Hello!

[Leslie S]

Hi,
My name is Leslie and I live in NJ. My daughter and I are strongly considering adding a tortoise to our family. We are just beginning to gather information and trying to learn as much about tortoises (which type would be the best for our family) and what type of habitat our small house would be able to accommodate. Our main concern at the moment is identifying the right breed for us. We are looking for a tortoise that will not grow too big, though we understand that the habitat will need to be considerable size in order for him to be happy. We are hoping to find a male, as my daughter has already chosen the name "Clyde" : ) Next step is more research, and finding a breeder (as turtles cannot be sold in NJ, I am assuming we will have to leave the state to purchase a tortoise as well) Any advice on which breeds tend to stay smaller in adulthood would be appreciated.
Thank you.

 

[sibi]

Hi and welcome! I lived in Jersey for a number of years back in the late seventies. I've been in Florida now for 28 years now and I have 4 sulcatas, the third largest tortoise in the world. Sulcatas are definitely not what you're looking for. The Hermann's species is a small tortoise that's manageable. Greeks and Russians are smaller than sulcatas by far, but can get big too. Needless to say, all need a good amount of space and some hibernate while others don't. The intro to this forum can give you a good idea what you may be looking for. Just search the various species and happy hunting

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Hello Leslie

 

[Yvonne G]

Welcome to the Forum, Leslie!

 

[RosemaryDW]

Welcome!

 

[Speedy-1]

Hi and welcome Leslie !

 

[Leslie S]

Hi and welcome! I lived in Jersey for a number of years back in the late seventies. I've been in Florida now for 28 years now and I have 4 sulcatas, the third largest tortoise in the world. Sulcatas are definitely not what you're looking for. The Hermann's species is a small tortoise that's manageable. Greeks and Russians are smaller than sulcatas by far, but can get big too. Needless to say, all need a good amount of space and some hibernate while others don't. The intro to this forum can give you a good idea what you may be looking for. Just search the various species and happy hunting

Thanks Sylvia, and will have a look at the beginners forum. Leslie

 

[Lyn W]

Hi Leslie and welcome, you are very wise to research first I had a very steep learning curve when I became an accidenta l keeper. There are lots of caresheets for the different species which will tell you all about diet, temps humidity and substrate etc to help you decide which is best for your circumstances and you'll be able to have everything set up and your temps/ humidity correct before he arrives. Pet shops operate for profit and have been known to sell unsuitable or unnecessary but expensive equipment so if you check what you need here first you will save a bit of cash and make sure your tort is as safe as possible.

 

[Gillian M]

Hi @Leslie S and a very warm welcome to the forum.

Please read the "Beginners Mistakes" Thread and ask any question. We are here to help!

True; no matter how small the tort, he/she needs ample space. The larger the enclosure the better. Torts are used to living in the wild where they roam around without red lights/borders.

Don't forget to post pics once you choose the tort. Good luck!

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Hello, Leslie, and a very warm welcome to Tortoise Forum.
Greeks are quite small and manageable.
But i'm biased.