help on.tortoises... my first one

[sammi-hislop]

Hi, im planning on getting my first tortoise. I need help. Whats best baby or.adult? Male or.female? And can anyone recomend the best type? Any help/advice would be appreciated. Thanks. Sammi

 

[wellington]

Hello and Welcome There are a few great first tortoises. The Russian, Greek and Hermanns. An adult or older young one, around 1 or older is easier then a hatchling upto 1 year. Read the threads about the three torts I mentioned and see if you would be I the interested in one of them.

 

[stinax182]

there is a perfect tortoise out there for everyone! you just have to do your research first! i agree with what was said above. i have a Russian tortoise and he's great. all 3 species are unique in their own way and are very forgiving to mistakes we as owners sometimes make.

do your research on hatchling care. they are harder to care for but if you KNOW you can handle it then it's a great investment. if you are unsure, then get a yearling. they are still small but are much easier and less time consuming than a hatchling. some of these creatures live to be 50+ years old so a lot of people want to start them out correctly. i personally have acquired all my tortoises from owners who can not, for whatever reason, care for their pet any longer.

 

[MasterOogway]

I would go with an adult from a breeder that you know has kept the species seperate from others types. I would also make sure it was captive raised.

 

[mainey34]

First off. Hello and welcome....I would say, whatever you choose. Hatchlings are harder to care for and there are no guarantees. If you get one say 6 months it would be about the same, but you know they have been started pretty good by then. A yearling is pretty much safe and older then that is a lot easier. As far as what species. I would say that would be your preference. There are different types. Yes, there are beginners torts which are very forgiving, like Russians. But then there are Indian star torts that even I would not try to care for at this point. My point being you need to decide how much time you are willing to put into your new friend. Its your decision..

 

[TortoiseWorld]

Welcome to the forum.
Tortoises are great! They look cool, move and climb cool and eat cool
Their gender doesn't matter but if you get more than one tortoise and house them together, then it's best to get all females. When choosing a species you should do a lot of research first. Some species like Stars need a constant warmth, humidity and good lighting but Burmese Mountain tortoises need a higher humidity but not as warm and less light as the stars. These are things you must consider before buying a tortoise because you first need to build a proper enclosure. I read a Russian tortoise is easier to keep than the ones I've mentioned, but I really don't know much about other species. Every species has slightly different diet, lighting, heat, humidity needs. So really research the one you want. I think the mountain tortoises are awesome but you need a huge enclosure like a small bedroom. My advice is get what you really want, then you will be more motivated to take good care of it. Plan on spending a lot of time and money on them

 

[Creedence]

Welcome to the forum I agree with a lot of what everyone has said so far. Babies are considered more difficult, as they're just really fragile and can go downhill fast. But if you do a whole bunch of reading/homework and feel ready, go for it. I personally opted out of a hatchling Russian and got a two year old. I think the biggest thing you should know is the amount of space any tortoise needs, even smaller species. Russians especially are "high energy." I've heard them compared to tiny sulcatas. Mine has a rather large pen in my backyard. Anyways, good luck, do your reading, and I hope you get your new one soon

 

[kanalomele]

Welcome to tfo! As others have mentioned there are a few small and hardy species that are excellent choices for beginners. I recommend highly doing lots and lots of reading. Take a few days and explore the caresheets and individual threads related to the species you become interested in. I personally love my Russians, big personality in a small package.

 

[AZtortMom]

Welcome to the forum! Torts are awesome! I fell in love with the Sulcatas before I knew what I was getting into, but thankfully I found this forum and did lots of reading before I did any harm to my babies
Do lots and lots of research and remember they are a forever friend of 50+ years..

 

[sammi-hislop]

Hello and Welcome There are a few great first tortoises. The Russian, Greek and Hermanns. An adult or older young one, around 1 or older is easier then a hatchling upto 1 year. Read the threads about the three torts I mentioned and see if you would be I the interested in one of them.

Thanks i will do. Ive seen the Russian ones are quite popular