Buying a tortoise! ADVICE NEEDED!

[anm1221]

Hello!
I just recently Graduated and I've been talking about getting/wanting a tortoise for a long time. so My dad came to me and said how about we get you a tortoise. I don't live with my dad so I tried to explain to him that buying a tortoise isn't exactly the cheapest thing. some tortoises cost $100 and upward and you have to buy their habitat which depending can cost some decent money too. He said he was at pets mart and saw a good size terrarium with everything needed for a little over $100 i said yea dad see what I mean by expensive he said he didn't care that I needed to just look for a pets store and or a good online tortoise place so that we could go ahead and buy a tortoise and we could go and get the terrarium, so Here we are. I Live in Maryland and am looking to get one of the smaller breeds (Russian, Greek,Herman) Many have told me to buy a russian but i just would really appreciate any advice you have to offer.

My 2 questions are

• Does anyone know of good pet stores in Maryland that sell Tortoises?
• Do you know of good Online stores or breeders that sell Tortoises?

 

[johnsonnboswell]

Don't get a terrarium. It's way too small. Do your research on whatever type of tortoise you decide to get. Don't consider pet stores as a source of reliable information. The light bulb you want will run you $50 every year forever, so factor that in.

 

[alysciaingram]

I met a breeder who does amazing work here in FL and ships his torts.

http://m.facebook.com/KampKenan?id=527122883977897&refsrc=http://www.google.com/search&_rdr

He's fantastic and responds to questions, does videos on how to's. plus I'm pretty sure you and your dad could make something cheaper and better for your tort than a "all in one" kit at petco!

 

[missjenny202]

I was given a "free" Russian tortoise a few months ago. The lightbulbs are $65 each and we're on our 2nd one. My tort has been sick so we had to go to the vet today. So, it has been anything but free! So please do your research and make sure that you have some money set aside for his care.

 

[anm1221]

Thanks! does any one know of any where else that happens to be good with tortoises and where to get a suitable habitat for one
anything yuo know about buying a tortoise from anywhere and startying off with a habitat would be great to knw

 

[RosieRedfoot]

Best habitats are either custom built to allow proper humidity, heat, safety, or outdoors (safety and temps are big concerns here too). Some people use bookshelves or large Rubbermaid tubs as indoor enclosures.

You will need a large enclosure, something like 3-4 ft by 6-8 feet if planning on housing indoors.

A source of uv light to mimic the sun (if kept inside, real supervised sunlight trips outside on warm enough days). Don't use coil cfl bulbs. Don't hang bulbs at an angle (or clamped due to fire risk).

A quality diet of greens/supplements.

Substrate such as coco coir, untreated soil free of perlite and fertilizer, sphagnum moss (can vary what works best depending on species)... Do not use sand, newspaper, wood shavings, etc.

A water dish that can be walked into but not risk drowning (plant saucers work well).

A good thermometer, hygrometer, and ideally a temperature gun to check temps when outside to make sure the shell isn't heating up too much.

Ideally you should have a reptile savvy vet nearby for fecal testing/emergencies/exams.

Take a look around on here to research the type of tortoise you prefer and that fits into your climate/requirements.

While cute, they cost a LOT more than the $100 enclosure/$100 tortoise estimate you gave. My redfoot cost about $130 herself, spent about $400 on the enclosure with soil, plants, temperature gauges, humidifier, lighting... Have the constant cost of feeding and calcium supplements, as well as energy cost of running all the lamps/heat emitter. And like said before, the uv bulbs that a lot prefer (powersun mercury vapor bulb) are $50+ a year.

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The for sale section on here has torts available as well. Can always check with local rescues/classifieds as well. Just be forewarned there is a lot of bad tortoise care info out there so if you get one second-hand, check with others on here to verify on correct care first!

 

[wellington]

Save some money and get yourself a cheap used book shelf and turn it on its back, take out the shells, maybe some reinforce and a shower curtain liner and you have a nice size enclosure to start with. Also, depending on the size of your tort, you can n
Buy the large plastic tot boxes and make the enclosure out of that. Most likely the stuff they are selling with the terrarium isn't what should be used. Do not use their water dishes, or coil bulbs. No heat rocks or plastic grass or carpets. Russians make good first torts. The ones at pet stores are usually wild caught adults for around 85-90. Use plain pesticide and fertilizer free dirt, make a hide from scrap wood, get a fluorescent UVB bulb, a clay or plastic saucer, the kind that goes under flower pots and a piece of tile or flat rock to feed him on. Add a few plants to eat and hide in and you should be good to go. That's just the inside enclosure though. You should make him a summer outside enclosure, that's even cheaper. Good luck.

 

[anm1221]

My dad wants to buy me the tortoise and all because of me graduating he wants it to be a present. I Told him they can run 100 and up and told him the enclosure is also important he told me to look around and try to find a good place to buy one and when i said we might spend 3-4 hundred dollars he said that isnt much and i was lke well... ok...

