Just thought I’d let you all know we have had a new arrival this morning in my house. A baby Horsfield Tortoise! He hasn’t got a name yet so any ideas folks? He’s extremely cute and very lively, you’d be surprised how fast they can move! I’m having a pinch of O&G to celebrate a long happy life with him. Hail to the tortoise lol. Stefan
Congratulations on your new pet, Stefan! How about Wilson for a name?
Walrus!!! I’m a Horsfield owner as well!!! Big congrats! Here is my guy, his name is Ramses: 
And his Redfoot brother, Franklin: 
How about Ethel? or you could call it Brian. I once had a dog that I named Diego. Now we just have fish, but we never named any of them. Huh.
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Contrary to popular belief, Tortoises move VERY fast and are quite strong.
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I suppose the speed is all relative to the species :^) Walrus, check out Russian Tortoise for tips on diet and housing. It is a great resource. If you are going to give your Horsfield any fruit, it should be Prickly Pear Cactus pads, and that is only on occasion, I would stay away from Bananas.
My daughter named our turtle Ferbert
What type of Turtle, Matt? On top of the Russian and Redfoot, I also have a Red Ear Slider. I’ve had him for about 15 years. They are now illegal in Florida due to them being an invasive species.
What is the difference between a tortoise and a turtle?
It all depends where you come from Pieter. In the UK land turtles are tortoises, freshwater turtles are terrapins and saltwater turtles are turtles. In America they are all turtles and in Australia they are all called tortoises except I believe native species. Thanks for the suggestions guys I’ll keep you updated. Seen as he is a Russian tortoise I was going to call him Vladimir, but he’s so not a Vladimir. More of a Dave or a Ludwig (ty to the person who mentioned that I like it lol). He’s a chilled out little fella currently asleep after a long hard day of running about, and cute as a button to match if I could post pics I would but I can never get them to work and I’m not technical enough to figure out what is wrong or how to fix it lol. Watch this space… Stefan
Turtles mostly live in aquatic or semi-aquatic enviroments. Tortoises are mostly land dwellers that are able to retain their own water supply instead of depending on a constant one. Most Tortoises get a majority of their moisture intake from the foods they eat, their bodies retain most of the moisture and expel the impurities. The urine of a Tortoise will look like white paste. Turtles on the other hand almost always live in an area close to water. Rivers, ponds, lakes and marshes are all Turtle territory. I would say that the closest relative between a Turtle and Tortoise is the Box Turtle. @Stefan: We have Turtles, Tortoises and Terrapins here in the states. In Florida we have the Gopher Tortoise, which is endangered. In the west there is also a few species of Desert Tortoises. In the Northeast and Midwest live Turtles and Terrapins.
Ah right sorry Chris I didn’t realise. I like that Russian Tortoise website very informative. Don’t know where the hell I can get prickly pears from but I’m sure he can manage without them lol. Stefan
Since he is a Russian, fruit is NOT a real part of his diet, but Prickley Pear Cactus is okay for them. You can get them online at Carolina Pet Supply, it is owned by the same guy that owns the Russian Tortoise site. One thing I didn’t realise was that Chelonian classification could vary by your geographical region. Is this your first Tortoise?Carolina Pet Supply
It is my first tortoise. I’ve wanted one since I was 4 years old, only had to wait 20 years for one lol, but it has been well worth the wait. Do they ship to the UK? Stefan
They do ship to the UK. Make sure to pick up a bag of Russian Tort Seed Mix. It’s a really healty diet for them. If they grow well, you won’t have to buy them food! Also pick up some TNT powder supplement and a cuttle bone. Don’t bother with calcium powder. The only thing they don’t ship to the UK is live feeders, but you won’t need to worry about that.
Thank you gentlemen, I did not to sound stupid, that’s why I’ve asked first. In SA a tortoise is an animal who lives on land whilst a turtle lives in water, be it salt or fresh. The only freshwater turtles I’ve ever seen, did not have shells. The VERY large, sea turtles do have shells. Btw, did any of you ever watched them mate?
This thread is interesting. The only contact I’ve had with a turtle was the occasional “box turtle”, we called them. Many can be seen crossing country roads around here…I don’t know why they’re drawn to the road? I remember I hit one with my Jeep when I was 16 yrs old and really felt terrible.Made an awful loud POP. Since then, Ive always been on the lookout. Could one of you fellows post a picture of your tortoise next to a common object so I can get an idea of their size? Do they make good pets, carry any odor? Where does one keep them? What’s the best variety to have? Figured first hand experience is better than a book.Ok, that’s enough questions.
That’s ok Pieter. My own understanding was the general sense that Tortoises were land dwellers and Turtles water dwellers. But Cstokes info makes that more clear. I still don’t understand Terrapin. We have lots of turtles around here in the rivers and ponds. I even found one in my yard once. I think its our only indigenous reptile in Delware, although I’ve seen skenks or geckos or something just over the line in Maryland. Anyone know the difference between a moth and butterfly? Scientifically there is no difference. Colorful ones get called butterflies and plain ones get called moths. Good luck with your new friend, Walrus. I suggest you call him “Caractacus” or “Roderick.”