OK guys... I need your opinion!!!

[Monica]

I think the tiny torts are just awesome although I have been strictly into my snakes. My mom has been down lately and has mentioned in the past that she would love one of these guys but does not know much about them.

I went to a reptile show and almost bought her a sculcatta (sp?) not knowing how huge they can get!!! Yikes!

So... I'm hoping you can all point me in the right direction. I'd rather hear it from you all first hand than to dig and dig for information out there!

I'm hoping to find something that will be easy to manage, will stay very small, and is pretty and slightly affordable of course. If you can give me your opinion on a good tortoise to get for my mom (a reptile begginer) and some info on their care or where I could find the best info for their care I'd totally appreciate it!!!

Thanks!!!!! :)[/b]

[kenster]

What I would do is shoot Alex an e-mail and ask him if he has any Hermanns left. I have 3 of them now and they are great little torts. They will stay small. Best of all they love eating dandelions..oh do I have a whole yard full. I figure I'll need about 200 more torts and I'll never have to mow the grass again.. :twisted:

[Monica]

LOL, well I'm sure Alex would love to help you with that! :)
How big do they get? What do they eat?? Etc, etc...
I really don't know anything about them.

[geckogirl171]

Those sound very neat. Ken do you have any pics of yours?
See, just another animal on my wish list! :?

[LLAP101202]

RIGHT they do sound cute...I have same questions though...just how small do they stay and how much do they cost and what (other than dandelions) do they eat? now these are torts not TURTS right not water needers (well to drink but not to live in correct)

[geckogirl171]

Yea, all those questions and anything else on housing and temperment??

[kenster]

Well they get about 7-8 pounds full grown. As for other foods, they are green eaters. Collard greens, turnip greens, mustard greens, endive lettuce. Heck toss them a handful of fresh cut grass and they are happy, well as long as you don't spray your yard with anything that is. Because they are a plant eater they need UVB lighting as well as heat of about 85 degrees. Right now all three of mine are housed in a rubbermaid. Oh and on top of the "salad" you need to sprinkle calcium powder as well...

They are torts, and only require drinking water. And a soak about every 2 weeks in luke warm water. That is about it for them. Here are some older pics. I'll get more tomorrow when I can find a spare minute..

http://www.kenssnakes.com/tort.jpg

http://www.kenssnakes.com/tort1.jpg

[geckogirl171]

Awwwwww! :) I have to have one!!! Where can I get one and how much do they run?

[kenster]

Awwwwww! :) I have to have one!!! Where can I get one and how much do they run?

Well I got all 3 of mine from some breeder located in Grand Rapids MI. His name slips my mind but he has a website and some nice forums and one of the coolest mods I know :wink:

As for "running" they are tots so they don't run at all :wink: Just givin ya a hard time :twisted: Price range is about 125 if i remember correctly..

[geckogirl171]

As for "running" they are tots so they don't run at all

...and I thought I was being so careful not to get picked on :lol:

[kenster]

You did pretty good at it too, it's just been a while since I picked on you. I had to take my shot... :twisted:

[geckogirl171]

it's just been a while since I picked on you
I should've known it had been far too long :roll:
I showed those torts to my daughters and they fell in love so
I guess I will be getting one of those too. :) I can even say it is my b-day present to myself since no-one ever gets me anything anyway... one more week and I will be 3? !!

[Monica]

Man, those are cute! Sounds perfect!! Now I'm thinking of maybe one for myself too :lol:

[kenster]

hey a tort for your 3? birthday that would be cool...It's a shame nobody gets you anything...If I make it to Tinley I'll bring you a late B-day present

[klorentz]

Tots ? Shouldn't that be tort toddlers ? It fits considering they are not very old :D .



Kevin

[Monica]

Hey Ken,
What sized rubbermaid would I need for a baby and how quickly do they grow? Also, what do you use for substrate and how can I give it a water bowl it will be able to climb in and out of??
:)

[kenster]

Monica, You can keep them in a 10 gallon tank for a few months. Growth rate is pretty slow. I have mine on cypress mulch that has been tried out. Or you could also keep them on timothy hay. I use a little water dish that i had laying around. No idea where is came from but it works good. For a hermanns they need ambient air temp about 85 with a warmer spot for basking.

[Monica]

Great...Sounds good! I may be picking one of these little guys up at the Anahiem show next weekend! Thanks for all the help! :)

[kenster]

Cool, hope you find some out there. Alex had two of them at the show he did Saturday. They were under 10 weeks old and no bigger than a quarter. Oh everyone flocked to see them. I'll get pics tomorrow of my little tort army...

[Monica]

Wait...did I see that right??? No bigger than a quarter??? Do you have any pics of any that are that size??? I don't know if I could handle that kind of cuteness! :D

[kenster]

Yup you saw that right. I don't have any pics of them. And to think I had my digi cam in the car the whole show too :roll: Oh they were very cute! Which is why everyone wanted to hold them. I think everyone there said "aww aren't they so cute". By the end of the show even i was calling them "cute"

[Monica]

OK now I HAVE to see them!! I'm sure there will be some at the show...there better be! :twisted:

[CyCoMom]

I also have a Hermann's tortoise and I just LOVE it. They grow pretty slow, I would stay away from an aquarium though and go with something with lower sides that has better circulation. The under the bed storage containers work really well if your on a really tight budget or you can build a super simple tortoise table (which is basicly a large bottom with short sides) Some people even take book cases, remove the shelves and lay them on their back and use them for tortoises.

Donna

[Monica]

Just got back from the Anaheim show today. It was huge! Very cool, but didn't see ANY of these guys!! Thanks for all of the advice. Next time I see these guys I'm pretty sure I'll be prepared for getting one. Talk to you all soon! :D

[bassett524]

hey ken. how much room will these guys need full grown. would a 2 foot X 6 foot cage be big enough.. I could double decker my monitor cage that way. If not I am great at making space and could easily loft a bigger cage somewhere in my room. lol. I'll just have to duck wherever I walk.. It's worth it walking in and having your pets at eye level to watch though.

and don't get the wrong idea everyone, my monitor cage isn't only 2 feet wide. I was just wondering if i could fit a tort table on the top where the door to the monitor cage doesn't swing.

[kenster]

Oh yeah that would be plenty of room for one if not two. Heck as adults they only get like 8 inches.

[Repticheart]

heya everyone..i just read the post(s) and i thought id say my opinion!
ii personally say..hermanns or horsefields are great tortoises both stay small most grow to be 6 to 8 inches males normally 6 females normally 8!!
and they are great...lovely personalitys!
mine has a wicked one...he loves his chin tickled...his lil back legs to!
he loves to roam about..always active eating!
and climbs so much digs not much but a fair bit!