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 StarTortoises.net * Indian / Sri Lankan & Burmese Star Tortoises... plus a few other species...

Burmese & Indian / Sri Lankan Star Tortoises
(G. platynota & G. elegans)

Other Stars

Angulate Tortoise
(Chersina angulata)

Misc. Pages

 

If you are looking for a pet tortoise, always adopt a rescue or buy a captive bred one!

 

Getting a Tortoise

 

burmese star tortoise

Burmese Star tortoise

Acquiring a Pet 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. 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 (link 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. 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.

Note: Tortoises and other reptiles may be carriers of Salmonella. Reptiles are not recommended as pets for small children.

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

  • see the turtle and tortoise rescue page for links

Breeder/dealer info

For sale

Shipping info

  • GCTTS - Gulf Coast Turtle and Tortoise Society, Packing & Shipping Turtles & Tortoises
  • TTPG - Turtle and Tortoise Preservation Group, Shipping Turtles
  • Turtle Homes - Shipping Reptiles, by Lori Green
  • Turtle Rescue of Long Island - Shipping a turtle or tortoise

 

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. In comparison, wild caught Indian Star tortoises have a high mortality rate in captivity.

Links

  • Hatchling Haven - Top Eleven Greedy Reasons Not to Buy a Wild Caught Turtle or Tortoise, by Darrell Senneke
  • Tortoise Reserve - If you want a pet, please only buy captive bred turtles and tortoises
  • Tortoise Reserve - Why Buy Captive Bred Tortoises? by David S. Lee

 

Choosing a Tortoise

There are so many different species of tortoises. How to choose? Start by doing research on the 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.

Never buy a tortoise on an impulse! Always research the species first. Well-cared-for tortoises can live a very long time, so be prepared for a lifetime commitment!

Links

 

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