One or Three

[NavyDT]

Hello all,
ive been taking care of my leopard tortoise now for a year and ive finally convinced my wife to allow me to get ONE more. initially i wanted to get a GPP because i had "heard" that they were more personable. after reading through the forums more and more i can kinda see the logic behind some peoples statements that "its all relative" because they are much more rare and more expensive people would be more apt to precieve them as more friendly, along with the fact that there are fewer to compare against.

this lead me to my next idea

i got to thinking about it, i mean, if you can take care of one, you can take care of three right? i figure a 79 inch by 39 inch table is plenty big for 3 hatchlings. besides the incease in food, its not like these guys are really require all that much more per animal. you soak one, you soak three, you feed one you feed three. you escape proof an area in the back yard, 3 wolnt cause all that much damage.

so if i can get one GPP for around 300-350 or i can get three GPB's for 375 -425, i mean it triples my chances of

a) getting a friendly one ( reletive to being a tortoise )
b) getting a male ( should be a pretty good chance with 3 )
c) THREE times the TORT FUN ( some might debate "tortoise" fun )

am i crazy or is this the logic that makes people end up with 5 torts?

maybe if we get some good feed back here i can convince her to allow me to get three

Thanks again guys!

 

[Cameron]

go big or go home! if you think you can handle them all, then get three. i don't know enough about the differences between the two leopard species, so if it were me, i would get three. tortoises are more fun in herds!

 

[John]

Hello all,
ive been taking care of my leopard tortoise now for a year and ive finally convinced my wife to allow me to get ONE more. initially i wanted to get a GPP because i had "heard" that they were more personable. after reading through the forums more and more i can kinda see the logic behind some peoples statements that "its all relative" because they are much more rare and more expensive people would be more apt to precieve them as more friendly, along with the fact that there are fewer to compare against.

this lead me to my next idea

i got to thinking about it, i mean, if you can take care of one, you can take care of three right? i figure a 79 inch by 39 inch table is plenty big for 3 hatchlings. besides the incease in food, its not like these guys are really require all that much more per animal. you soak one, you soak three, you feed one you feed three. you escape proof an area in the back yard, 3 wolnt cause all that much damage.

so if i can get one GPP for around 300-350 or i can get three GPB's for 375 -425, i mean it triples my chances of

a) getting a friendly one ( reletive to being a tortoise )
b) getting a male ( should be a pretty good chance with 3 )
c) THREE times the TORT FUN ( some might debate "tortoise" fun )

am i crazy or is this the logic that makes people end up with 5 torts?

maybe if we get some good feed back here i can convince her to allow me to get three

Thanks again guys!

having room for the as hatchlings is not the hurdle,its having space for them as adults that can be a challenge depending on if you can keep em outdoors all year or they have to be indoors.if indoors some considerable space will be needed. just a thought

 

[jeffbens0n]

I agree with John, three would be easy to take care of for several years, but by the time they are all 6 inches they will need alot of room.

 

[John]

just an after thought I have four now and they are in a 5x3 enclousure to me it is getting on the small side,so when the weather gets better I plan too build a 4x16 table they will live there for as long as possible then the next step is they get the whole room which is 12x17.

 

[NavyDT]

i was thinking about the space requirements, me and my wife will always have a fenced back yard which will be just fine in the summer time. plus by the time they are 6 - 7 inches. in say, 4 to 5 years gives me plenty of time to figure something out. i will definently have to talk to the wife about that though.

worst case scenario is i have to convert half a room, or a garage for winter housing. best case scenario is we by then will be in a semi-permanent location and they will have free roam of the back yard.

Squamata - how many torts would you have on a 4 X 16 table and what size?

Very Respectfully,
NavyDT

 

[Az tortoise compound]

am i crazy or is this the logic that makes people end up with 5 torts?

I remember when I only had five

I say go for three if you can feed and house them as adults!

 

[dmarcus]

I say you only live once and if you can care for them all properly, then go for it..

 

[pdrobber]

I say you savor the one. maybe I voted based on my personal situation and choices...if you can accommodate 3 then by all means...

 

[OllieInAZ]

Great question! I'm going through the same thing and apply similar logic. I started with one, got another within a week and am contemplating a third. Economy of scale.

 

[NavyDT]

see im the kinda person who loves to have excuses to build things. im seeing this as a glorious reason to build an over to top tortoise shed in 5 to 10 years you should see my pigdeon loft

Ollieinaz - its like you said economy in scale. i already build means to accomodate the 9 inch female i have now, whats a few more right? there already covered in the construction costs.

has anyone ever built a double decker tortoise table?

 

[jaizei]

has anyone ever built a double decker tortoise table?

I think I've seen one around here somewhere.

 

[Laura]

3 times the vet bills.. if you can afford that and the possiblity of 3 different enclosures,, then DO IT!

 

[Yvonne G]

At one time I had 2.4 in the same pen. It was a large pen and well-planted. I would occasionally see some pushing and shoving between the two largest females, but basically they all got along together pretty well.

Normally tortoises (except redfoots) don't seem to like being with other tortoises, but it doesn't seem to bother my leopards.

 

[NavyDT]

thats a good point emysemys, maybe if i get them at the same time they will be used to each other, instead of having different sizes and unfamiliar tortoises at a later date. im thinking i might push the idea to the admiral.

thanks for everyone input!

Very Respectfully,
NavyDT

 

[CtTortoiseMom]

I think if you want 3 and you think you can handle it then go for it. Post lots of pics so that I can live vicariously through you

I tried to find pics of your leopard but could not really find any. Can you please post some? I have a female Leo around the same size as yours, and she lives in a two story enclosure. Best of luck!

 

[NavyDT]

Here are some pictures of "Dona"

* note that her shell was like that since i got her.

 

[allenleaann]

Each new addition adds a new responsibility, if you can do it, then do it!

 

[DocNezzy]

Going with the crowd. If you have the space and the money, go for 3. I have 2 already. Now I want 2 radiated!

 

[coreyc]

If you have the room when they are adults and can afford every thing that comes with it then go for it.