Beginner Tortoise?

[sapphire_moon]

What would a good beginer tortoise be? One that can be kept in the largest rubbermaid and that don't have a high humidity requirement. And thats a TORTOISE I'm asking for info on.......Thanks for the info in advance!!! :)

[eyespy]

Any of the Testudo species of Mediterranean tortoises might fit that bill nicely. They are low humidity grazers who eat mostly grasses and weeds. They are also very fun, active and interesting creatures. Russian, Greek, Golden Greek, Mediterannean Spur-Thighed, and Hermann's tortoises are all in this genus.

This link is to a PDF booklet so it's a bit of a long download but makes for some good reading:

http://www.tlady.clara.net/TortGuide/Guide.PDF

[sapphire_moon]

do you have anything thats not in PDF form? Everytime I download something like that it will only open up in the "address book" part..:( I thought russian tortoises had high humidity? And one that stays small........I think I fell in love with the greek tortoise though!!! :)

[Bartman]

I have a russian tortoise and they dont require high humidity at all. I spray the tank once every 2 weeks and give her a bath 2 times a week at most. They dont very big either. About 8-12 inches. They are VERY docile and very active. Great looking torts too. To whatever you choose good luck and keep us posted on your decision!

[sapphire_moon]

Wow really? I looked up a care sheet online and they said they had to have a "relatively high humidity" if you know of a good care sheet can you point me in that direction because I think russian torts are georgous!

[Bartman]

the best site on the net for info is this one. They will have absolutly every last detail on what you should do.
http://www.russiantortoise.org/

[sapphire_moon]

and I did get it to open in word pad, but all it is is a bunch of numbers and weird little symbols.........

[eyespy]

Sorry, I didn't know there were still any browsers out there that didn't support PDFs. Here's a link to "The TLady"'s main page so you can read the rest of her info.

http://www.tlady.clara.net

There is also a lot of great information at the World Chelonian Trust site:

www.chelonia.org


I'd ignore absolutely everything on that caresheet that says Russians need humidity, they don't tolerate it well at all and usually end up with respiratory infections if forced to live with humidity above 60%!! It's best to keep them in quite low humidity. If the author doesn't even know that all the rest of the info is pretty suspect too.

[sapphire_moon]

Do you know of any breeders in the US??? I'm thinking about getting a baby...but not for a while, atleast a year.......I'm moving and I don't want to stress the little thing out.

[eyespy]

It's illegal to sell turtles tortoises under 4 inches in the US because of super-restrictive laws designed to protect us from salmonella. Since it can take 10 years for a Mediterranean tortoise to get that big, nobody really breeds them (well, that they will admit to publicly) and the ones in the pet trade are wild caught. :(

It's best to apply to turtle adoption agencies such as www.turtlehomes.org and folks who have successfully bred tortoises and are trying to locate good home for the offspring can get in touch with you to arrange an adoption. Or you can find a long-term captive who has been checked for parasites and infection so you don't take on the risks of a recent import.

[sapphire_moon]

:( what about greek tortoises? are there any breeders of those in the us???

[eyespy]

No tortoise breeders of any type have any formal listing. When they show up at reptile shows they are sometimes charged with selling illegal animals and the babies are confiscated. That is why it's easier to find captive bred tortoises through adoption agencies as it's where they end up, unless you know a private unadvertised breeder. It is legal for hobbyists to exchange animals but actual propogation and distribution plans put you at risk of violating federal law so most hobbyists don't publicize their activity in the US.

[josefg]

sapphire_moon: This may be a little off topic, but to open PDF files on your computer your need <a href="http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html" target="_blank">Adobe Acrobat Reader</a>, which is free, from <a href="http://www.adobe.com" target="_blank">Adobe Inc.</a>

As far as tortoises go, you can't go wrong with a Mediterranean. Personally I own 1.1 Testudo kleinmanni (Egyptian Tortoises). They are low humidity animals, and also stay on the small side (the female, which is the largest of the two, is like 13cm, while the male is like 11cm). However I doubt you will find any around as they are CITES Appendix 1 animals. Mine are kinda like rescues... the pet shop where I bought them from kept them in little cardboard boxes to hide them from the authorities and I felt sorry for them and ended up buying them.

Currently I have 3 fertilized eggs under incubation :D Wish me luck ;)

[red bootz]

How big is the biggest rubbermaid? I've yet to see one large enough to house an adult of any tortoise species. Okay, maybe an adult specimen of one of the Homopus ssp. but try finding one of those at your local pet shop.

[red bootz]

Oh, and josefg, good luck!

[eyespy]

Most adult Mediterranean torts never get bigger than a shotput, females can achieve straight carapace lengths of 12 inches in some species but most never do. It's rare to find a Medi above 8 inches so the 55 to 75 gallon rubbermaids work pretty well. People who wild collect these guys are becoming more careful about decimating the local populations and so males tend to greatly outnumber females if they are younger than about 20 years old. They often stay at 4 to 6 inches.

[sapphire_moon]

Well the largest one that I find so far is 4 ft long and 2 ft wide. I

[sapphire_moon]

And is there another name for the Mediterranean Tortoise?

[eyespy]

Mediterranean tortoise is the catchphrase used for all of those Testudo species I listed above.

[sapphire_moon]

Thank you, you've been really helpful!

[NiagaraReptiles]

If you're in the US, check out <a href="http://personal.riverusers.com/~richardfife/">Riparian Farms</a>.

Richard is a great guy with tons of experience and knowledge.

[Tim and Julie B]

Originally posted by eyespy
Most adult Mediterranean torts never get bigger than a shotput, females can achieve straight carapace lengths of 12 inches in some species but most never do. It's rare to find a Medi above 8 inches so the 55 to 75 gallon rubbermaids work pretty well. People who wild collect these guys are becoming more careful about decimating the local populations and so males tend to greatly outnumber females if they are younger than about 20 years old. They often stay at 4 to 6 inches.

Wonderful advice as usual Eyespy. I have one and she is 4 in. At 8 yrs. Smaller then my box turtles. She has huge amount of room in a 65 gal rubbermaid. They are very busy torts always digging and knocking things over. Including water dishes :rolleyes: Always active. Everyone loves the way my red foots look but after they spend a little time with the torts the little Greek always wins them over. They are great pets! :D TB

[eyespy]

Thanks for the Riparian Farms link, Niagara Reptiles! The torts they breed would not be appropriate for the desired size in this thread but it's great knowledge for those looking for a larger-bodied grazing tank. :D

[sapphire_moon]

Does anyone know of any good breeders in the U.S for Mediterranean Tortoises??

[eyespy]

It takes an average of 3 to 5 years for a Medi hatchling to reach the 4 inch size limit for sales, so it's not cost-effective to breed them. Our law is soooo stupid.

[sapphire_moon]

I've begun to notice!