We (my husband, sons aged 13, 5 and 1, and i) are looking to get a family pet. Both myself and my husband work (I'm part time) and don't have the time to offer a pet such as a dog but would like to add a 4 legged member to our family. After looking at the care for tortoises we think that a tortoise would be a perfect addition. The problem is we are complete newbies, I will be it's owner and my children will be taught to care for it properly at appropriate ages I totally understand that my 5 and 1 year old are far too young yet. Also Although we have a good sized garden 10 x 30metres we don't have grass as it's been astroturfed. I want to make sure that we have the adequate setup and want it to be the right habitat for a tortoise. If need be we can turf a an area of our patio are for our new tortoise. Also being a newbie is it better to have a hatchling or an older rehomed tortoise? Also which breed is easiest to maintain for busy families?what are the main health issues to look out for?

You need to read your way through the site.

Start by clicking on the "The Tortoise / ...." box.

Regards,

Tom