Turtle/Tortoise advice

Vegeta

Hi all I am looking to get a turtle or tortoise, I would like some advice with regards the following.

Will I need more than 1, do they get lonely?
What breed should I get if I am only looking for a small one?
Can they be handled or do they hate it?
What sort of housing should I get, considering I am willing to get more than 1 if needs be, water features, heating etc?
What is the best food for them?
What is the general maintenance for the little guys?

Is there a good place to buy them in Ireland? I am aware they live a long time and would really enjoy this but I'd rather be fully up to speed on taking care of them before i jump in.

Our man in Havana

How much space do you have? I have 6 turtles & they are HUGE - They out grew thier 4 foot x 2 foot tank - so they now live in my garden in a large paddling pool - this is temporary whilst we are building a large pond.

I have 1 tortoise a Russian Horsefield - he lives in the bottom of my iguana cage. My tortoise is a vegi - he eats a huge variety of greens & fruits every day - my turtles eat a variety of meats, ham, chicken, beef, prawns & some cheese once a week. turtles & tortoises will need a UV light & calcium & vitamins at least twice a week.

Check out anapsid.org for more advice. if you have any specific questions just yell

Faye Bond.

Vegeta

I was hoping to get a breed that were small enough to live in a vivarium that would fit on a table top. By the sounds of it a tortoise is the way to go. I am defo after the littlest fella i can get as i'd love a pet with this sort of life span but space sounds like it might be an issue. I have a whole table top free though so I am guessin I'd fit a pretty large habitat on that.

What would you recommend??

Our man in Havana

Go for a Russian Horsefield - they do well on a table top setting - Hermans really need lost of time outside & all torties will benefit from time outside in the summer. Also the Russian Horsefields are a tad cheeper & do not require a licence - my advice would be to go & visit some pet/reptile stores that have torties & have a good look check that eyes are bright that the animal is lively & nice plump legs, no crustiness on the nose & that the shell is normal & ask LOTS of questions. Do a websearch for care info & print lots off & do some reading.

tallus

Vegeta wrote:

I was hoping to get a breed that were small enough to live in a vivarium that would fit on a table top. By the sounds of it a tortoise is the way to go. I am defo after the littlest fella i can get as i'd love a pet with this sort of life span but space sounds like it might be an issue. I have a whole table top free though so I am guessin I'd fit a pretty large habitat on that.

What would you recommend??

Vivariums aren't that suitable for tortoises to be honest.. I have a pair of hermans Torts on a tabletop setup, I suggest you try this site , it covers all aspects of tortoise husbandry.
http://www.tortoisetrust.org/

Vegeta

Bond-007 wrote:

Go for a Russian Horsefield - they do well on a table top setting - Hermans really need lost of time outside & all torties will benefit from time outside in the summer. Also the Russian Horsefields are a tad cheeper & do not require a licence - my advice would be to go & visit some pet/reptile stores that have torties & have a good look check that eyes are bright that the animal is lively & nice plump legs, no crustiness on the nose & that the shell is normal & ask LOTS of questions. Do a websearch for care info & print lots off & do some reading.

Cheers mate sounds good, I'll look in to this and get back to you guys