Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello everyone. I have been reading and researching, but nobody seems to have the same questions as me. I have always loved tortoises since I was a little boy. Here is what I am looking for:

-Something small enough to live in a 35 gallon glass aquarium
-Something that can live indoors year round
-Something that is not prone to hibernation
-Are tortoises intelligent? Do they recognize people and respond to them? Are they tame and docile?

Given these questions, what (if any) tortoise would be a good choice? If there are none which can fit this description, then I will have to pass for now. I want one, but not if I cannot meet the space requirements of what I am looking for. Thanks for reading this and I look forward to everyone's great advice!

-Bill

0.1.0 Colombian Red tail boa
1.0.0 Albino California Kingsnake
0.0.1 Argentine Black and White Tegu

No tortoise can survive in a 35 gallon tank--even a very small baby tortoise needs more room than that (and glass tanks aren't the best anyway). Mine is less than 3" and has a 3' x 2' indoor enclosure for the winter, a 6' x 6' outdoor pen, and will probably need something bigger in a few years. They also do best if they can spend at least part of the time outdoors.

Tortoises make wonderful pets, but they do require some specialized care to do well. Sorry to rain on your parade, but a tortoise in a 35 gallon tank would probably have a short and miserable life.
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Sohni
Northern California

0.1 Baja de L.A. Rosy Boa
0.1 Okeetee Corn Snake
1.1 Rubber Boas
1.0 Leopard Gecko
0.0.2 Hermann's Tortoises
plus my kids' herps:
0.0.1 California King Snake
1.0 Mexican Rosy Boa
0.1 Leopard Gecko

Well, too bad. This is the same reason I do not have a dog! I guess I'll have to look for something different. Maybe one day! Thank you for the honest reply.

Thank you for being willing to listen to an honest opinion. I'm sure someday you'll be able to get that tortoise (heck, I'm 45 and just got my first, lol)!
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Sohni
Northern California

0.1 Baja de L.A. Rosy Boa
0.1 Okeetee Corn Snake
1.1 Rubber Boas
1.0 Leopard Gecko
0.0.2 Hermann's Tortoises
plus my kids' herps:
0.0.1 California King Snake
1.0 Mexican Rosy Boa
0.1 Leopard Gecko

Yep you would need a far larger tank for a dog LOL. Even those little ankle biters would not do well in a 35 gallon. On the other hand their are a few torts that although do need a larger set up and some out door time can be kept indoors most of the time in a manageable sized tub or tort table. It sounds like you made the right choice as far as getting one and that is good but continue to do some searching around so that when you are ready and able to house one you know what to expect.
good luck
Frank
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"It's only funny until someone gets hurt....then it's hilarious"

Perhaps something like a bearded dragon would be better for you. A 55 gallon or 40 gallon breeder is about the smallest I'd recommend for a dragon, but they make interactive pets.

Katrina

There really isn't a tortoise that would do well in a 35 gallon tank.

But surprise, surprise, glass enclosures are not toxic to chelonians! If you want something turtlish, you could put a small water turtle in that tank if it is water-tight. There are smaller varieties of mud and musk turtles that would do well in there. I had a 3-striped mud turtle for awhile. I found the water maintenance issues to be a pain, but some people like to deal with that.