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I would really like to get a tortoise but Im not sure what kind I want to get. I have limited space and live in Minnesota so it would have to be indoors in the winter. What would you suggest? Thanks in advance

>>I would really like to get a tortoise but Im not sure what kind I want to get. I have limited space and live in Minnesota so it would have to be indoors in the winter. What would you suggest? Thanks in advance

I recommend a russian tortoise. Not very large, tolerant of a wide range of temperatures. And during the winter you could hibernate them, which is easy to do if you have an area in the house that drops into the 40s (but no colder!) and stays there for a couple months.

See www.russiantoroise.net

That should be www.russiantortoise.net

Do you have to hibernate them?

I hear that you don't have to.

But if you purchase wild caught torts, they will be used to hibernating in the wild and will slow down a lot starting in the fall. You can try to keep them awake, but it doesn't always work.

If you buy young captive bred russians, then you can more easily skip hibernation.

Be aware that no matter how hard you try, sometimes they will want to slow down or sleep through part of the winter.

I always let my russians go through a hibernation just because they seem so intent on doing it. It gives them a break, you don't have to feed them a few weeks, and they wake up all fired up and ready to eat in the spring.

sometimes torts will just hibernate on their own, and sometimes they will more or less just be inactive for a while. That's what mine seem to be doing right now. Well, my younger ones aren't acting any different than they did in the summer, but the girls are asleep probably 4 out of 5 days at the moment. Then they wake up, eat, basking, digest, and go back down for a few more days. I'm just trying to let them do their thing right now.

The only problem I have with hibernating torts is that you're usually not giving them any choices (as far as temps and moisture level). I have yet to see any information that really indicates that not hibernating torts is bad for them.

Cherryhead tortoises are hardy and don't get as large as their cousins- the redfoots. They're pretty and personable & Cherryheads don't hibernate.

cherry head redfoots are beautiful tortoises with excellent coloration. Make sure you are getting a real cherry head, and not just a red foot with some red on its face. There is a difference (especially in adult size). True, they do not hibernate. Just make sure that ambient temps are high enough, as well as ambient humidity.

I'm hoping to work with redfoots some time after I'm done with all of this college stuff.

I'd say get a Hermanns. They're every bit as hardy as Russians & mine have SO much more personality than the Russians.

My 5 year old male Russian, that I got when he was 2 months old, has the smoothest shell growth of the bunch, but is down-right MEAN! It's hard to love a critter that hisses when you touch him. The Hermanns let me rub their heads & even do the butt-wiggle when I rub the back of their shells.

Well, I feel I need to defend your poor little Russian <g>. The hissing isn't a mean reaction, it's a frightened reaction. When your tort is frightened it will pull its head into its shell rapidly, and the air that is forced out as it pulls its head in sounds like a hiss. So be gentle with your bashful little russian and give it lots of love, and you'll eventually find out it has way more personality than your hermanns .

Nina

I have to agree. I have three Russians and one male and female are very outgoing and friendly. They will let you touch any part of their body, including the head and feet and seem to enjoy getting "petted."
The second male does hiss and draw his head in when I touch him but I don't find it to be aggression, but fear. He has been that way since I got him, but has made a slight progress, but nothing compared to the other two. Surprisingly, this male will take food from my hand if I approach him slowly and don't startle him.