Looking for a tortoise?

Question

I want to buy a tortoise as my pet.But I don't know which kind is suitble to be a pet.I mean somthing about its size,health and food.
Is there a tortoise that won't grow up,and always keep itself clean?
Maybe it's unbelieveble,I just want to find a tortoise which only eat vegetables and rise,cos I think meat is expensive.

It seems that I had a ridiculous choice.Emn..tortoise and turtle have the same meaning in chinese,so maybe I mean turtle.I have heard of a turtle named Brazil Turtle,I don't know if it has the same name in English.Some pictures show that they are always small.But when I search the Internet,it says that they may get 20-30cm.I think that's too big. Now I'm confused.I don't know which is ture.

Answer 1

You may want a box turtle...they (most of them) don't require a pool of water so they will be easier to care for (the turtles that live in water are the ones who tend to make a big mess of their living environment). They do, however, require a UVB lamp...and preferably should have a lot of outdoor exposure. They do eat meat, but I've seen the type of box turtles native to Oklahoma, USA live long healthy lives on canned cat food (they were living outdoors though and probably caught some bugs) see more of what they might eat in source.

They will grow to about 4 to 6 inches (10.2 to 15.2 cm)long (to get an idea of this size, open your hand and spread your fingers out). This is probably about the smallest turtle I've heard of. Some species can live up to 100 years! Average life span is around 40 years...a lot of turtles and tortoises live for a long time so no matter what you get it's likely going to be a life long commitment.

You may also like a Russian tortoise (second source link). They grow to about 4 to 8 inches(10.2 to 20.3 cm) (about the same as a box turtle) and live for about 50 years but can live longer. They eat a high fiber, low protein diet...that means no meat. They also need a UVB lamp (all turtles/tortoises need these).

No matter what you get, make sure to give it plenty of cage space and preferably take it outside (or keep it outside) when the weather is nice (see care sheets for proper climates). Also, all tortoises/turtles will get dirty (frequency depends on environment) and you'll have to give it a bath in plain water. They can't clean themselves like a cat or mouse. Young tortoises should be soaked once daily to help them use the restroom.

If you want to look into getting something else, make sure to check their adult size first. Certain species will grow to a size where they absolute have to be kept outdoors and are too heavy to easily pick up (30 plus inches (76.2 cm) and over 100lbs (45 kg))....big!

Answer 2

sorry, its impossible what your after. why not buy a toy one. no, seriuosly, tortises can grow huge, can bite hard and will always love meat. why not buy a turtle, they dont grow that big and they can eat fish flakes.

Answer 3

Tortoises can become giants...and keeping itself clean? Wishful thinking....they later get giant ...and I mean giant (!) number 2s.

Answer 4

http://www.chelonia.org

They have all sorts of information including care sheets in languages other than English.