Anyone w/ tortoises???

[ladybug777]

My DH and I are thinking about getting a tortoise, but are trying to figure out which species would be best. Would eventually like one big enough to live outside. Maybe a max of 50lbs. I'd like something that doesn't grow to fast, so we could keep it in a tank for a year or two.

Any suggestions would be great.

[chefker]

I have a Greek tortoise named Godzilla. He's a good size, but not *huge*. I would guess his shell length to be 10 inches, and last time he was at the vet he weighed about 750 grams. I know he weighs more than that now though. ;) He has grown a lot since I've owned him, but SLOWLY. He started out in a 20 gallon tank, and we recently upgraded to a 40 gallon breeder's tank. (The breeders' tanks are better for small captive tortoises as they are wider).

Some tortoises ARE massive--I love sulcatas, for example, but we just can't accommodate a tortoise that big! What breed(s) are you considering?

My tortoise is 17 years old--just know that these guys can live to be 100! We're going to have to leave Godzilla to someone in our will, seriously.

Here's a few pictures of our little guy:

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y49/chefker/mrg.jpg

roaming around outside:

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y49/chefker/yum.jpg

[ladybug777]

Ah, he's gorgeous!

I hadn't really thought about which species to get until we visited a pet shop. They had sulcatas, and as I started asking more questions, I realized just how big they get. I think that's a little big for us. I wouldn't mind something up to maybe 30-40 lbs, but no larger than that. As I was researching the sulcatas, everything seemed to point to the fact that they grow fast.

What do you feed your tortoise? Everyone (including the guy @ the pet store) says to feed them lettuce, fruit, etc. But looking online, lots of sites say that those things should be used only occasionally. They recommended grasses, edible flowers, grass hay, etc.

Do you let Godzilla roam around your yard by himself, or just when you're outside?

Thanks!

[chefker]

Thanks! We love the little guy. He has such a personality. :)

Iceberg lettuce is a big 'no-no' for tortoises, since it has no nutritional value (who knew!) We feed Godzilla darker leaf lettuces like red leaf, and greens. Romaine is very good too. Also carrots, radicchio, kale, and some dry pellet tortoise food (we have used Mazuri, and I think the T-rex brands). I don't give Godzilla fruit at all except for an occasional strawberry. Too much fruit can give these guys the squirts!

For a REAL treat in the summer, Godzilla loves clover and dandelions. So I've stopped using weedkiller in our grass in the backyard. :) There are actually some websites that sell dandelion seeds if you wanted to grow them (or other grasses, etc.) in a container or something. I'll have to see if I can find those links.

Godzilla is never left to roam unsupervised, mainly because there are hawks and bobcats in our yard at times, and I wouldn't want anything to happen to him!

[ladybug777]

Cool.

Do you just go to a regular vet? How often?

The way I'm stressing over this, you'd think I was having a baby. :D

I was looking at keeping ours in a reptarium. Have you heard anything about those? I'll have to look up info on a breeders tank.

Thanks

[chefker]

LOL, you wouldn't believe how much I stress over my shelled baby! :)

I was lucky to find a VERY reputable vet who specializes in reptiles in town. I went to the Association of Reptilian and Amphibian Veterinarians (http://www.arav.org/) website to find a new vet when I moved to a different state.

If you click on 'members', you can find a list of vets by state, who specialize in reptiles. We love our vet, and bring our dog there as well. The ARAV site is a good reference, since not all vets specialize in treating turtles or tortoises.

[ladybug777]

Thanks so much!

[ladybug777]

Chefker: Just wanted to let you know that I went to a pet shop today and they had Greek Tortoises. I held one and fell in love w/ him. :) I have a few more questions though.

What do you use on the bottom of his tank?

Do you hibernate him?