Am I in a good position to get a tortoise?

[microbiolife]

I think I can probably guess what the answer is, but I'd like to get a clearer idea of everything that this decision entails before I decide one way or another. I have been presented with an opportunity to acquire a beautiful, healthy baby Hermann's for a great price, and having been fascinated by tortoises all my life I am quite tempted. I know that I will have a pet tortoise at some point in my life, so saving money now would be great, but I'm not sure if I'm at the right point in my life to do so. So let me explain my situation, and please don't freak out after reading the first sentence.

I'm a student, currently in my third year of microbiology. I have a lot of connections within my field of study, and they have given me confidence that I will be employed soon after graduating. I am paying school-related expenses with loans and scholarships, but all my other living expenses are paid for with my summer job earnings(it's a high-paying oil field job, so I make plenty in the 4 months of summer to cover living expenses as well as to add to savings). I also receive $500 per month from my parents, which I divide between savings and hobbies. My parents are aware of how I spend my allowance. Pets are included with my hobbies, and their costs are prioritized over my other hobbies. Currently I have a 15-year-old cat, several tarantulas, and a 3-year-old kingsnake. The Ts and the snake are both long-term commitments, with life expectancy ranging from 10 to 30 years depending on species, though not nearly as long-term as a tortoise. I have a savings pool specifically for vet costs which I maintain at a minimum of $6000. My vet does treat exotics and offers payment plans for extremely expensive procedures. I live in an apartment with a very tolerant roommate and my landlord is aware of my pets. I also know of several other affordable apartments in my area that would allow my animals, should I have to move in the near future. I have relative and friends nearby, and in other provinces, who are willing to care for my animals for short periods if I go on trips etc., though most of my animals would be self-sufficient for up to 2 weeks. The total cost of my pets right now averages about $50 per month, not including vet bills, most of that being for the cat. Currently, the time investment for my animals is minimal as the cat is happy as long as I am home(which is most of the time) and the snake and tarantulas require only 2 to 5 hours per week of my time. When I have completed university, I may or may not move to a different city, so I have been considering my options in likely destinations in order to accommodate the pets I already have.

I understand the care requirements of tortoises and the initial cost of the setup, but I am not sure of the monthly/annual costs involved and the daily time commitment that would be necessary. I would love to hear your opinions.

EDIT: I should note that I am a woman, so even though I have no plans to start a family in the near future, it is something to consider. It's something that I thought about a lot before I got my snake, but I'm not sure how it would affect my ability to care for a tortoise.

 

[abclements]

I'm a 4th year Mechanical Engineering student and I have a tortoise. It sounds like you really have everything covered. I don't have any other pets, but it sounds like you like to care for them and invest the appropriate amount of time... after the initial set up process, torts don't cost all that much extra time or money. Once you get your set up dialed in with timers and thermostats, really all that's left is daily feeding and minor clean up. It sounds like you are totally ready for a tortoise. Just know how big of a space you can afford for an enclosure and then find the right tortoise to fit that size. Also, on the family note, having a family shouldn't inhibit how you care for your tort. They really aren't that hard to care for if you invest, early on, in making your enclosure great! And everybody on here will help you with that if you ask!!

PS if you have the space, get a red foot! Totally unbiased on this one ;p

I hope this helps!

 

[Yvonne G]

Just remember - tortoises are wild animals. This means they haven't undergone years and years of human intervention to make them into domesticated animals. As wild animals, they do much better outside. If you must have them indoors, then they need the very largest habitat you can afford and have room for. With a Hermanni hatchling, you can start small, but as the tortoise grows and matures, he needs a big space to roam.

 

[milkandsam]

In terms of money and finances I would say you are fine and apart to have done your homework! I have a torpedo on a budget and typically I have only had to purchase food for him (other than the initial set up). However the outside aspect is pretty important and I am planning on buying a house in the next few months to provide that. Good luck with your decision!

 

[laramill]

Wow! You are a responsible student! I think you should be commended for thinking through obtaining pets so carefully and having the forethought to have saved such a nice 'rainy day' type fund for your pets' care.

I think you are going about this so smartly. I love that you are taking a long range whole life approach to the decision.

Like someone else mentioned, I think your biggest obstacle is a tortoise's need to be outside in warmer months. If you can figure out the solution to that issue, it sounds like you are probably set up as well as anyone because of how seriously you're taking the responsibility.

