Nervous soon-to-be shell-daddy

Ray--Opo

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It holds it great, but you have to be careful. I only really need to regularly spritz the basking spot. I have a fogger but don't need to run it, I just blast it for a minute when my tortoise "requests" it (by going to that corner). The biggest struggle was figuring out the heating arrangement because my normal setup wanted to get up to 100F even with the vents open. You also have to do a little bit of sewing if you want more windows.

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That is the kind of set up I believe @Markw84 was selling. To my understanding the price was very reasonable.
 

Cherryshell

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@KarenSoCal @Armadillogroomer I'm really loving the idea of using a grow tent and I suppose this would be useful for any hatchling since all require high humidity.

My wife suddenly decided that she needed to be closer to her family and wants to move to Arizona around this time next year. Clearly there is a drastic difference climate-wise between Northern Va and Phoenix Arizona so if anyone has any recommendations for a small desert species, that'd be super helpful.

Kinda sucks because I was really looking forward to a Cherry Head but probably shouldn't get one until we have a home vs apt where I could set up some kind of outdoor greenhouse for one.
 

TeamZissou

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It will be even harder to maintain the humidity required for a redfoot in Az. Plus, doing a big move in a would just be more difficult with a tortoise. You should spend the next year reading about different species and other care needs specific to the climate.

Here's a supplier in the Phx area that has had good reviews here on the forum:


Different members of the forum breed various species, depending on what you think you'd enjoy keeping.
 

Cherryshell

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If I were to keep in purely indoors, except for the times when the weather would be right, would a Eastern Hermann's tortoise work out? Nothing against Indian or Leopards but the Leopards grow a little larger then I'd be prepared for and the Indian Star's are pricier then what my CFO would approve lol
 

harrythetortoise

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If I were to keep in purely indoors, except for the times when the weather would be right, would a Eastern Hermann's tortoise work out? Nothing against Indian or Leopards but the Leopards grow a little larger then I'd be prepared for and the Indian Star's are pricier then what my CFO would approve lol

Eastern Hermann’s are great temperate species and they tolerate colder temperatures better than some other species. If you want something that stays smaller, Western Hermann’s would be a great choice too, although they may be more expensive than Eastern’s. Another species that stays small and tolerates temperatures well are Russian tortoises - I believe they are reasonably priced too!
Hope this helps:)
 

zovick

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If I were to keep in purely indoors, except for the times when the weather would be right, would a Eastern Hermann's tortoise work out? Nothing against Indian or Leopards but the Leopards grow a little larger then I'd be prepared for and the Indian Star's are pricier then what my CFO would approve lol
If moving to AZ, why not just get a Desert Tortoise? You can probably get one free and they are native to (much of) the area.
 

Cherryshell

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If moving to AZ, why not just get a Desert Tortoise? You can probably get one free and they are native to (much of) the area.

That could totally be an option once we move there if we have the room for it. Would have to be one from a breeder as I wouldn't want to just pluck one up from the wild and toss in my backyard (assuming I have one lol).
 

Toddrickfl1

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That could totally be an option once we move there if we have the room for it. Would have to be one from a breeder as I wouldn't want to just pluck one up from the wild and toss in my backyard (assuming I have one lol).
If I'm not mistaken I think it's illegal to breed them. So you'd have to rescue one.
 

zovick

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That could totally be an option once we move there if we have the room for it. Would have to be one from a breeder as I wouldn't want to just pluck one up from the wild and toss in my backyard (assuming I have one lol).
I was not suggesting taking one from the wild. There are lots of them in captivity and many times the states where they occur are looking for people to adopt them.

AZ does prohibit breeding them, but even so, there are very often animals available to be adopted/rescued from state and local agencies. Here are a few examples from AZ:

 
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Ddflinn

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Hi all,

So I'm in the process of purchasing two hatchling Cherryheads from the Youtuber Kamp Kenan and am really excited (and just as nervous) and I want to be sure they have a great life once they've arrived. I live in Northern Va where it can get pretty humid in the spring and summer, but I'm concerned about where to get their in-door enclosure. I'm not handy enough to build my own and the apartment I'm in isn't super big but I have a spot right in front of a double window that I think would be a perfect spot to set up the tortoise table as it'll get a lot of sunlight. I've been doing a lot of research on these little guys so I know I'll be soaking them daily for roughly a year and will need to mist their enclosure to keep humidity levels high but the enclosures I've seen for sale on Amazon and few other sites either don't seem to handle humidity well or the wood isn't exactly top quality. It'll be several weeks before I get my little guys, they should hatch in a few weeks and then he holds onto them for a few weeks afterwards, so I have some time to get their enclosure set up before the big arrival. I really appreciate any hints, tips, and tricks yall might have!

Thanks!
I love Kamp Kenan. I also love the cherryheads. i saw someone post a indoor greenhouse once. maybe that would work for the humid loving species. can't wait to see pics
 

TeamZissou

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You will be able to make most species work in Az. The temperatures will be more on your side compared to VA, unless you choose to live somewhere like Payson or Flagstaff that gets snow.

