Having read some of the other threads, this is a little scary posting in here, so please be nice to me. My flat mate is in the very early stages of thinking of getting a tortoise (won't be until at least next March time), and as seeing as I post on the lizard forums he asked me to get a little starting advice.

Basically we were wondering what species would be best for someone with absolutely no experience, and how much money would you roughly expect to pay for a young tort and the setup (one of the other threads said you could make a table for around £30!!). I would like to point out, he's not looking to buy yet, just wants an idea of cost and what to actually research.

Many thanks,
Ian

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Hi Ian

No matter whether you buy privately, online or retail, there is some essential equipment you will need, that prices vary on. At the very minimum, you are going to need a good UVB bulb which cannot really be bought for much cheaper than £25, and can range up to £50 if you go for an all in one UVB/Heat bulb.

If you want to make a tortoise table yourself with some wood from B&Q you probably could do it for as little as £30, but you would still have to fit the electrics, such as a basking spot, and the UVB bulb.

You will also probably want to invest in a good thermometer - I recommend digital, for about £15-20, to make sure your temperatures are correct.

The tortoise itself you could get anywhere from £75 up to £200 depending on where you bought it. Private breeders tend to be cheaper and more highly recommended than shops, but are a lot harder to find. Hopefully someone can put you in touch with a breeder in your area.

Something to consider is that many people will not sell their baby tortoises now with hibernation coming up, as you cannot really wake a tortoise from hibernation to sell him to a new owner, but if he researches and looks in the spring time after everyone has woken up, or in the summer when the eggs are hatching, he should be able to find a reasonabley priced one not too faraway.

All in all, if you are doing it on a budget, I think you can make your own setup, buy the electrics/heating/lighting, and get a tortoise privately, for around the £200-250 mark.

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No internet at home for a few weeks, may take a while to respond. Should be back to normal in Sept.

Yes, sorry I should have mentioned that, having just made my bearded dragon setup I am aware that the electronics are a bit more expensive.

Like I said, he certainly won't be getting it before March (he's going to be out the country a bit), but if that's still in the hibernation period there's no problem waiting longer. Which breeds are typically considered the easiest to keep? And also does anyone know of any good breeders in the East Midlands that he could contact to see what may be coming available next year?

Cheers,
Ian

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Hermans or horsfield tortoises are generally regarded as the most hardy and easy to keep although IMO any med species such as Marginated, Ibera should be fine for a beginner (speaking from recent experience). The tropical species as I understand it are slightly less hardy. HTH

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1.0.0 Bengal Cat (Leon) - nut case
0.1.0 Siamese Cat (Sasha)
0.0.2 Marginated Tortoises (Chunk & Bean)

Agree with all thats been said! You said 'Flatmate' does that mean you have no garden??

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KERRY
0.0.6 Hermanns Tortoises
0.1.0 Hamster
1.0.0 Dalmatian puppy!

Horsfield or Hermans Tort's are best for a begginer. As for accommodation the cheapest way is to build a tort table and yes these can be built for around £30. The table should have a variety of substrates. Hemp, soil/play sand, stones and ideally they should be deep enogh to cover the tortoise completly as they like to dig. Lighting should be placed at one end of the table with a hot spot of 30-32*C. Hides and water should be placed at the cool end of the table.
Its also worth noting that in order for a tortoise to thrive, an outdoor 'pen' is needed.

You asked for some breeders..

Check out the list here...
Shelled Warriors

and here...

TortoiseProtectionGroup : Tortoise Aid

^^^^(thers a list of breeders on the database section)^^^^

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Lol no, the 4 of us used to live in a flat when we first started university back in 2002, and although we are in a house now I still think of it as a flat

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Oh right,just didnt want to start ranting about torts in flats!

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KERRY
0.0.6 Hermanns Tortoises
0.1.0 Hamster
1.0.0 Dalmatian puppy!

Hi,

I have Hermann's they are great little torts and i got them from a breeder on Tortoise potection group.

I found this booklet very helpful, its written by Linda King one of the best tort experts and tell you step by step how to set foe your tort, here is the link;

http://www.tlady.clara.net/TortGuide/Guide.PDF


I hope that helps and good luck with uni!!!

I live in a flat n have tortoises.however mine is a privately owned ground floor one with large garden..so some flats do have gardens

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"The worst sin towards are our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them; that's the essence of inhumanity" George Bernard Shaw