Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello, looking for a little advice here. I am building a 6 1/2 by 12 ft enclosure outside and tryin to figure out what tortoise would be the best for that size enclosure. I wanted a pair of redfoots, but I'm not sure if the size of it would be enough.I'd also like to have a pair with some personality. Follow you around like puppy dog style. Any suggestions?

That sounds fine. I have two redfoots in a pen slightly smaller and they do fine. When I am free I let them out on the lawn but most of the time they just walk over to a shady area under a plant and watch the world go by so they do not need large spaces to do that.

As far as "follow you around like a puppy" I find that happens more if you handle them a lot. When mine were small they had a indoor pen right next to my desk so they always got atention. I think if you just put them in a pen outside and see them once a day they may act more like a wild caught specimen being more fearful of you. Just my thoughts.

Tom

I would consider the weather, humidity where you live. Do you have a temperate or semi-tropical situation? Redfoots might be a good choice, but require mild weather year 'round. Do you plan to add heating etc.? If you are willing to hibernate them, you might want to work with Herrmann's or ibera type Greeks, manageable size, very "friendly" and they are not fussy about food, thriving on weeds, clover,grape leafs, mulberry leafs, easy to get foods. I think Russians are very cool also. Of the 3 I mentioned, the Greeks are probably the most social, the other two are pretty ornery at times, if you have multiple males especially. good luck, Vic H.

Thanks for all the help, I really appreciate it! I live in Virginia right near the WV border. They would be brought inside during the winters but kept outside otherwise. I like the greeks and hermanns, but I wanted some with some size to them. Think reds would be ok in my climate? According to what I've read the area is considered a Humid Subtropical Climate. With temps ranging from 70-95 through spring, summer and fall. Humidity ranges from around 40%-80%

Well,how can I pass this question up. I'd recomend a Mt.Tortoise.they would work well in that size for quite some time.If you have lots of shade and mulch or leaf litter,can make a fake rain with a sprinkler,supply a mix of veggys and fruit,Mountains will work.I think you will like their personallity's too.But you should ask around I might be bias on this one.CAUTION habit forming,you might find yourself wanting more and more,........anyway thats what happened to me,I got a pair 20 years ago.They changed my life. Vic

Yes i agree a pair of red foots would do fine and the heathumidity is there too. As far as sometheing that will follow you around like a dog in that area like vic said the mtn. torts i have are really alert to me being in the enclosure and do follow me around quite a bit. The other ones that do are not tortoises but north american wood turtles. They might not be exctly what you have in mind as they require some diffrent accomidations then a red foot or something. The other ones that really follow me around are my sulcatas but these will out grow that pen in about five or so years and probibly pick the pen down to the dirt and dont really follow me around until they get like a foot or more.

I read an article about using a dog clicker every time you feed your tortosies and they in aldabras have been responsive in some zoo someware. I have been exparimenting with this the past well month or so and have been getting results with many species. Every time you feed them and you see their intrest on the food give em a few clicks. Eventually if all goes well you should be able to call them with the clicker. Like a dog i guess.

As others have said, a red foot or two would be fine in that enclosure. Just be sure that you make sure the enclosure is escape proof. Red-foots don't usually dig, so as long as the walls go down all the way to the ground you shouldn't have any problems. Be away of your local predators and take the necessary precautions. A friend of mine who used to breed various species of tortoise had a herd of red foots that he kept outdoors all summer long, and he had to start locking them up at night because the raccoons would sneak in and tear them apart.

Tortoises are addicting. I keep a variety of reptiles and I find that I spend more quality time with the tortoises than with the others, just because of their nature. They are easy going, relatively easy to care for, and a lot of fun to watch. The most rewarding part, in my opinion, is raising them from hatchlings and watching them reach maturity and start reproducing. Unlike my lizards which reach sexual maturity in a year or less, tortoises usually take at least 3 years, and some times more than 30 years to reach full adult size (depending on species). It's like having a kid with a shell that rarely talks back.

Thanks so much for all your help guys, I think I am going to go for either greeks, hermanns, or cherry head redfoots. I thought really hard about the mountain torts and wood turtles but I think in the long run they will out grow the enclosure. At least the mountain torts would. And i'm not sure I could provide a large enough water area for the woods. The enclosure is permanent size, I have no room to really expand it at all. So not only would I be short on room for them, I think I'd be short on the strength needed to carry a 100lb tort up the stairs into the house and then down the stairs into the basement for winter and cold nights(bad back, can't lift much). If anyone as anymore input on the subject I would be glad to hear it. Anyways thanks for all the suggestions and guidance! I will be able to make a much more informed decision now. Thanks Again!!!

Sounds like some good choices there. You'll be happy with any of those tortoises.

I definitely know what you mean about having to carry a 100 pound tortoise up and down the stairs. That's why I've stuck with my red-foot and my russians. Someday I would love to get some other species, but probably some of the rare small species like egyptians and pancake tortoises.

I keep going back and forth on getting a sulcata or a leopard. I would love to raise a large species of tortoise, but in this climate it is not meant to be. I only have a few months per year that are nice enough to keep tortoises outdoors, and even then it is just not safe to leave them outside overnight or when no one will be home. There are so many predators around my neighborhood, man being the most feared. I couldn't imagine having a tortoise over 40 pounds that I would have to take outside for a few hours, then take back inside, not to mention finding adequate indoor housing for such a large tortoise. Granted, leopard tortoises take a long time to grow, but as the tortoise got bigger and bigger I would be getting older and weaker.

Live within your means and you (and your captives) will be happier for it.