Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I saw a sulcata at the pet store and considered getting it. I came home and found out they get huge.Well I have a big enough yard but it snows in winter so I dont know if I want a 100lb tort. in the house for 6mnths. I would like a land tort. that gets kinda mid sized and has a good temperament. Any idea? Of course the price needs to be reasonable as well..In the mean time I will looking up lots of info on these little critters..Thanks

Try a Russian...I'm considering one of those...they can be hibernated, I think!

J.L.

I just didnt want a huge turtle in the house. A mid size one in the house is fine.BTW how does a turtle smell? Do they get real stinky? I guess I really have no idea about turtles. There are lots of turts around here. Ive kept a few overnight for my kids to look at(box turtles and few water turtles I have no idea what kind they were). Ive even had a baby snapper I kept for a few months which was great fun watching him eat and then let go in the lake where it belonged.But I would really like to get a CB and keep it forever, preferably a land turtle, I dont like messing with water.
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2.0 Ball Pythons (Titus and Hercules)
1.0 Western Hognose (Fuego)
1.1 cornsnakes (Asmodeus and Strawberry)
0.2 Bearded dragons (itchy and scratchy)
0.1 Rosehair T. (Jigglypuff)
1.0 dog BC..(Kippy)
2.1 cats (Thomas,Sunflower,Diablo(Boo))
0.0.1 Toad (squidward)

Ok, well, I have a couple water turtles and I think they are the greatest. Everytime I walk into the room they are in, they swim over to the glass to meet you (or to see what food you've brought them! = ) The only thing that smells bad is when you neglect to clean there cage, that's all. If you get a good filter, maybe feed the turtles outside the cage, and keep it clean, there is almost no odor. I have 4 box turtles too and believe me, they smell a whole lot worse than my other guys. Just thought I'd mention that. I don't really know much about tortoises, though.

J.L.

Captive bred Greeks, Russians, and Hermans are good. Redfoots get a big bigger, up to the size of a watermellon, but they are probably cheaper to buy right now, as many of them are captive bred now, but if you get snow a good part of the year, you'll probably want something smaller. Redfoots are tropical and need a good bit of room, too. Try the Tortoise Trust for care sheets and books you can order to help you decide. If you want pictures, www.chelonia.org has a photo gallery.

You might want to check out box turtles, too, and I'd encourage you to adopt one of those rather than purchase. Most adult Greek, Russian, Hermans, and box turtles will be wild-caught.

If interested in finding a breeder or rescue, try www.anapsid.org for herp societies that might be able to recommend someone, or visit www.petfinder.com

Katrina

please reconsider your decision. having a sulcata requires a ton of care, and like most people, you would end up dumping it. try getting some type of box turtle. if you like that and are a really caring and comitted person, then you should try out a sulcatta. if you get a sulcatta and do not want it, ask people in your area if they want it. please i repeat please do not dump it.

but they are really cute.I dont have the room for a huge tort. But I was thinking about a Redfoot. From what Ive read they get midsized, around 25lbs max. I did want a bigger tort just not as big as a Sulcata.
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.........
2.0 Ball Pythons (Titus and Hercules)
1.0 Western Hognose (Fuego)
1.1 cornsnakes (Asmodeus and Strawberry)
0.2 Bearded dragons (itchy and scratchy)
0.1 Rosehair T. (Jigglypuff)
1.0 dog BC..(Kippy)
2.1 cats (Thomas,Sunflower,Diablo(Boo))
0.0.1 Toad (squidward)

First you really should do all the research on various species to see if you can handle what it takes to keep them. A medium species that might work for you is a redfoot tortoise. The drawback to them as opposed to many of the other torts. is that they are humidity loving tortoise and you would have to provide and maintain a nice humid enclosure for them. (at least in their hidebox if now where else.

On the matter of smell YES and larger the tortoise the more pungent the odor when they defecate. They always manage to trod right through their poop after they make it smear it on their shell.

Just some things to think about. Aguatics might require a touch more care in terms of tank maintenance but they don't tend to covered in their own feces if you don't remove it in time.

Steve