roam in large, safe enclosures, both indoors and out. Even little Russian tortoises need 4x8 feet.
  • Unless you spend time, money and effort amending them, grocery store greens are not good tortoise food in most cases. They are a necessity for most of us for at least some parts of the year, but lettuce by itself will not sustain a tortoise. Much better to grow or find your own tortoise foods. An assortment of broadleaf weeds, certain leaves and flowers, and grasses and succulents for some species, will work the best.
  • All species need hydration. Babies of all species should be soaked daily, at least until they gain some size. Putting a water bowl in the enclosure is not enough.
  • Tortoises don't like company. These are solitary animals. In most cases, groups of juveniles can co-exist, but as they age problems often surface. Beware of pairs. Pairs never work for any species. Its just too personal, and the pair dynamic is stressful for both of them. Singles or groups of juveniles work best.
  • The heating and lighting can be confusing. There are quite a lot of options, some better than others. Once you choose a species, we can help you fine tune a good plan.
  • If you do the initial set up correctly, keeping and maintaining a tortoise is easy and fun. If you do it wrong, it is a constant source of worry and frustration.
  • Surprisingly, a pet store is one of the worse places to go. You'll get bad info, the wrong equipment, and pay way too much money for items that are potentially harmful to your new tortoise. Most of what you need will be found at the hardware store for a lot less money.
 

Lyn W

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Hi and welcome, its great that you are considering rehoming a rescue tortoise. Sadly there are far too many looking for a forever home.
Read the caresheets to see which species best suits your circumstances and Tom's advice above will really help you too.
Hopefully, with all that has been learned about tortoises, the days when people would just leave a tort to its own devices in the yard and expect it to be OK are long gone.
Good luck with your research.
 
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