Most of the major costs of a tortoise is getting the initial set up. Food can be free (or at least very little) in summer months if you do your research and collect weeds and flowers. You will need to replace uv lights to keep them effective about every 6 months of use... and depending on what substrate you decide to use, there are minor costs associated with that as well.

If you say you know what our opinions will be regarding if you're in a good spot to go forward with this-- I think you probably are aware of areas that you think may cause problems with your getting a tort now. Look at those really honestly and thoroughly and see if you can remedy them. You seem like you have a good enough head on your shoulders to know what's best!

Good luck!

 

[microbiolife]

It's great to see so many positive responses!

Regarding outdoor time, I do live in an apartment and will probably be in apartments for many years to come. I have a nice secure balcony(the cat can safely be out there unsupervised) and wouldn't have any problem finding places with balconies in the future, but time out on grass could be difficult. The beautiful green space behind my building unfortunately gets sprayed with...something...every couple months so that's not an option, though the city is very tolerant of harmless exotic animals going for walks in the public parks, most of which brag about organic policies. However, I would expect the majority of outdoor time to consist of balcony time, given my usual schedule. This place gets about 8 months of temperatures in a decent range for reptiles, but only about 6 months of consistent sunlight. Of all the places I'd be likely to live in the future, here is probably the best in that regard. The worst possibility would be where my parents are, where there is 4 months of reptile-friendly temperatures despite up to 10 months of sunny weather. So the big question here is: what benefits of outside time are most essential, and can they be emulated indoors? Exercise and UV can certainly be provided inside, but would something else be missing?

As for space, the apartment sizes within my price range(and the apartment I'm currently in) would easily accommodate an enclosure suitably large for a small tort such as a Hermanns. I have a carpenter friend who can help with the design and construction of a modular tortoise enclosure that could easily be taken apart when moving is necessary.

One potential issue that nobody has brought up yet is humidity. I'm finding conflicting information on the humidity requirements of Hermann's tortoises. I've lived in many places throughout my life, and indoor humidity has been an issue everywhere. In some places it's because of winter heating, in others it's because of summer AC. Some of my tarantulas require high humidity, but they are in small enclosures so maintaining humidity is easy. For a tortoise, I'd prefer an open enclosure like what I've seen others use, but I wonder if my home would get too dry for them. Would a soaking dish suffice to keep them hydrated? Outdoors is a different story, and most places aren't too bad, but where I live right now is considered to be a desert and in the summertime you can tell. My kingsnake doesn't have any issues in this regard, but she's a desert species.

What do you guys think?

 

[Tom]

You sound like an excellent candidate for tortoise ownership to me.

As has been mentioned, they need a lot of space. 2x4' is okay for a hatchling, but 3x6' or 4x8' will be needed for an adult indoors. Bigger is better in this case.

If enclosure size is an obstacle for you right now I would wait until you have more room. There are other pets that require less space. Have you ever considered Blue tongue skinks? One of my favorite non-tortoise animals. Great pets.

 

[Hjulmgunnar]

You sound like you have thoroughly considered the complete and full responsibilities of what it entails having a tortoise, and I am thoroughly impressed that you money budgeted for vet bills -- not too many people do that especially students.
I inherited my Russian my freshman year of college, and took him in because I was looking for a pet that I could have that didn't require a great deal of time (and they really don't once you've got their habitat set up, at least not Russians anyway).though I would spend an inordinate amount of time on my little Russian simply because he was so cute and I liked being with him.
But if you're moving . . .
I feel that a move can be a traumatic incident for a tortoise. I picked my little guy up from my Grandpa, which is maybe a mile car drive and he was shell shocked (pun totally intended). Its nothing that your future tortoise won't get over, but why put it through it more then once if you don't have to?
So I say maybe wait until you have moved, that why when you do get him/her you will be settled and won't have to worry about transporting the other pets.

 

[microbiolife]

But if you're moving . . .
I feel that a move can be a traumatic incident for a tortoise. I picked my little guy up from my Grandpa, which is maybe a mile car drive and he was shell shocked (pun totally intended). Its nothing that your future tortoise won't get over, but why put it through it more then once if you don't have to?
So I say maybe wait until you have moved, that why when you do get him/her you will be settled and won't have to worry about transporting the other pets.

