I would be interested in finding out about some small species of tortoise that may be possible to keep on a table or similar for the entirety of their lives. How about cherry heads - i heard they were smaller than normal red foots. Are there any other smaller species that are available to the hobby? Thanks, Ben

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No tortoise does well in a table all its life, they must have access to an outside enclosure in the spring and summer.

Normally the smallest species are the hardest to keep

Medium species such as hermanns, ibera, horsfields, marginated are good starter tortoises.

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All of my animals get to go outside in the summer. I didn't intend on it staying on a table all its life! - Just to give you an idea of the size i was wanting really. Surely if the enclosure is correct for the species, then nothing should be difficult about anything?

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My Reptiles: 2.1 Rankins Dragons2.4 Leopard Geckos0.0.2 Ackies1.1 Royal Pythons3.2 Kenyan Sand Boas1.0 Western Hognose
Other Animals 1.0 Cockatiel
For Sale: Baby Leopard geckos - incubated for female (Normals and Hypos)1.1 Adult Saharan Sand Boas
MY BAND!!! www.indianafoxx.com <---Check it out, let me know what you think

The smallest tortoises are the Egyptian and the Speckled Padloper - both are devilish hard to keep (v fragile etc) and very hard (virtually impossible) to obtain. Your best bet is one of the Med Species (ie Greek Spur Thighed or Hermanns) - Testudo Hermanni Hermanni is probably the smallest but will need 'garden time'.

Do you have any evidence for that statement, People do not put their pythons outside or their Chinese Water Dragons. I think that people are pressured to put their tortoises outside too much. I know of people that have tortoises in flats, they have UV and proper accommodation and seem to thrive. My redfoots don't go outside and I have had lots of eggs this year.

I don't think Tortoises HAVE to go outside. Maybe I am wrong, what do you think ?

Wait a minute.....I have a Cherry Head. I got him because the breeder old me that he wouldn't get too big. You never mentioned him when you were saying what species were small. So how big will he get? He is a Brazilian Cherry Head. I have him in a 75 gal. vivarium now. He is only 3 1/2 in. now, so he has plenty of room. What is your opinion on this? Do they get as big as a Redoot?

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I certainly wouldn't advise keeping a tortoise indoors for all of its life.
The natural amounts of UVB outside are extremely beneficial and a tortoise and are *much* higher than could ever be expelled by any artificial bulb.
If My conditions meant that I couldn't keep a tortoise (I.E moving to a house with no garden) Then I would re-home them.

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Josh

www.tortoise-world.com

sorry clive but you are poorly informed!! i also keep royal pythons and chinese water dragons, although leopards are my first love. But i DO take my royal python outsidein the summer, even though they tend be most active in the night time and hunt at dawn and dusk. They love going on the grass and trying to wrap around trees. apparently it encourages them to breed too even though they dont require uv lighting at all. And my water dragons will be going outside in the summer too, even though they require super high humidity, a flexarium with a mister in will fix this fine. I believe that environmental enrichment is VERY important to the health and welfare of all of my animals. I dont think i could live with myself if my royal pythons had never even encountered grass or trees. have a look on the snake section, we quite often post pics of our snakes in the grass. But i wouldnt judge somebody that confined their animals to a life indoors, its just not for me or my lovely babies!

the last time i read any "authorative?!" tortoise books the taxonomical difference between a cherry head and a redfoot was under alot of debate. some people believe that they are a different species and others say its environmental and not worth a taxonomical split. but that was a while back. You could check with the BCG or the follow this link to review the taxonomical status Tewksbury Institute of Herpetology - The Complete Chelonian Taxonomy then you can better research the info you need. i could be evry wrong, i am not a redfoot person, i like my torts african! hope this helps though.

No your cherryhead will not get as big as a "normal" redfoot.