Best for beginners

Subject: Re: Best for beginners Thu Jul 09, 2009 1:16 pm

saint_felony wrote:

I have no doubt there's responsible breeders as well as crappy ones for every animal available as a pet. Sounds like you were doin a good job of tryin to be responsible about it.

Size wise I don't think Redfoots are all that bad. I think a good number of people can manage a single adult. Sulcatas though, criminey, you're getting into noble steed territory with them.

I'm guessing you had a dedicated room or something for them? Canada is pretty cold to have 'em out most of the year.

I find they can take colder weather then most people would think. I keep them indoors most of the time and let them sit in the sun when it is nice out. I use UVA,UVB Bulbs when they need it but most of the time just sunlight. They 2 I have now are small. one just hit 700g and the other is only about 350g. Smallest is 7 months older as well LOL

I had both the red's and africans in huge dens I built with my dad. PVC lined all all that jazz for easy clean up. They were at one end of the house and no it did not stink LOL

The Turtle Whisperer Posts: 1902

It could be I just think Toronto is a lot colder than it really is too. Smile

Wyite and MC have nightmare winters almost year round, so I think I just lumped most of Canada in too. Smile

I don't find any of the pure herbaceous torts to be all that stinky. The poo has an aroma for sure, but it's more mulched grass scent than anything else.

Did they manage to stay in? One of the few Sulcatas I've placed burrowed through sheetrock in it's first indoor enclosure, I'd imagine pvc would go like tissue paper.

Subject: Re: Best for beginners Thu Jul 09, 2009 3:52 pm

After reading all this I'm really not sure a turtle would be for me.

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Subject: Re: Best for beginners Thu Jul 09, 2009 4:45 pm

saint_felony wrote:

It could be I just think Toronto is a lot colder than it really is too. Smile

Wyite and MC have nightmare winters almost year round, so I think I just lumped most of Canada in too. Smile

I don't find any of the pure herbaceous torts to be all that stinky. The poo has an aroma for sure, but it's more mulched grass scent than anything else.

Did they manage to stay in? One of the few Sulcatas I've placed burrowed through sheetrock in it's first indoor enclosure, I'd imagine pvc would go like tissue paper.

Oh the winters here are bad as can be but when it becomes like that outside they do not even get to go near a window LOL I think we anerage around -25c without windchill.

I bought that super heavy PVC membrane and lined the den that was made out of MDF with it so the MDF would not swell up. They could not even rip the stuff with their nails. It worked out great. I will try and find pic's of the dens. I just hope I can find them LOL

CW~
We are talking about tortoises not turtles Smile

They are much harder to look after since the ones we metioned can get to be the size of a big dog Smile

Best is to look around and see what turtles you like. Once you know wich ones you like then find out if their needs fit you. They are not that hard to care for just need a bit more attention then most fish. Maintnance is number one as feeding most if not all turtles is very very easy.

I hope we did not make it seem like it is hard to care for them just some need more than others thats all Smile

Subject: Re: Best for beginners Thu Jul 09, 2009 6:26 pm

saint_felony wrote:

Wyite and MC have nightmare winters almost year round...

Hey, not fair! We have four seasons: winter, road construction, rodeo and hunting season. Road construction is the first half of July, rodeo runs the last half and hunting season is August through October. Winter is the other 8 months.

WYite

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One can never have too many fish tanks.

Subject: Re: Best for beginners Thu Jul 09, 2009 7:29 pm

Wyomingite wrote:

saint_felony wrote:

Wyite and MC have nightmare winters almost year round...

Hey, not fair! We have four seasons: winter, road construction, rodeo and hunting season. Road construction is the first half of July, rodeo runs the last half and hunting season is August through October. Winter is the other 8 months.

WYite

The Turtle Whisperer Posts: 1902

Gotta get all that road work done so people can get to the rodeo eh Wyite? Smile

I'm surprised the pvc liner held. Good to know though. After the one down here went through the sheetrock I'da never thought pvc would have held. The girl who had the one here ended up picking up some 4x8 sheets of shower/tub back splash stuff. Kind of a rigid plastic/tile looking thing. That stuff he couldn't dig through thankfully.

CW, even most of the torts are fairly easy to take care of. Different then fish, definitely, but still not hard, so long as you stick to the smaller guys.

The one we're talking about, the Sulcata, is the third largest land tortoise in the world. Adults average 150lbs, they get 3ish feet and one of it's favorite hobbies is to burrow. I have no clue how they became so common in pet stores, but I see 4 inch ones far more regularly than should be and usually with no warning of their adult size.

Truth be told even sulcatas aren't *hard* to take care of, you just need to make consideration for their massive size.