looking for a good small starter turtle(s) wanting advise please

[kala83]

Hello there I am not by any means new to the site but I am however new to the world of Tortosies. I have always wanted to try keeping a reptile cuz they always seemed like such fun lil guys, and I love Zoology in general so I love keeping thing I don't know much about so I can learn about them.

I have looked up some general info on Turtles and Tortoises, and am planning on checking out a book about them but pretty much that is it for right now.

I know I want to look into something that will not get to very large and something that will probably in general be indoors most of the time.

I am thinking of housing I would try something a lil different. I was thinking of making a ben cage of sorts. If you all are not familiar with this term do you know the bens you can get from wal-mart for like $5-$11 for storage of clothing and pretty much anything. Well I was thinking of getting one of the those one that is no to very tall but tall enough not to be gotten of and one that would be fairly long more then wide so that it could give plenty of walking space. I would cut square opening in the top and staple mesh to the space and use a heating lap, and reptile sand and other little accessories to decorate the interior of the cage.

Anyway what I am really looking for right now is just the small type of tortoises you can get legally as domestic pets. This is all in the research stages and I am not planning on going and picking up the lil one or ones right away this me getting as much info as possible before hand. So I am best prepared for when I get the new arrival as best as possible.

And any general info on keeping them would be very appreciated as well.

[canadiancritter]

Well I don't have much information but what I can tell you is that turtle and tortoises are LIFE LONG COMMITMENTS.

By the way I think you mean bins not bens.

[kala83]

Quote: Originally Posted by canadiancritter Well I don't have much information but what I can tell you is that turtle and tortoises are LIFE LONG COMMITMENTS. By the way I think you mean bins not bens.

lol I think your right I was just miss spelling that cuz I was working on this in between classes and doing homework. Yeah I do realize that a turtoise would be something that lives for quite a while, but if it was a small enough sized one I don't think I would mind really, and if I ever could not take care of him rest assured I would find a good home for him to go to that would be more suitable for him.

[Kendalle]

its not just quite a while it can be well over a hundred years, and they are quite often very expensive, upwards of $500 to buy tortoises need a lot of space, much bigger than any bin they sell at walmart.

[kala83]

Quote: Originally Posted by Kendalle its not just quite a while it can be well over a hundred years, and they are quite often very expensive, upwards of $500 to buy tortoises need a lot of space, much bigger than any bin they sell at walmart.

You mean to tell me out of all the turtles and tortises there are in reptiles that all off them are huge and gigantic I am looking for one that is like hand held size. I thought that there tons of turtles that grew to that kind of size...
I am not trying to be rude or anything i just find it hard to believe that all turoises are ONLY large that just simply can't be. There are too many in the class to only have those kind of traits.

But yes I do very much so realize that turtises can live for a very long time.....in fact longer then a human in a lot of cases much like a parot....honesltly right now this is something I may or may not be doing just cuz I only know a bare mimium about these kinds of pets but I am just corious about it and if there in fact any small types of turtles or tourtises one can look at keeping as a pet.

[kala83]

I just got thourgh looking at some research online and it did mention that Green Tree frogs would be better suited for a 10 gallon tank...so I think I am going to wait on getting a White's for a a while and start off with a green tree frog instead. I still think that the tank being long should not be too much of a problem what I think I will do is I will try to just see how he acts in it for a few days and if he seems to want to climb more then I can always just turn the tank on its side like I said before.
sorry if the post above seems a lil snippy I do not wish to come off that way just I even though I do have quite a few pets I always take my time in doing research before...so I can care for them as best I can. And I guess it is irritating that even though you do that sometimes you do have to say you do so. Not your all fault at all..just my fault for not saying so earlier. But again sorry if I came off rudly at all didn't aim to.

[kala83]

Quote: Originally Posted by kala83 I just got thourgh looking at some research online and it did mention that Green Tree frogs would be better suited for a 10 gallon tank...so I think I am going to wait on getting a White's for a a while and start off with a green tree frog instead. I still think that the tank being long should not be too much of a problem what I think I will do is I will try to just see how he acts in it for a few days and if he seems to want to climb more then I can always just turn the tank on its side like I said before. sorry if the post above seems a lil snippy I do not wish to come off that way just I even though I do have quite a few pets I always take my time in doing research before...so I can care for them as best I can. And I guess it is irritating that even though you do that sometimes you do have to say you do so. Not your all fault at all..just my fault for not saying so earlier. But again sorry if I came off rudly at all didn't aim to.

lol omg I am so sorry can you all please ignore this or get an admin to delte it off. I didn't aim to leave this up here...my computer must have spaced out on me while I was trying to make a post and I most have put this in the wrong area....so please just ignore it and again I am sorry totally not trying to sound like a crazy person.

[kala83]

after some carfeful consideration I am going to decide to look at doing this more so in the future...I think resources I need to take care of one of these guys is just not suitable for right now. but maybe at some point in the future I would like to see about getting a horsfield tortoise these guys seems like a really good size of tortise and way cute....but I do question if I have the space for one as of right now....so for the moment i am going to wait a while but...hopefully at some point i can look at getting one at some point in time.

[Kendalle]

Quote: Originally Posted by kala83 You mean to tell me out of all the turtles and tortises there are in reptiles that all off them are huge and gigantic I am looking for one that is like hand held size. I thought that there tons of turtles that grew to that kind of size... I am not trying to be rude or anything i just find it hard to believe that all turoises are ONLY large that just simply can't be. There are too many in the class to only have those kind of traits. But yes I do very much so realize that turtises can live for a very long time.....in fact longer then a human in a lot of cases much like a parot....honesltly right now this is something I may or may not be doing just cuz I only know a bare mimium about these kinds of pets but I am just corious about it and if there in fact any small types of turtles or tourtises one can look at keeping as a pet.

I don't see where you got that i said that all torts are ONLY large in size, I said even the small torts need a LARGE space, bigger than ANY sold at walmart. unless you look more at pools than bins...

[canadiancritter]

I agree with Kendalle even small tortoises need a large area.

If you really want one I would look into different rescues to get an older animal and maybe do some work with a rescue to learn what your really getting into and proper care, as many tortoises and turtles are unknowingly mistreated.

[kala83]

Quote: Originally Posted by canadiancritter I agree with Kendalle even small tortoises need a large area. If you really want one I would look into different rescues to get an older animal and maybe do some work with a rescue to learn what your really getting into and proper care, as many tortoises and turtles are unknowingly mistreated.

I agree with both of you I think learning more about them first hand would be a good experience for me...I also want to apologize for earlier I think I mess read your post in my rush to get to class earlier this afternoon. But now that read through it do I understand what you mean, its not really that they need psychically lots of space its that tortoises need lots of space to help them have a healthy mental state. I do understand that now...like I said I am sorry for coming off rudely I really did not aim to I think you idea for me to look at helping out in a Tortoise rescue place sounds like a great way for me learn more about these guys.