which one next?

[borjawil]

Ok so Ive taken care of boxes, russians, and now have a sully thats all mine. I am looking to get another tort but dont know of everything thats out there. I'd be looking to get something young and havent really decided if I want a large or smaller tort in the end. I have plenty of room for a larger one though. SO what are some other ones out there? How big do they get? How expensive is a hatchling or younger tort? Pro's Con's?

 

[Neal]

I vote for a leopard tortoise. A lot of people on here have G. pardalis pardalis fever, which is fine and all, but for me I like the babcocki's They range from $75 - $150 or so plus shipping for a hatchling, adults are frequently available from anywhere between $200 - $2000 depending on size and sex. Their care is identical to a sulcata, they will on average stay about 12 inches - 20 inches which I would consider medium size. So if you can't decide on large or small, go with medium!

 

[onarock]

So you have a russian and sulcata. I would probably get another african grazer. You might want to keep "like" tortoises. Even though your not keeping them together it might make it easy for you on the husbandry side seeing you already have one. Having said that, I too would "vote" for a leopard tortoise.

 

[dmmj]

lots of people have a red foot or two (me included) they can get big though so eventually you will need some room, they don't hibernate have a diet similar to boxies and they are cute.

 

[Tom]

Where do you live? I pick species to work with based on my climate to a degree. Its very dry and hot here so sulcatas and leopards are in and redfoots and manouria are out.

And BTW, Neal only says that about the pardalis pardalis because he doesn't have any... yet. Watch his tune change the very first day he gets one... haha

Seriously though, the pardalis pardalis leopards are the most adaptable tort I know of. Very hardy, cold tolerant and easy to care for. And I'm not selling them any more, so now my info can be considered at least somewhat unbiased. (Its still a little biased because I love them so much.) (But that's for very good reasons.)

 

[borjawil]

hmmm i like the idea of a leopard ill look into them

 

[Az tortoise compound]

I vote leopard tortoise as well! As to the sub species, you can't go wrong either way.

 

[borjawil]

ok so i've looked into a few and i think leos are a bit bigger than I was looking for. 18-24'' 40-100lbs.
Redfoots are slightly smaller but I wanted something, since i live in michigan, I can bring in during the winter months. For my sulcata I have a big house/shed but dont want to build another. Herman's, russians, greeks, and boxies are all around 8'' adult size right? I figure those were what i'd choose from since i dont know of any others. Price comes into play and i was looking to breed as well. How much do each of these cost? I used to have a russian that was given to me but it passed from old age. Advice is helpful thanks!

 

[Marty333]

What about pancake torts. They are african tortoises and do not get that big. Plus they have an awesome shell

 

[borjawil]

Im actually partial to the more domed shells. Pancake tortoise look funny to me.

 

[Marty333]

what about a hingeback?

 

[SILVERSTAR]

YOU SHOULD LOOK INTO A BURMESE BLACK OR BROWN TORTOISE,they say they are the most puppy dog like of all the tortoises and the most prehistoric looking,i own a star myself but i almost went for one of the burmese mountain tortoises,its jus sumthing different ya know,thats wut ultimately made my decision clear about choosing the stars,ive always wanted wut no one else has,and even tho alotta people on here have stars i dont actually know anyone who owns a star tortoise but me,i got three freinds who own sulcatas,if you are serious about breeding like you said maybe you are lookin for sumthing out of the norm like i was,but this is where it gets expensive and you have to ask yourself how much you are willing to spend,i spent $550 but to me it was worth it bcuz i also have breeding in mind at sum point so i saved for a while,plus it helps to not jump into a purchase and i commend you for doing your research.........good luck......

 

[borjawil]

no offense but hingebacks are odd? haha. I like the idea of the burmese but they get a bit to big. I think Im going to go for a three toed, possibly a russian, or a redfoot. I like the dome of the box the russian ive had and they're pretty cool, I really like the look of the redfoot but the possible size and price is the issue.

 

[Marty333]

well since you really like high domes what about a greek?

 

[borjawil]

greeks are in there too! Sorry ive made a list and im comparing different habitats, food, etc. Trying to do my research since ill have em till im dead!

 

[PeanutbuttER]

Redfoots are a great tortoise, but they require a different type of care completely.

But, I really like the look of the shell that "curls" almost to the ground, and the colors are hard to find in any other tort. Plus, they are personable and curious torts which are a lot of fun. The medium size is easier to care for than sulcatas for instance.