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| Star Tortoise Treasury | * Indian, Sri Lankan, and Burmese Star Tortoises... plus a few other tortoises... |
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Indian Star Tortoise
Burmese Star Tortoise Other Starred Tortoises Angulate Tortoise Misc. Pages
Adopt a rescue or captive bred tortoise!
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Getting a Tortoise
Burmese Star tortoise, photo by Am Wu Photography Acquiring a Tortoise Ideally, you should obtain your tortoise directly from a local breeder. This allows you to see all the tortoises in person and to receive personalized care advice from the breeder. But if there's no breeder near you and you end up buying your tortoise online, use caution and common sense. Check the Fauna Inquiry Board below for possible breeder references and ask other tortoise owners for their experiences. Hatchlings (newborn tortoises) are super cute, but if this is your first tortoise, you'd be better off acquiring a tortoise that's a little bit older. Hatchlings can be very sensitive to their diet and environment, and may die while you are learning the ins and outs of tortoise care. This could be heartbreaking, especially to a child. (Note: Tortoises and other reptiles may carry Salmonella. They are not recommended as pets for small children.) Yearlings are a good choice if you'd like to have a baby tortoise. They are still small and babyish, but have been well started by the breeder. Also, contact your local turtle and tortoise clubs for any adoptable tortoises they may have. They are good sources for tortoise care information as well. Many rescue clubs list their adoptables in PetFinder. When I last visited PetFinder, they had about 100 turtles and tortoises waiting for their new for-ever-homes. Adopt an abandoned tortoise! Rescue & adoption
Breeders
Shipping
Captive Bred is Best If you are acquiring a tortoise for a pet, you should definitely buy a captive bred tortoise. Captive bred tortoises are used to living in captive conditions and they tend to be much healthier than wild-caught specimens. For example, Indian Star tortoises have a reputation of being difficult to keep in captivity, but captive bred Stars generally do well when provided with the correct environment and proper diet. Links
Choosing a Tortoise There are so many different tortoises species. How to choose? Start by doing research on species you are interested in, and do not go by looks alone. Find out how large they get, what kind of diet they need, and what the care and housing requirements are. You want to choose a species that fits your lifestyle, the available space, and your climate the best. Remember, that the larger the tortoise species adult size, the more space it will need when fully grown. Links
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