Hi, I am about to buy a Horsfield Tortoise and want to know what essentials I will need i.e bedding, food etc. Also want to know if this is a good breed and if anyone can recommend any breeders/sellers.. Thanks.

Horsfields are like a lot of the Meditteranean tortoises as far as care goes, but they need deeper substrate. Most pet shop ones now are quite deformed as the pet shops import them from people who have grown them on to be much bigger and they have grown too fast, resulting in deformed shells.  Try to find a breeder in your area to buy from for a decent tortoise, without the health problems that come with imported ones. Feeding should be as natural as possible and we need to remember that if we feed as much as they will eat, then they will soon become unhealthy, because in nature the horsfield only eats for 3-4 months of the year.

Have a look at how I keep mine here www.tortsmad.com/russians.htm

Take care

Sue

www.tortsmad.com

Oh just saw the bit about breeders haha. What area are you in? I have some yearlings here and some almost three year olds. I am in Shropshire and deliver my babies but I do know of breeders in other parts of the country who I could put you in touch with if you mention roughly where you are?

Hope this helps

Sue

wizzasmum@aol.com