Hello! Tortoise Forum !

[keiraliang]

Hello!

My Name is Keira I am from Taiwan but I live in Texas USA!
I always have pets in my life!(Dog,Bat,frog,bird,fish,shrimp,Lizard,turtle,beetles..)
I don't have any tortoise so far.., but I always want to have some!

For now, I have Red cherry shrimps and some Mickey mouse platy as pet!

So I am new here! and new to tortoise!

Thank you everybody!

 

[tortoisenerd]

Welcome to the group! What kind of tortoise breeds are you interested in? We love photos of all pets, so share away. Best wishes.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Keira:

Texas is wonderful country to have tortoises. Do you have any particular kind in mind?

to the forum!!

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Welcome! What tortoise species are you looking for?

 

[terryo]

Hi Keira. Welcome to the forum.

 

[keiraliang]

I am considering between Herman or Russian or.. Greek right now!

In general, I am looking for a small tortoise (adult Less than 10")
Active personality and easy to take care of!
I like them active because I want my tortoise to walk around in my house! would walk around and come see me!

So I would like to know more about these three species!

for the appearance..I like the Greek best! Shiny and kind of golden
but i don't know if greek torotise is active or not..and if it's harder to take care of.
I heard Herman and Russian are both active and they are good for beginners.
So, Please give me advice! as much as you want !

 

[tortoisenerd]

Those breeds are all great for beginners. Russians are known to be the most friendly, but I don't think there is much of a noticeable difference between the three breeds as far as activity level and personality. A tort not kept correctly will not be as active and personable as one kept in ideal conditions. Things to think about include what breeds are available in your area, if you would be willing to have one shipped, if you want a hatchling or an older tort (I do not recommend hatchlings for beginners as no matter how much research you do, they are very fragile and not as forgiving, but captive bred juvenile and adult torts are harder to find), captive bred or wild caught (most adult torts at pet stores are wild caught, where they have hundreds of torts in a crate stacked on top of each other and they commonly arrive dead and sick), etc. I recommend having an enclosure ready before the tort arrives; most of the time when you have chosen a tort from a breeder or owner they may be willing to hold it for you for a week or whatever so you can get the enclosure/substrate/furnishings/UVB/heat/light. What kind of weather is there where you live? Torts thrive best outdoors. Even a couple hours a day outside a few months of the year is better than nothing, so you would want a chemical free secure (you may need to wire it in to protect from predators) part of a yard for the tort.

Also, I think letting your tort roam the house is a very bad idea. There are many hazards such as dust and hair, it is cold (think of what it would feel like to lie naked on the floor and that is what the tort feels), the tort won't feel safe, etc. When someone lets their tort run around the house that has been in an enclosure, they may appear to be having "fun", running around like crazy, but what I think is happening is that they feel scared and unsafe in the unfamiliar surroundings without places to hide. Have an enclosure large enough that the tort doesn't need to be let out to exercise--an adult tort of the breeds you mention would best thrive in a large enclosure such as 10 sq ft or more; enclosure sizes also need to be increased as the tort grows, so if you get a younger tort, don't start out with the most space you can ever offer it. Torts are the types of pets to observe, not to play with. Remember to have the few hundred dollars saved up for supplies, enclosure, and initial vet costs (check up and fecal test for parasites and any medications that may be necessary) in addition to the purchase price of the tort, along with an emergency fund of as much as you would be willing to spend for potential vet emergencies.

By the way, what are Micky Mouse platy? Best wishes.

 

[andrew71888]

welcome to the forum

 

[Tom]

Welcome. I love fish too! Please post some Platy and shrimp pics for us. I too like the colors of the Greeks and Hermans, but the Russians have been the most outgoing for me. Love all three though.

 

[keiraliang]

Yeah, I heard about hatchlings are harder to take care of..especially to a beginner like me, so I should get a two year old tortoise! I am in Texas.. outdoors temperature is usually around 85F~100F in summer..winter.. sometimes does get colder than 30F but not everyday. Snows two or three times in a year, but snow usually melt in the next day morning. So I think in summer should be good for tortoise. I will prepare the tortoise new home completely before the tortoise come to my house
I went to many pet stores and hardware stores look for lighting and tub for the tortoise. I will buy those thing once I am ready to get tortoise. I don't want them to feel not comfortable or not healthy with me.

Here are some pictures of my fish and shrimp!
They are called mickey mouse platy because they have a mickey mouse on their tail!






And these are back to when they were still baby.. They were just born..

 

[Tom]

Ahhh! Beautiful. Thanks for posting.

 

[spikethebest]

wow sooo cool pictures!!!

 

[Stephanie Logan]

Adorable fish. And I never thought I'd see a "cute" shrimp, so thanks for enlightening me there, too!

Make sure you read the "Regarding Russians" section and the "Enclosures" section to get good ideas for your future tortoise's home. How exciting to be a prospective tortoise keeper. You may want to check online for any Reptile Rescue agencies near you to see about possibly re-homing a Russian tortoise in need instead of purchasing one from a breeder or pet shop.

And DO NOT buy a Sulcata by accident; they are adorable tiny babies that grow up to 150 pounds of giant eating machine and poop dispenser! They get much larger than 10" when full grown...

 

[egyptiandan]

Welcome to the forum Keira

Danny