Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My family is intrested in getting a tortoise but were not sure what would be best suited for us. We live in Minnesota so it would need to live inside the majority of the year. We don't have a whole lot of space to have an enclosure so a smaller tort would be best. Also I would prefer a species that doesnt need to hibernate because the idea of having to hibernate one makes me nervous. Thank you in advance for any info.

Deanna

Hi Deanna. You could consider a Pancake Tortoise, an Egyptian Tortoise, or maybe a Spek's or a Bell's Hingeback Tortoise. I would not recommend either type of Forest Hingebacks, because they get fairly large, are messy to keep, and can climb, plus they are not very active during the daytime.

"Tortoise Table" types as mentioned.
jsc
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"As hard as I've tried, just can't NOT do this"
John Crickmer

A Russian?

Well, honestly, Bells Hingebacks, Pancakes, and Egyptian Torts tend to be rather expensive, and they are not good beginner tortoises either, unfortunately. Honestly, you would probably be best off getting a russian tortoise, which you would have to hibernate, but hibernation is not as big of a deal as you might think, especially if you have a refrigerator unit for the purpose. Hibernation is also great for the fact that you don't have to worry about all the trouble of upkeep when the animal is in the cooler. You just have to check their temperature every day and their weight every week.

But if winter dormancy really bothers you, most types of Middle Eastern Greek tortoise don't hibernate, such as the Golden Greek. Get a hatchling if at all possible, however, as adults tend to be stressed and make for bad pets with large vet bills.

T.G.