Trouble Finding a Tortoise To Own

littlelotti24

Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2016
Messages
41
Hello, needing so input please. I have been planning/thinking/researching about bringing a tortoise into my home and after 8+ months I think I'm ready however, the breeds I am open to is Mediterranean torts, Hermanns, Russians etc. Naturally over this time I started looking into where I would get my tortoise from and being as I rescue animals that's what I would want. To adopt and rescue one. But I'm having a really hard time, I have searched every state within 100 miles of my state and I found 1 only 1 Russian about 6 hours away(which I can't do) and the post online said it was less than a year old but this tort looked around 3-5 he was large and very aged looking so I def don't know why she's lying but that's a red flag. I don't care how old the tort is I get!!!! Older the better really haha but she's sketchy Anyway......I've been in contact with a family owned pet shop and they have of course babies for sale at a decent price but I hate to do it, but I also have waited so long and truly want a tortoise, and I've wanted one for yearsssss but it was never right time until this year. I found about 100 sliders that need homes which is awful! But I don't want turtles. It really seems that Russians and Hermanns are not given up often or something at least not near me. What should I do? What would you do?
Thanks
 

littlelotti24

Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2016
Messages
41
I should add, Hermanns is what I would choose if I could be specific but again I would gladly rescue a Russian I just can't find anything.
 

Big Charlie

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jul 28, 2015
Messages
2,801
Location (City and/or State)
California
Have you checked out the Adoptions section of the forum? Where are you located?
 

Gillian M

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Aug 28, 2014
Messages
15,417
Location (City and/or State)
Jordan
Hello, needing so input please. I have been planning/thinking/researching about bringing a tortoise into my home and after 8+ months I think I'm ready however, the breeds I am open to is Mediterranean torts, Hermanns, Russians etc. Naturally over this time I started looking into where I would get my tortoise from and being as I rescue animals that's what I would want. To adopt and rescue one. But I'm having a really hard time, I have searched every state within 100 miles of my state and I found 1 only 1 Russian about 6 hours away(which I can't do) and the post online said it was less than a year old but this tort looked around 3-5 he was large and very aged looking so I def don't know why she's lying but that's a red flag. I don't care how old the tort is I get!!!! Older the better really haha but she's sketchy Anyway......I've been in contact with a family owned pet shop and they have of course babies for sale at a decent price but I hate to do it, but I also have waited so long and truly want a tortoise, and I've wanted one for yearsssss but it was never right time until this year. I found about 100 sliders that need homes which is awful! But I don't want turtles. It really seems that Russians and Hermanns are not given up often or something at least not near me. What should I do? What would you do?
Thanks

A warm welcome to the forum!

Am no tort expert, but please allow me to say that I have read that Russian torts are the easiest to deal with.

Good luck, and please keep us updated.
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
TFO Admin
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,405
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
Contact Julie McGuire at the Turtle Rescue of Long Island. She ships. And watch craigslist.com. Tortoises come up for sale all the time there. I know that's not the same as "rescuing" one, but, believe me, after reading some of those craigs list ads, you truly would be rescuing the animal.
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,265
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
Russians and hermanni are both valuable animals. They don't need to be "rescued" because people can easily sell them and get their money back out of them. Supply is relatively low and demand is relatively high, unlike red eared sliders where supply is very high and demand is low. Why would somebody give away a hermanni for free when they can sell it for a couple hundreds dollars with no problem?

I would not usually buy from a pet shop, but rewarding captive breeders is a great idea anyway you look at it. When people captive breed russian tortoises, that is fewer tortoises that will need to be captured and imported from the wild. If enough people CB russians and the market demand can be met, we will voluntarily stop importing wild ones before it becomes illegal and the species becomes depleted in the wild.

There are many good russian breeders right here on this forum who care for their adults and babies very well. I've personally done business with @Carol S and @kanalomele , and I recommend both of them with an A+ rating, but there are many others here who I would also not hesitate to buy from.
 

Carol S

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Jun 2, 2009
Messages
2,721
Location (City and/or State)
Alta Loma, CA
Russians and hermanni are both valuable animals. They don't need to be "rescued" because people can easily sell them and get their money back out of them. Supply is relatively low and demand is relatively high, unlike red eared sliders where supply is very high and demand is low. Why would somebody give away a hermanni for free when they can sell it for a couple hundreds dollars with no problem?

I would not usually buy from a pet shop, but rewarding captive breeders is a great idea anyway you look at it. When people captive breed russian tortoises, that is fewer tortoises that will need to be captured and imported from the wild. If enough people CB russians and the market demand can be met, we will voluntarily stop importing wild ones before it becomes illegal and the species becomes depleted in the wild.

There are many good russian breeders right here on this forum who care for their adults and babies very well. I've personally done business with @Carol S and @kanalomele , and I recommend both of them with an A+ rating, but there are many others here who I would also not hesitate to buy from.

