Good Starter Tort

[amcgltdchix]

Hi there!

I'm looking into getting a tortise at the next repti show in Dec and was wondering what you all thought of as a good starter tort?

Thanks!

[Shelby]

I believe red foot tortoises are considered easier and smaller.. not sure on this though.

Do NOT buy a sulcata.. they get over 100lbs and eat/poop like horses. Very nice animals though.

[Python-77]

Red foots are nice I keep one, but they can get around 15-20" for a female, as shelby said stay totaly away of Sulcata's or spur thighs as they are also known, they are truely awsome torts, but get huge and as adults cost around $10 a day to properly feed.

Russians are also nice and stay small.

[herplover92]

my opinion is if you have a big backyard where you could keep grasses and plants for the sulcata go ahead and get one. i am 14 and i have 2 sulctas(and a big yard). i think you should get a russian or a red foot.

[gncz73]

hi i would go red foot here's a pic of mine.

[JASBALLS]

Leapords torts are nice for first timers.. Here's a pic of one of mine.

[amcgltdchix]

Thanks for all the replies so far! I am so excited to a new addition to my home. I was looking into a leopard spot since I fell in love with one at a Hotel in VA Beach (she was the hotel mascot!).

Any breeders you recommened me checking out for one of these babies?

Can I go ahead and just use a nice large sterelite tub for a baby for confinement? I do plan to have this tort eventually walk around my house when it is quite large as well as outside.

[Shelby]

Leopard torts aren't small.. they can be 18" and 40lbs.

[Topher]

I would recommend the leopard tort. I've got a couple of sulcatas and though they are easy to care for and cheap to feed (free in the summer), they require a huge living area. You would probably need to start off with a custom enclosure for a leopard. I've never seen a sterilite or rubermaid tub big enough. You don't want to use anything clear. And you want an open top. I have to keep my sulcatas inside half the year because of the temps. If it gets lower than 60 at night, you'll need to bring them in, or build a heated tortoise shed. The diet is really simple, no vegetables except as an occasional treat. You want to feed them 70% grasses and 30% weeds. Also remember that torts need a lot of vitamin supplements, and UVB lighting.

[Schlyne]

I know somebody who has a sulcata. She is planning on dedicating a permanent room to her sulcata as soon as she closes on her house. Right now, she's got the sulcata in a huge horse trough like thing.

Maybe something like what is used for cattle or horses would be big enough, as temporary housing or winter housing?
You'd have to use lamps to heat it though.

The chicago reptile house uses some sort of very large plastic tub with heat lamps to house the tortises they sell.