Alaskan Tortoises, what would be a good pick?

snowy_mass

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Hello there TortoiseForum!

I'm an alaskan college student who likes doing research in the herpaculture hobby for fun and in preperation for eventually possibly getting a new animal. I currently live inside my parents home in Alaska with a dog, an axolotl, and my brother. In my research for a reptile I realized that one of my first reptile loves and one that my mom (who has a phobia of snakes and lizards) would most enjoy having in the house I have been ignoring, turtles.

So I come to you tortoise forum with a simple yet complicated question. What species would be a good fit for me to look into? I currently live in a 10'X10' room which is likely where I would have to fit the Tortoise enclosure. and it would have to include my bedroom furnishings as well as a 30"X12.5"X12.5" aquarium where Toothless lives. I'm not opposed to an aquatic species but I do have a preferencial leaning for terrestrial as I would like to try and make a bioactive Turtle Table and so that I could interact and handle him. I did have a Russian Tortoise as a kid but I wasn't the best caretaker for him then so I'm more on the beginner side of things as far as that means for a tortoise.

So are there any suggestions? Or with my current living situation would a tortoise not be a great idea?
'
 

Maro2Bear

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Wow, all of you and your stuff in a 10x10 room....and you want to have a tortoise table too. Most folks on here recommend 4x8 as the minimum for a Russian. I really don't think you have space for it all. Maybe an aquarium with fish for awhile?
 

snowy_mass

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Wow, all of you and your stuff in a 10x10 room....and you want to have a tortoise table too. Most folks on here recommend 4x8 as the minimum for a Russian. I really don't think you have space for it all. Maybe an aquarium with fish for awhile?
Yikes, honestly this was the research to see what people reccomend for space. This was super early preliminary research so don't worry I'm not super upset. I'm happy with toothless but was curious if there were any animals that could have a happy life in my current living situation that I could actually interact with beyond feeding and looking at in the aquarium. If the answer is no than the answer is no.
 

NaCL

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Over the hill at grandma's house
Yikes, honestly this was the research to see what people reccomend for space. This was super early preliminary research so don't worry I'm not super upset. I'm happy with toothless but was curious if there were any animals that could have a happy life in my current living situation that I could actually interact with beyond feeding and looking at in the aquarium. If the answer is no than the answer is no.
You sound like a very responsible pet owner.
I went through my dorm years with my turtles in a 55g tank under my bed, very long story lol.
I would say if you don't have length go with height. A chameleon or something similar but I imagine heating would be a chore living in Alaska.
 

Yossarian

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Yikes, honestly this was the research to see what people reccomend for space. This was super early preliminary research so don't worry I'm not super upset. I'm happy with toothless but was curious if there were any animals that could have a happy life in my current living situation that I could actually interact with beyond feeding and looking at in the aquarium. If the answer is no than the answer is no.

There are lots of animals you can keep in that kind of space safely and humanely, a tortoise isnt one unfortunately, they also arent particularly affectionate or interactive unless you count the little thing trying to bully you out of its territory. A smaller species of snake could be good potentially, if your set on a reptile. I've known a few people whose snakes were very interactive.
 

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