Hi, I was wondering what is the smallest tortoise that I can get as a pet and how small is it? Thanks everyone
Which one is smaller and......can I keep them in a terrarium for their whole life and what size tank would I be looking at?? Thanks everyone
Aquariums/terrariums are not made for torts. Russians and Hermanns get about the same size and both would need a pen/trotoise table which is at least 4'x6' as an adult. They are not good beginner reptiles in general (not to make any assumptions) and require fairly strict diets and matinence. To elaborate on the terrarium/aquarium thing, they dont give enough ventilation, and the torts dont understand glass. They could stress out in such an environment. Also they need lots of room because they are inquisitive critters and they love to explore.
I was planning on building a tortoise table, but I just wanted to know what kinds I can keep indoors in our living room. I didnt want to end up with a 70 pound turtle the size of a small car and this is the first place I asked since I am a constant viewer of the leopard gecko forum. Could anyone point in the diredtion of some good tortoise care sites? Thanks again
For the smaller types you ahould look at the Hermanns, Russian, and greek tortoises. All will do fine in the 4'x6' table while indoors but its a good idea if you have an outdoor pen availible as well. As for some good sites... http://www.hermann-tortoise.co.uk/main.html http://www.tortoisetrust.org/ http://www.russiantortoise.net/
Look into the land style Waterland tub if you have the money. They are ideal for tortoises with a build in shallow soaking area. It doesnt look prette but it does the job. Glass is a big NONO..although...Ben (rt) did great in a acrylic tank for a while.
Back to the smallest tortoise question (sorry for being a pain) I always thought it wa a pancake tortoise that was the smallest. (and the flattest too!)Im not too sure however!
The smallest tortoise that would be available is the Egyptian. The pancake is a close second as it is in price also. Both of these torts have very specific husbandry needs and are in no way a tortoise for a beginner. Egyptians sell for $600-$1000 each and the pancakes are $350 - $600 each. As far as a starter tortoise is concerned a russian or greek would be a good choice. We have some breeders that are 7" to 8" in size just to give you a size reference. Western Hermans torts are also a small sized tort but their cousins the eastern will grow to 10 inches for females and about 7 for males. We always tell people to research your animals before you buy them. Hope this helps.