Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello. I've been wanting a turtle or tortoise for a while, but am not sure what I want. Turtles are cute, but I think I'm aiming for a tortoise. I want something small with a nice disposition. I live in Wisconsin and would like to at least take it outdoors on nice days. (My future husband wants me to bring my 2yo 100 lb husky-malamute mix when I move in with him, so I wouldn't be leaving them outside together just to be safe.) I'm also leaning towards something that doesn't need to hibernate because I'm not sure how to handle that.
I'm nowhere close to being able to afford another reptile right now, but I want to have a good idea of what I want to avoid impulse buys when I do have the money. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

You might want to see how your dog reacts to a tortoise.Some dogs mall tortoises.They can be protectors or something bad.It could be the best or worst thing you ever deside to do.You might be able to test a tortoise on him if you can find a vollenteer. My tortoise protecting dog Hunter a Golden Retriver just died last week.I'm scared to death about getting another,but I have to have one or Racoons will show up and eat the feet off the tortoises.He had a 13year 100% no preditor attact record. Your Husky may be up to some big game there. Vic

Vic, if you are looking for a good stock protector dog you should look into english shepherds (not old english shepherds). They tend to have a natural want to gaurd your creatures and are awesome
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aquariphiles.com-where I blog about aquarium stuff

What is Wisconsin weather like? Is it hot and humid or dry and hot? What are average temps throughout the year and what are average humidity levels? It would be best to match a tortoise that would do well in your climate, at least during the summer Since you would be housing it indoors part of the time, how much space can you give one? A 6 inch tortoise requires more room than most people realize. Rather than risking the dog near the tortoise, why not build an outdoor enclosure that the dog (or other animals) cannot get into. If you do some google searches for tortoise enclosures you will get a lot of different ideas for both indoor and outdoor enclosures. In general russian and hermanns tortoises are pretty easy to keep happy and are hardy and have good temperaments. They usually don't get bigger than 6 to 8 inches.

>>Hello. I've been wanting a turtle or tortoise for a while, but am not sure what I want. Turtles are cute, but I think I'm aiming for a tortoise. I want something small with a nice disposition. I live in Wisconsin and would like to at least take it outdoors on nice days. (My future husband wants me to bring my 2yo 100 lb husky-malamute mix when I move in with him, so I wouldn't be leaving them outside together just to be safe.) I'm also leaning towards something that doesn't need to hibernate because I'm not sure how to handle that.
>>I'm nowhere close to being able to afford another reptile right now, but I want to have a good idea of what I want to avoid impulse buys when I do have the money. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
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aquariphiles.com-where I blog about aquarium stuff

As I said, I want something small so I can house it mainly indoors. My husky-malamute, also part timber wolf, is very playful. Like all other huskies, he likes to chase things. He also recently killed a possum. I have no idea how he would react, and I'm scared of that. He hasn't done anything to any of my cats, ducks, or geese, but he has chased sheep. I guess I'm more worried about him stressing it out than actually hurting it. According to the rules of where we live, we can't really build fences (another reason I'm looking to keep it indoors).
Wisconsin is cold in winter and can be hot in summer. The humidity varies even though we're by the lake. I figure it would be easier to maintain constant conditions indoors, again why I'm looking for a small tortoise. Any thoughts on Indian Stars or Egyptians? Also, I'm going for captive bred (scared of the prices though) but I'd like to hear about people's experiences with wild caught.
Thanks for your help!

Stars & Egyptians are fairly delicate & probably not your best choice to start off with. You can't go wrong
with a Russian or Hermanns; both stay relatively small & are easy to feed.

I've heard so many people rave about what great personalities Russians have but both of mine are mean &
want nothing to do with me. Hermanns, on the other hand, are the most easy going, laid-back reptiles I've
ever encountered. Get a captive born baby Hermanns & enjoy watching it grow up!

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DeeCee