Originally Posted by *Nikki*

I have had both the land and water varieties.

Do not get one unless you are willing to make a life time commitment to it. Some can live 100 years...

Originally Posted by frogza

Cons: may outlive you

Originally Posted by *Nikki*

I have had both the land and water varieties.

Do not get one unless you are willing to make a life time commitment to it. Some can live 100 years...

Originally Posted by RangerJoe

My mom killed mine after 2 months.

I had a small little turtle when I was 10. It was cute, though I couldn't do much with it. The worst thing about it was the smell. If you didn't keep the tank spotless it smelled like ASS. My mom killed mine when I went to my dads for the weekend. She didn't change the water and it seemed to be that he froze to death. Or choked on his own smell.

Originally Posted by inBOIL

The sale of small (under 4" IIRC) turtles was banned because of salmonella transmission. The lawmakers figured that the cute young turtles were more likely to be given to children, who are less likely to wash their hands.

Originally Posted by frogza

You'll want to decide between tortoise or turtle first off. Here are the pros and cons of each based on my experience.

Turtle:
Pros:
Kept indoor for easy watching
very fun to watch them chase the feeder fish
Tank can be a decor item for you home as well as a pet holder

Cons:
horrible stench
takes significant effort to keep the tank clean
setting up the tank takes some real thought to prevent drowning
gold fish can be a pain to buy and keep as food
get sick easily when bought from pet store

Tortoise:
Can be fed leftover vegetable items, including melon rines, lettuce stems/stalks etc
Can live indoors or out
Some species hibernate making it cheaper to feed them in winter
some (sulcatas) can grow to be big enough for small children to ride and can be fed dog food as a supplement to change the shape of their shells

Cons:
Eat vegetables, which aren't always in season
can get diseases easily
may outlive you
can wander off and get lost

Originally Posted by Baraka_Guru

Wait for genuinegirly to weigh in. At one point she was planning on shipping one of the damn things halfway across the country.

Originally Posted by wooÐs

Very cool. I like the idea of passing on a pet like this.

So how about $-wise? How much do they go for? And might be a silly question - but do you get them vaccinated or anything? I'm sure I'd have to order supplements or something online. And I'm guessing feeding them wouldn't require much cash.

What size terrarium / aquarium? Would a 10 gallon be too small?

If no one really knows, it's cool. I'll spend some Google time later on. It appears I'm leaning towards the tortoise though. I don't want high maintenance, smelly stuffs. Litter boxes are enough lol.

Originally Posted by wooÐs

I did not know this.



oic

Fantastic info. Thanks!

Don't tortoises get big though?
A girl on another forum I was on has a massive tortoise that roams free in her house. Her daughter rides it. I don't want another dog-type animal roaming my home. I was thinking an aquarium / terrarium setup.

Originally Posted by frogza

Tortoises can get big depending on the species, but it's easier to find tortoises that are smaller, 10" diameter or less. You'll want to look at ones that are either native to your area or an area with a similar climate to where you live.

If you describe your climate, I could make a recommendation.

Originally Posted by Wikipedia

Atlanta has a humid subtropical climate, (Cfa) according to the Köppen classification, with hot, humid summers and mild, but occasionally chilly winters by the standards of the southern United States. July highs average 89 °F (32 °C) or above, and low average 71 °F (22 °C).[43] Infrequently, temperatures can even exceed 100 °F (38 °C). The highest temperature recorded in the city is 105 °F (41 °C), reached in July, 1980.[43] January is the coldest month, with an average high of 52 °F (11 °C), and low of 33 °F (1 °C).[43] Generally average lows are in the upper 20s and lower 30s in the north Georgia region. Warm fronts can bring springlike temperatures in the 60s (high teens) and 70s (low 20s) in winter, and Arctic air masses can drop temperatures into the single digits (around -15 C) as well. The coldest temperature ever recorded was −9 °F (−23 °C) in February 1899.[43] A close second was −8 °F (−22 °C), reached in January 1985.[43] Atlanta has a more temperate climate than other southern cities of the same latitude, due to its elevation (1,050 feet (320 m) above sea level).

Like the rest of the southeastern U.S., Atlanta receives abundant rainfall, which is relatively evenly distributed throughout the year. Average annual rainfall is 50.2 inches (1,275 mm).[44] An average year sees frost on 36 days; snowfall averages about 2 inches (5 cm) annually. The heaviest single storm brought 10 inches (25 cm) on January 23, 1940.[45] Blizzards are rare but possible; one hit in March 1993. Frequent ice storms can cause more problems than snow; the most severe such storm may have occurred on January 7, 1973.[46]

Originally Posted by frogza

Because of the winter temps you will want a tortoise that hibernates. Avoid tropical species like red foot, yellow foot, hingebacks, leopard etc. Perhaps a russian tortoise would be a good one. They stay small and naturally hibernate about 6 months a year. Which will help it make it through the winter. Another good option may be a mediterranean spur thighed tortoise, it doesn't hibernate but can live comfortably indoors year round in a relatively small inclosure.

Good luck with your choice!