Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am a relative novice in the world of tortoises. I have taken care of plenty of rodents and also have been greatly involved in the care of my girlfriend's bearded dragon.

After doing some research I became interested in having a tortoise as a pet. From the research I've done I think I'm most interested in the Russian Tortoise. I'm currently going to college, so I will have to move the animal at least a few times a year, however, the dorms I live in have no problem with any non-poisonous animals so that is no problem at all.

My main questions are:
Is the Russian Tortoise a good choice for me? is there another tortoise I should consider getting?

What is the best substrate for this animal, I've heard many differing opinions on this, and I am wondering what the best may be?

What are some reccomendations on hibernating tortoises? Is it always neccessary?

Thanks

A good site for Russian Tortoises is:

www.russiantortoise.net

I think the biggest potential problem with keeping a tortoise in the dorm is space.

A russian would need at least 6 sq ft of space, and I would recommend at least 8. Some people get creative and design an enclosure with multiple levels, creating more total floor space in a limited area, but it'll still take up more space than a standard fishtank. Don't expect to keep a tortoise in a 40 gallon fish tank! Although people often say you can keep an animal in a relatively small space, my experience has always been that small living area = less activity.

An alternative animal that takes up less space but is sort of like a torotise is a mud or musk turtle. The smaller species get about 4" and seem to do well in a 20-long tank. A swimming animal gets more out of a tank than a surface dweller.

If you can accomodate a 6-8sq ft enclosure in your dorm, then the other consideration for a tortoise is heating and lighting. The ambient temperature in a dorm is probably fine for the russian, but you will need a basking lamp to create a hot spot of about 100F, and you'll probably need a fluorescent fixture to provide light (and some UV) for the rest of the enclosure. Some people use all-in-one heat & UV bulbs.

So read up and come back and ask questions.