Re: Which breed is best?

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Posted by Elizabeth on November 06, 2000 at 12:25:26:

In Reply to: Which breed is best? posted by Cara on November 06, 2000 at 10:47:42:

: Okay, I'm wondering because everybody talks about all there different breeds- does anyone think there is a best breed. I'm thinking about getting another one. Also, I paid 130 dollars for my baby sulcata- is that too much?

In case you didn't realize this . . . you should not keep different species together. Not only are their care requirements usually different, but often one species will carry a disease (without getting sick) that will kill another species. Tortoise-keepers keep each species separately.

And you have a sulcata already. In 5 years you'll have a difficult if not impossible time keeping this tortoise in the house at all. In 10 years, it will be completely impossible. If you don't live in California, or if you can't devote an entire room to this guy in the winter-time, you'd better move!

So I would put off getting another tortoise for now. You need to make sure you can take proper care of your sulcata for the next 80-100 years first! The huge outdoor pen, with dig-proof walls, that a sulcata requires will more than clean you out financially! And you probably will not have space for an entirely separate outdoor pen for another species altogether!

Thinking ahead is really important with tortoises. They grow slowly, but they do grow, and sulcatas grow a lot. Your tortoise will reach 100-150 pounds easily.

Elizabeth

Follow Ups:

Re: Which breed is best? Terry 11/06/00 (4)
- Re: Which breed is best? TortNurse 11/06/00 (1)
  - Re: Which breed is best? Terry 11/06/00 (0)
- Re: Which breed is best? Tom 11/06/00 (0)
- Re: Which breed is best? Niki 11/06/00 (0)

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: : Okay, I'm wondering because everybody talks about all there different breeds- does anyone think there is a best breed. I'm thinking about getting another one. Also, I paid 130 dollars for my baby sulcata- is that too much? : In case you didn't realize this . . . you should not keep different species together. Not only are their care requirements usually different, but often one species will carry a disease (without getting sick) that will kill another species. Tortoise-keepers keep each species separately. : And you have a sulcata already. In 5 years you'll have a difficult if not impossible time keeping this tortoise in the house at all. In 10 years, it will be completely impossible. If you don't live in California, or if you can't devote an entire room to this guy in the winter-time, you'd better move! : So I would put off getting another tortoise for now. You need to make sure you can take proper care of your sulcata for the next 80-100 years first! The huge outdoor pen, with dig-proof walls, that a sulcata requires will more than clean you out financially! And you probably will not have space for an entirely separate outdoor pen for another species altogether! : Thinking ahead is really important with tortoises. They grow slowly, but they do grow, and sulcatas grow a lot. Your tortoise will reach 100-150 pounds easily. : Elizabeth

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