Which tortoise species?

[Bijan]

Hi guys. I would love to hear your opinions on possible tortoise species.

I live in an apartment. It has a balcony that gets plenty of sun.

I currently live in San Jose which gets to be around 75 on average and dry in the summer and in the 50s and wet in the winter. I plan on housing outdoors in summer and bringing him/her in during the winter.
I have a question though. I'm very nervous about keeping a tortoise outdoors in the summer- the temperature fluctuates a lot during the day. A species that is really sensitive to slight fluctuations may not do well.

I have never owned a tortoise before and plan on (hopefully ) adopting an adult or subadult.
Just from a little bit of reading it looks like the ones that would do best are the Russian, Hermann's, Greek, & Redfoot. Although I know the redfoot like it wet and would require a larger enclosure.

Which species would you recommend for someone new to tortoises in my situation?
Thanks

 

[abra]

Hmm...I like the Russians. I just got my little guy two weeks ago and he's so cute There very popular for first time tortoise owners and there's a lot of information on them. Here's one of the best sites:

http://russiantortoise.org/

They're a smaller tortoise so they don't need to much room. Most tortoise breeds, not all, but torts like Russians need humidity so when it's hot and dry you'll have to soak him but that's not too hard, you can just mist him.

 

[Balboa]

You've picked some of the better ones for your situation. Redfoots do get much larger than most apartment dwellers can handle, it takes some time though, so as long as you are SURE you will have a house in the near future they could work.

In their natural environment redfoots do not see much variation in temperature (at least as far as my understanding goes). Personally, I think its important to keep mine in the most consistant conditions as I can (with a mild temperature drop at night). That being said, many redfoot keepers in California keep theirs outdoors virtually year round to my understanding and they seem to do fine.

If I had chosen my tortoises instead of them being chosen for me, I'd have definately started with a Herman's or Greek. Just seem to be much easier to provide for. Redfoots are a heck of a lot of work. I also live in a terrible place to keep them though, washington state.

 

[Snapper]

greek or hermann

 

[Bijan]

Thanks guys!

Esp. to Balboa. Yeah I think I'll X the Redfoots from the list. I feel guilty not giving such a big tortoise plenty of room too.

So now the ones left seem to be Russian, Greek, & Hermann's.

Any opinions? I hear they're good for beginners. I will do some heavy research before adopting, but this should cut some of my time when it comes to deciding

 

[onarock]

g.platynota.(burmese star). they can handle cooler temps. they thrive in dry weather. females get around 13". males 11"
I love them.

 

[GBtortoises]

A Russian tortoise would be a good choice, as would an Eastern or Dalmatian Hermann's. Some Middle Eastern Greek subspecies stay relatively small. But some do get a bit larger as do Northern Mediterranean Ibera Greeks.
Redfoots are also great tortoises but do get a bit larger as adults and have some different care requirements than the above listed suggestions.

Russians are very hardy, adaptable and if you're patient and search Craigslist you can probably find one very inexpensive or even free. I personally am always in favor of giving an "unwanted" tortoise a home rather than purchasing one from a pet shop if you can find the species that you're looking for.

This site and www.russiantortoise.org can provide you with care information and advice.

 

[Snapper]

I think it's a matter of personal preference. I started off wanting a russian, but then somebody suggested a greek, and after researching them, you couldn't convince me to get anything else. I like everything about my tort. It is pretty, will stay a small size AND doesn't need to hibernate, which I preferred. Research the few left you have narrowed it down to, and you will come to a decision that is best for you.