The species that would be a challenge would be Aldabra, Galapagos, and Red/Yellowfoot, again, due to the humidity. There was a long time keeper on here from Phoenix who tried to keep Redfoot tortoises but eventually gave up because it was too difficult. He was able raise great looking Indian (and maybe Burmese?) Stars and Radiated tortoises using a heavily planted yard to hold humidity at ground level. As already mentioned, a rescued desert tortoise would be a great option as well since they're native to the area. The downside would be that if you left the state, you'd probably need to re-home it.

Check out all the different species that are available, see what you'd like to keep, read about their needs in different sub-forums. It's all straightforward stuff. Oh yeah, and make sure to buy a place with a decent sized yard!
 

Cherryshell

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I appreciate everyone feedback so far, it has given me a lot to think about! I've been looking through the various care sheets and am absolutely blown away by all the information. I compare what I've read here to what information is out there and can't believe the difference. An example would be the lovely little Eastern Hermann's tortoise. On just about every website these little fellas are described as being the easiest or 2nd easiest (Russian) to take care of but then on here the care sheet says the ambient temp should be 80F at the lowest with roughly 70% with a tortoise table.

Our apartment is usually around 72f during the day and around 68F at night, I'm totally for sweating to lose weight but as a heavier set guy, 80F wouldn't be very comfortable for us lol (helluva way to lose weight through I suppose lol ;) ).
 

harrythetortoise

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I appreciate everyone feedback so far, it has given me a lot to think about! I've been looking through the various care sheets and am absolutely blown away by all the information. I compare what I've read here to what information is out there and can't believe the difference. An example would be the lovely little Eastern Hermann's tortoise. On just about every website these little fellas are described as being the easiest or 2nd easiest (Russian) to take care of but then on here the care sheet says the ambient temp should be 80F at the lowest with roughly 70% with a tortoise table.

Our apartment is usually around 72f during the day and around 68F at night, I'm totally for sweating to lose weight but as a heavier set guy, 80F wouldn't be very comfortable for us lol (helluva way to lose weight through I suppose lol ;) ).

The ambient temperature can be adjusted with a CHE connected to a thermostat, and if you get a closed enclosure maintaining that heat and humidity shouldn't be too difficult.
You don't have to heat up your whole apartment! ;)
 

Yvonne G

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I appreciate everyone feedback so far, it has given me a lot to think about! I've been looking through the various care sheets and am absolutely blown away by all the information. I compare what I've read here to what information is out there and can't believe the difference. An example would be the lovely little Eastern Hermann's tortoise. On just about every website these little fellas are described as being the easiest or 2nd easiest (Russian) to take care of but then on here the care sheet says the ambient temp should be 80F at the lowest with roughly 70% with a tortoise table.

Our apartment is usually around 72f during the day and around 68F at night, I'm totally for sweating to lose weight but as a heavier set guy, 80F wouldn't be very comfortable for us lol (helluva way to lose weight through I suppose lol ;) ).
That's why using a closed enclosure is a good thing. You can get the temperature up to 80F inside the enclosure without having to heat the whole house/room.
 

Cherryshell

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The ambient temperature can be adjusted with a CHE connected to a thermostat, and if you get a closed enclosure maintaining that heat and humidity shouldn't be too difficult.
You don't have to heat up your whole apartment! ;)

So its the CHE that will provide the ambient temp for a tortoise table vs me having to sweat it out in an 80F+ apartment. Awesome, cause I've been sitting here wondering how owning a tortoise isn't some form of weightloss plan lol
 

harrythetortoise

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So its the CHE that will provide the ambient temp for a tortoise table vs me having to sweat it out in an 80F+ apartment. Awesome, cause I've been sitting here wondering how owning a tortoise isn't some form of weightloss plan lol

Oh no, that would have been too hard if that were the case haha.
The key is to have the tortoise in an enclosed space. Rather than a tortoise table, it is recommended to use something like a grow tent or a terarrium, especially if you are going to adopt a hatchling, which requires higher humidity for smooth growth.
 

Cherryshell

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Oh no, that would have been too hard if that were the case haha.
The key is to have the tortoise in an enclosed space. Rather than a tortoise table, it is recommended to use something like a grow tent or a terarrium, especially if you are going to adopt a hatchling, which requires higher humidity for smooth growth.

So basically ignore any article that says a tortoise can be raised in a Tortoise table enclosure lol
 

harrythetortoise

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So basically ignore any article that says a tortoise can be raised in a Tortoise table enclosure lol

Someone will correct me if I am wrong, but at least from what I learned here, hatchlings of any species will thrive in high humidity and will have smooth growth.
A tortoise table MIGHT work with adults of SOME species given the right temp and ambient humidity, but adults will need very large space for walking around, so it will have to be a very large table - in this case it is better to have an outdoor enclosure..
Are you thinking of getting a baby? Did you decide on a species yet?
 

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