Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am buying a pet tortiose but I am not sure which breed to get. I am looking for a breed that is easy to care for and that can be kept inside without any uv lighting. if there is no such breed an easy care one or one for begginers will do, I just need some general advise.
Thanks,
Thanks again,
P.S. Just wanted to say thanks.
from Froggirl
P.P.S Thanks

I don't know how old you are but ask a older pesron if they or thier parents ever kept the common box turtle in a basement ? My parents did and thought it was fine but never could explain why they lived for maybe only one year at the most. They didn't know about the food intake or the very important UV situtaion. Of course there wasn't a lot of inforamtion in those days either like there is now. As a breeder and keeper of various kinds of reptiles and including tortises, UV is of the most importance to almost all turtles in captivity. Ever see a nature program of the wandering turtles or basking turtles in the wild ?> the television is full of amimal series. also have you ever seen any species of turtles in the wild ? They may not getting hit directly by UV as in sunlight but if not the UV is still filtered through. It is not so much the species that you might want to consider but the UV , food, heat, caging reqiurements of any species. Now we are talking tortises.........all species needs ample room to move around in. All species needs some sort of heat. Heat meaning direct heat in most cases. A hot zone and cool zone is neccesary for most species. Then you have captive raised/born species or wild caught/import. I would recommened a good book first and maybe contacting a reptile society for information. Or why don't you use this tool at hand and try some of the other forums on this web-sight if you haven't yet. The worst thing you want to do go into the keeping of ANY animal with out the knowledge that is so very easy to get these days. For your sake and the animals sake.

Chambo

There are no breeds of tortoise that will do well inside without UV lighting. To be honest keeping any species of tortoise indoors year round is not very practical. I keep and breed Redfoots, Yellowfoots and Russians(haven't bred these yet) in a cold climate. The cages I use are very large, minimum of 32 square feet. They all have access to UV lighting in their pens as well as heat lamps to thermoregulate. The Yellowfoots and Redfoots have a misting system as well. The Russians, being from a temperate climate, are hibernated in the winter. ALL the tortoises spend summers in outdoor quarters. They are much more difficult to keep healthy than your average Red Eared Slider(although these will succumb to illness if their needs are not met as well). The setup to properly keep tortoises indoors will cost you a pretty penny even if you're going to use the bare minimum setup. Not trying to be too negative, but unless you're willing to invest the money for a proper setup indoors and outdoors as well, they are not an animal you should consider keeping. If you're really interested in turtles and tortoises, try starting with a common musk or mud turtle. These guys are hardy animals and have quite the personality as well. I think that they are as close to an ideal starter turtle as you can have. If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail me.
David