 

[jeffstort]

Russian tortoises are great they are fun to have and have lots of personality

 

[anm1221]

I keep hearing that lo maybe I should go wit a russian

 

[jeffstort]

I do think they are great but then again I have never had any of those other breeds but so far I think Russians are a great starter they are forgiving for small mistakes and have lots of personality

 

[anm1221]

yes, ive heard that for my first time i should go with a russian someone has also mentioned elongated tortoises

 

[bigred]

You can look into tortoisesupply Im not sure what they have right now but chek out the website. I have bought from them and alot of others on this forum

 

[Lstrayer92]

You can try LLLreptiles I bought russian from them a month or so ago. She's great! And very healthy and the price wasn't bad at all I paid 130 total. And also getting a 50 gallon Rubbermaid storage bin is a good and cheap enclosure I have two Russians and they each have one. I got them at Home Depot for around 20-22 dollars each

 

[mike taylor]

Look at the enclosure threads there is a bunch of good cheap enclosures.

Sent from my C771 using TortForum mobile app

 

[s.w.larkin]

While I was investigating my start up for my Russian, Amazon.com had the best pricing on lighting and heating sources.

 

[lvstorts]

I gotta weigh in here...I'm biased to Greek Iberas vs. Russians. I think Iberas have lots more color and pattern than Russians. Check them out.

Wherever you decide to buy from I recommend the following guidelines:

Is the tort captive bred? Are the parents on site? How long have they had it? If the answer is a couple months or no answer at all its probably a reseller. I disagree with how resellers do business in principle. You can never verify what you are getting. Will the seller provide pictures of the actual animal you will receive? Top, bottom, sides. Will the seller spend as much time answering questions and providing advice as you need? Will the seller provide follow-up advice and support?

My first tortoise purchase on-line was a disaster and was heartbreaking. Since that experience I follow the above guidelines and if I don't get that level of information, I don't buy from them. Now that I'm a hobbiest and have sold some hatchlings (and placed rescues) I always follow my own advice and make sure the buyer knows exactly what they are in for. In some instances I've refused sales because I didn't feel the buyer was serious enough to provide proper care.

Hope this helps...

 

[anm1221]

You can try LLLreptiles I bought russian from them a month or so ago. She's great! And very healthy and the price wasn't bad at all I paid 130 total. And also getting a 50 gallon Rubbermaid storage bin is a good and cheap enclosure I have two Russians and they each have one. I got them at Home Depot for around 20-22 dollars each

Thanks yea I'm sure that will be much cheaper than the starter kit my dad is talking about. I"ve heard russians are bursting with personality so im considering them greatly.

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Look at the enclosure threads there is a bunch of good cheap enclosures.

Sent from my C771 using TortForum mobile app

thanks ill be sure to look around ive been rummaging around online and have seen many creative ways to make an enclosure

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While I was investigating my start up for my Russian, Amazon.com had the best pricing on lighting and heating sources.

thanks i'll be sure to check that out

---

I gotta weigh in here...I'm biased to Greek Iberas vs. Russians. I think Iberas have lots more color and pattern than Russians. Check them out.

Wherever you decide to buy from I recommend the following guidelines:

Is the tort captive bred? Are the parents on site? How long have they had it? If the answer is a couple months or no answer at all its probably a reseller. I disagree with how resellers do business in principle. You can never verify what you are getting. Will the seller provide pictures of the actual animal you will receive? Top, bottom, sides. Will the seller spend as much time answering questions and providing advice as you need? Will the seller provide follow-up advice and support?

My first tortoise purchase on-line was a disaster and was heartbreaking. Since that experience I follow the above guidelines and if I don't get that level of information, I don't buy from them. Now that I'm a hobbiest and have sold some hatchlings (and placed rescues) I always follow my own advice and make sure the buyer knows exactly what they are in for. In some instances I've refused sales because I didn't feel the buyer was serious enough to provide proper care.

Hope this helps...

thanks! Yes I've been considering all the smaller species that ive heard good things about such as the Hermann's, Greeks, and Russians. I almost bought a Greek from Petsmart one time but when I asked for information they could not give me much. they didn't know how old the tortoises were or what sex they were for sure they said they were pretty sure they were males, they couldn't give me enough information and i was not satisfied at all. I've bought from turtleshack before and that ended in a disaster also so i can understand where you are coming from when it comes to online sellers and heartbreaks.

 

[Jlant85]

All the torts above are great! Look around for the age of 2-3... Start out small!! Wouldn't be another year or two when they start getting bigger and then you can worry bout a bigger enclosure. I bought the zoo med tort house and they usually go for $100... Craigslist it! Saves you more... Some even comes with lighting. When my tort got bigger that's when I built an outdoor enclosure. Just keep doing research online or ask around in this forum. Everyone is more than willing to help you out. This just my thoughts about it.

 

[anm1221]

All the torts above are great! Look around for the age of 2-3... Start out small!! Wouldn't be another year or two when they start getting bigger and then you can worry bout a bigger enclosure. I bought the zoo med tort house and they usually go for $100... Craigslist it! Saves you more... Some even comes with lighting. When my tort got bigger that's when I built an outdoor enclosure. Just keep doing research online or ask around in this forum. Everyone is more than willing to help you out. This just my thoughts about it.

thanks many have given some great advice! also I am unsure of wether to start with a baby or with a slightly older turtle.