Hmm, that worries me. Just how rough is the transition? I imagine it would be easier for an adult than for a baby? I don't know if I'll be moving in the near future, but I do know that I am not of a sessile nature! I'll definitely be moving many times throughout my life, so I need pets that can tolerate that tendency. My cat has been through 6 different homes(she grew up with me in a military family; I certainly won't move as much as my family used to), and my tarantulas have been through 3 moves(13 hour drive back and forth between school and my parents' place, back when I was in dorms...my RA said I couldn't have any pets that she could "see, hear, or smell", with a wink) Driving for 13 hours with 10 to 20 tarantulas, and later a cat(didn't bring the cat until I got my apartment) was interesting, especially when in one province stopping meant making sure the animals wouldn't freeze and in the other province stopping meant making sure they didn't get cooked! A couple of my Ts get motion sickness, but other than that everyone settled in quickly. Haven't moved with the snake yet, but was assured by her previous owner that she was good about such changes.

Don't get me wrong, I don't plan on doing a 13 hour move every 2 years or anything like that, but I can't see myself living in one spot for the rest of my life. How well would a tortoise tolerate moves within the same city, or across a province(~5 hours drive tops)?

 

[Saleama]

But if you're moving . . .
I feel that a move can be a traumatic incident for a tortoise. I picked my little guy up from my Grandpa, which is maybe a mile car drive and he was shell shocked (pun totally intended). Its nothing that your future tortoise won't get over, but why put it through it more then once if you don't have to?
So I say maybe wait until you have moved, that why when you do get him/her you will be settled and won't have to worry about transporting the other pets.

Hmm, that worries me. Just how rough is the transition? I imagine it would be easier for an adult than for a baby? I don't know if I'll be moving in the near future, but I do know that I am not of a sessile nature! I'll definitely be moving many times throughout my life, so I need pets that can tolerate that tendency. My cat has been through 6 different homes(she grew up with me in a military family; I certainly won't move as much as my family used to), and my tarantulas have been through 3 moves(13 hour drive back and forth between school and my parents' place, back when I was in dorms...my RA said I couldn't have any pets that she could "see, hear, or smell", with a wink) Driving for 13 hours with 10 to 20 tarantulas, and later a cat(didn't bring the cat until I got my apartment) was interesting, especially when in one province stopping meant making sure the animals wouldn't freeze and in the other province stopping meant making sure they didn't get cooked! A couple of my Ts get motion sickness, but other than that everyone settled in quickly. Haven't moved with the snake yet, but was assured by her previous owner that she was good about such changes.

Don't get me wrong, I don't plan on doing a 13 hour move every 2 years or anything like that, but I can't see myself living in one spot for the rest of my life. How well would a tortoise tolerate moves within the same city, or across a province(~5 hours drive tops)?

Mine went with me all the time on trips when they were little. At least once every other month. The important thing is to minimize the stress. I had a travel home and an away home for them when we got to where we were going. It might not have been ideal, but it was better than a turn over death from three days on their back. Moving should not be an issue as long as they stay warm and get set up quickly. Many people say theirs stop eating etc.., when moved. Mine will eat in the car on the way to Houston and they certainly do not miss any meals once they are in their condo at Grandma's, lol.

 

[leigti]

I say go for it! You have done your research and thought through everything thoroughly. You have the resources you need. This species you have chosen and that you have the opportunity to get right now is perfect for you. It is a good size for apartment living and for temporary outdoor set ups. You will be able to give that tortoise a great life, much better life then many tortoises have. Good luck!

 

[microbiolife]

I'm surprised and excited to see that people with real experience with tortoises think I can handle one. I didn't want to try to make the judgement on my own without having any first-hand experience. I'm going to have to do some more research and check out produce prices and whatnot(maybe go see what weeds grow in the woods on campus)... My friends keep telling me to get a dog because I'm good at training them, but I don't think they realize the amount of time and money that dogs demand. A dog really wouldn't have a place in my life unless I made some major changes. A tortoise, however, might work!

If anyone has any further comments, please do post them! I value your opinions.

 

[johnsonnboswell]

My box turtles moved from the northeast to the Midwest to New England and back to the northeast without a hitch. That included cross town moves. Moving isn't an issue.

I'd suggest that you dedicate some space to indoor and balcony gardening to make grazing an option & cut down your foraging time. But definitely get the tortoise.