Beginner land turtle/ tortoise

[gecko geek]

i am thinking about getting a turtle or tort and was wondering which would good a beginner. i have been reading and i am thinking of the russian tortoise/box turtle/and mabey a greek tortoise. any care sheets and personal experance would be greatly appreaciated. also, any other turtles/ torts not on my list , feel free to add to my list. I would like only land turtles tho.
thanks

 

[Chewbecca]

awww, get a Redfoot tortoise!
They don't get too big, and they're pretty, I think.
I love my little guy!

Here's the caresheet you'd want to follow to a "T".
http://www.turtletary.com/redfootcare.htm

That's who I got Stagger Lee from (the above tortoise), and he KNOWS redfoots for sure.

 

[leoman777]

redfoots are good but they get big for beginner. even though they are awesome!! but i would go with a russian tortoise or greek tortoise. :main_thumbsup:

 

[Chewbecca]

The biggest one is maybe 16" in length, though.

heh, maybe it's because I think my dream tortoise is a Galapagos tortoise.
So, redfoots are very small, imo.

They're pretty easy to take care of, I think.

 

[nrich]

I have a redfoot and a russian and I have to say hands down, the redfoot is cuter and more sociable (my russian might be a special case though, since I rescued it from a family that let their dog chomp on it, resulting in a very withdrawn and sad tortoise).

But, the Russian is easier to care for. They don't require such a varied diet nor do they need the higher humidity that redfoots prefer.

Box turtles are nice too. They stay small, but they require warm, humid environments and a varied diet as well.

 

[leoman777]

but for a beginner i would recommend just something small that can live indoors like a russian, or greek tort and then when you have experience get something a little larger and can live outdoors but if you want to start out with a redfoot thats fine

 

[crotaphytidae]

I agree with the russian tortoise, let us know what you decide.

 

[Chewbecca]

Yeah, a smaller tortoise may be better to start out with.

Just remember, that most caresheets out there are not always species specific. They kind of lump ALL tortoises together.

One enclosure/environment and diet may be ok for desert and/or European tortoises, but won't be the best for tropical tortoises.
Could even be life threatening.

 

[LizMarie]

I'm a big fan of Russian Torts!

 

[Greyscale_Geckos]

Greeks or Russians!

 

[Andrew]

I had a baby sulcata for a while, and I've got to say, of all the countless critters that I have kept over the years that little guy was one of the greatest.
Sure, they get huge, but if that isn't an issue for you then I'd go for one of those.

IIRC, this is a large sulcata that I photographed at The Living Desert in sounthern California.

 

[RocksMama77]

I have an eastern boxie and he is the easiest to take care of. I got him when he was a hatchling so I have gotten to see him grow. right now I have him in a rubbermaid bin with his mercury vapor bulb and he is a happy little boxie. I did my research before I got him but don't be fooled research doesn't stop after you get them. I still have to look stuff up sometimes. I think any of the suggestions made so far would be awesome but as far as space and care I have found boxies to be very easy.

 

[Baoh]

That's a Gopherus species. Probably a Desert tortoise. Not a Sulcata.

I advise Hermann's, Russian, and Ibera Greek as excellent starter tortoises for temperate or peritropical climates. Redfoot tortoises are also good if you live in an area of high humidity (ex: FL). That's considering outside enclosures. Obviously, what you keep is ultimately limited by your indoor available space. For a lone tortoise of a smaller species, a tortoise table should be fine.

I have kept every species of Testudo and many of the Geochelone genus as well. While I plan to sell off the majority of what remains (1.1 Russian, 1.0 Eastern Hermann's, and 1.0 Western Hermann's), I will likely keep my last het Ivory Sulcata female.

 

[geckoboy16]

Russians are great! But i am also a fan of greeks, sulcata, and redfoots.

 

[reptinut]

So you want a land chelonian, eh? You've got exellent taste! I know quite a lot about them, but to determine which one will be right for you I'll need to know were you live and what the weather is like. Also, every land chelonian needs to have an outdoor enclosure. If you aren't willing to supply this vital key to success, You shouldn't get a land chelonian.