Greeting! Getting Started in Georgia

[TrennC]

Hello All,
I am very interested in getting into the hobby and have been fervently amassing all the knowledge I can get my hands on. I live in the greater Atlanta Area so my future tortoise will benefit from the southern climate. I am wanting to get in on the ground level with a baby tortoise and learn as I go (obviously a great deal of supplemental researching will be done as well). What got me interested in the caretaking of tortoises was the Sulcata my sister-in-law adopted a few years back. I have kept freshwater aquarium biomes for several years, but the tortoise really peaked my interest.

What species of tortoise would you all recommend I get with my geographical conditions and my experience level.

Thanks!
Trenn

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Welcome, Trenn

 

[wellington]

Hello and Welcome. I figure get what you want as long as you have the room and means, money to provide for it. You have pretty hot and humid conditions, if I'm not mistaken. You can also get pretty cold. So, keep that in mind when thinking about size. A large tort will need a heated shed for winter/cold months.

 

[Paul M Jones]

welcome. I grew up outside atl in Jonesboro, I had a bunch of tortoises that thrived there out doors almost all year round.

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Hi Trenn

 

[GingerLove]

Do you want to house the tortoise indoors or outdoors? Do you want a small tortoise or a large one? Spunky or friendly?

 

[JoesMum]

Even the smallest species need lots of space once they stop being babies. By lots of space I mean 4'x8' minimum indoors and out.

Babies can cope in a vivarium

Redfoots do well in high humidity. I don't know how far you are from Florida but @ZEROPILOT has 2017 hatchlings available

 

[TrennC]

Hello and Welcome. I figure get what you want as long as you have the room and means, money to provide for it. You have pretty hot and humid conditions, if I'm not mistaken. You can also get pretty cold. So, keep that in mind when thinking about size. A large tort will need a heated shed for winter/cold months.

Yes, it can escalate to either end of the spectrum here with hot humid summers (95+) to (on pseudo-rare occasion) snow. What would you project as the average cost per year of caring for the animal (generic estimate)? Obviously, this would change throughout its life so many a baby, juvenile, adult. The largest species I would look at getting would be a Sulcata. I have also considered the red, yellow, and cherry foot torts (which seem more suited to the humidity here), the Mediterainian species (Black Greek, Marginated, Hermans), and the leopard tortoise.

 

[TrennC]

welcome. I grew up outside ATL in Jonesboro, I had a bunch of tortoises that thrived there outdoors almost all year round.

Awesome, great to hear. I'm currently north of mid-town.
What kind of setup did you run in the winter?

 

[wellington]

A high humidity is actually good for most any tort. The sulcata as a hatchling should be raised in a hot and humid closed chamber/enclosure. 80% humidity. Same with most hatchlings. The Redfoot although needs a high humidity are prone to shell rot. A leopard is a great size, raised the same as a sulcata but is not a burrowing species and stays small then the sully.
I couldn't even give a good guess on a yearly cost. I would probably faint if I knew. Mine live in a heated shed for anywhere from 4-6 months. Besides the heater, they all have a basking bulb and lights. My guess is the electric bill is approx 75.00 to 110.00 just their portion for the winter months. Little more if a really cold hard long winter.

 

[TrennC]

Do you want to house the tortoise indoors or outdoors? Do you want a small tortoise or a large one? Spunky or friendly?

I would definitely start them out inside. When the tort gets larger I would like to provide it with an outdoor enclosure when weather permits. I am looking to build a tortoise table out of a vintage harp case (attached) my wife has. it's 8ft long by 3.5ft - 5.75ft wide. As far as large vs small I am open to everything from a Sulcata or smaller. I would say preferably friendly, but I wouldn't rule out spunky.

 

[TrennC]

A high humidity is actually good for most any tort. The sulcata as a hatchling should be raised in a hot and humid closed chamber/enclosure. 80% humidity. Same with most hatchlings. The Redfoot although needs a high humidity are prone to shell rot. A leopard is a great size, raised the same as a sulcata but is not a burrowing species and stays small then the sully.
I couldn't even give a good guess on a yearly cost. I would probably faint if I knew. Mine live in a heated shed for anywhere from 4-6 months. Besides the heater, they all have a basking bulb and lights. My guess is the electric bill is approx 75.00 to 110.00 just their portion for the winter months. Little more if a really cold hard long winter.

Gotcha, Not sure how well a Sulcata would be able to burrow in Georgia clay ( have to keep that in mind). However, If it managed to dig the burrow it would be a sturdy one.
Hahaha, thanks for the honesty and info!

 

[TrennC]

Even the smallest species need lots of space once they stop being babies. By lots of space, I mean 4'x8' minimum indoors and out.

Babies can cope in a vivarium

Redfoots do well in high humidity. I don't know how far you are from Florida but @ZEROPILOT has 2017 hatchlings available

I will be building a tort table for the little guy or gal. I am interested in Redfoots, but I live about seven hours from any part of Florida.

 

[JoesMum]

I will be building a tort table for the little guy or gal. I am interested in Redfoots, but I live about seven hours from any part of Florida.

Babies of any species need a closed chamber, not an open table.

 

[TrennC]

Babies of any species need a closed chamber, not an open table.

Ok, what size vivarium would you recommend?

 

[JoesMum]

Ok, what size vivarium would you recommend?

As big a floor area as you can go. It's the floor area that's important not the number of gallons of water it holds though the 2 are linked.

 

[GingerLove]

That's a really cool vintage harp case. I'm not sure it will work, though. But it's AWESOME!!! And I would recommend getting a red foot tortoise. They are known for being super friendly. However, they do require more humidity if I remember correctly. They grow relatively large (16in).

 

[Yvonne G]

Welcome, Trenn! Have you see this thread:

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/what-species-should-i-get.123008/

 

[Paul M Jones]

Awesome, great to hear. I'm currently north of mid-town.
What kind of setup did you run in the winter?

I had an insulated shed with an radiated oil heater. Temps stayed constant high 80s. Winter nights and mornings they'd be closed in. Buy once the sun came out and it warmed up I'd unlock the doggie door then they had free reign of the yard. On days that stayed cold they would huddle under the mercury bulb to warm up

 

[Stuart S.]

Hello and welcome!