Thank you Tom.
 

littlelotti24

Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2016
Messages
41
I checked craigslist first then all my animal rescues, then all the shelters, then all the reptile rescues in my surrounding states and only thing I found was tons of sliders :( tortoises just became legal here this year so there aren't any needing homes apparently bc no one has been keeping them. :)
 

littlelotti24

Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2016
Messages
41
@Tom of I understand they are valued! But I do disagree there are several diff species I see that do need rescuing after being neglected. There was one online that's she'll was so bad he didn't look like a tort anymore. So sad. Thank you for the help :)
 

littlelotti24

Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2016
Messages
41
Russians and hermanni are both valuable animals. They don't need to be "rescued" because people can easily sell them and get their money back out of them. Supply is relatively low and demand is relatively high, unlike red eared sliders where supply is very high and demand is low. Why would somebody give away a hermanni for free when they can sell it for a couple hundreds dollars with no problem?

I would not usually buy from a pet shop, but rewarding captive breeders is a great idea anyway you look at it. When people captive breed russian tortoises, that is fewer tortoises that will need to be captured and imported from the wild. If enough people CB russians and the market demand can be met, we will voluntarily stop importing wild ones before it becomes illegal and the species becomes depleted in the wild.

There are many good russian breeders right here on this forum who care for their adults and babies very well. I've personally done business with @Carol S and @kanalomele , and I recommend both of them with an A+ rating, but there are many others here who I would also not hesitate to buy from.



Thanks :) and I agree breeders over Wild caught everytime, but I have found a couple tortoises needing a home that were too large for me, and I never expected one to be "free". But sometimes they do have a lower adoption cost if you get from a rescue :) thanks again
 

littlelotti24

Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2016
Messages
41
Contact Julie McGuire at the Turtle Rescue of Long Island. She ships. And watch craigslist.com. Tortoises come up for sale all the time there. I know that's not the same as "rescuing" one, but, believe me, after reading some of those craigs list ads, you truly would be rescuing the animal.


Thank you very much :)
 

BrianWI

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Oct 31, 2011
Messages
1,001
Location (City and/or State)
Wisconsin
I checked craigslist first then all my animal rescues, then all the shelters, then all the reptile rescues in my surrounding states and only thing I found was tons of sliders :( tortoises just became legal here this year so there aren't any needing homes apparently bc no one has been keeping them. :)
There are Russians here all the time on craigslist. I have one I am thinking of taking in myself. Like 2-3 every week.
 

KaitlinKeefe_

Active Member
5 Year Member
Today is my birthday!
Joined
Jul 17, 2013
Messages
391
Location (City and/or State)
Castleton, VT
I got my Russian a couple of weeks ago shipped from a great guy in Florida. send me a message if you are interested in his contact information.

he really cares about his animals and does an amazing job at shipping.

I didn't realize carol had Russians though!
 

Carol S

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Jun 2, 2009
Messages
2,721
Location (City and/or State)
Alta Loma, CA
I got my Russian a couple of weeks ago shipped from a great guy in Florida. send me a message if you are interested in his contact information.

he really cares about his animals and does an amazing job at shipping.

I didn't realize carol had Russians though!

Yes, I have 27 hatchlings so far this year.
 

littlelotti24

Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2016
Messages
41
I got my Russian a couple of weeks ago shipped from a great guy in Florida. send me a message if you are interested in his contact information.

he really cares about his animals and does an amazing job at shipping.

I didn't realize carol had Russians though!


Thank you :) I'm gonna keep my eyes peeled for a Hermanns, that's really the goal :) thanks
 

Linhdan Nguyen

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 29, 2016
Messages
1,790
Location (City and/or State)
Maryland
I havent seen any Hermanns on craiglist, but there are a lot of Russians on craigslist, like Yvonne mentioned, they're usually a fee (since its being sold), but after seeing the enclosure of many, i consider it rescuing, and like Brian, I want to save every tortoise i see posted on craigslist.
and I would ask about shipping, if its in a state far away. I feel like sulcatas and russians are the ones owners give away most. It seems like that here in Maryland anyway
 

littlelotti24

Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2016
Messages
41
I havent seen any Hermanns on craiglist, but there are a lot of Russians on craigslist, like Yvonne mentioned, they're usually a fee (since its being sold), but after seeing the enclosure of many, i consider it rescuing, and like Brian, I want to save every tortoise i see posted on craigslist.
and I would ask about shipping, if its in a state far away. I feel like sulcatas and russians are the ones owners give away most. It seems like that here in Maryland anyway


Same here! I have found 2 within 6hours of me, both $200 and $250 but no other ones besides those 2.
 

Linhdan Nguyen

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 29, 2016
Messages
1,790
Location (City and/or State)
Maryland
Same here! I have found 2 within 6hours of me, both $200 and $250 but no other ones besides those 2.
i'm sure you could do a "or best offer" and say you want to pay lower. I dont think russians in the pet store are that expensive. But also, sometimes they ask that you take the lamps and lighting with the tortoise too, hence the extra $50-$100
 
Top