genuinely though. before you ever consider a tortoise (any species), you need to carefully consider:
-do you have extra floor space of at least 8 by 4 feet? this is the minimum enclosure size for even the smallest tortoise species. the larger the tortoise, the larger the enclosure should be, i.e. a sulcata needs a far larger space.
-is the space heated, free of drafts, and away from windows?
-how do you plan to fully enclose, waterproof, and wire the space to make a proper tortoise enclosure? keep in mind your tortoise will pyramid (improper growth, can become painful) if your enclosure is open, due to heat and humidity escaping.
-do you have space for an outdoor enclosure? this needs to be large and predator-proof and allow the tortoise access to basking, grazing, etc. which are necessities for any tortoise.
-do you have enough money to support a tortoise? not only are the initial costs significant, but you will have to spend money regularly (UVB bulbs need changed every 3-4 months, proper greens are expensive to buy or to grow, your vet visits will always be costly, etc) for the next 75 years at least.
-do you have a reputable exotic vet nearby? do they treat chelonians? do they have experience with tortoises? what are their hours? how far are they? do they have emergency hours?
-if your area has winter or gets severe weather, how are you going to manage your tortoise then? if your species brumates, be aware that you can't rely on brumation to eliminate the need for an indoor enclosure- things happen, and brumation may not last as long as winter.
-how do you plan to provide the appropriate diet for a tortoise year-round? this is very species-dependent, but grazing tortoises (sulcatas, leopard torts) will need significant quantities of grass and grass hay year-round, mediterranean tortoises, redfoots, etc will need high-calcium greens (most of which cannot be bought at a grocery store, you'll have to grow them yourself, pesticide-free and organic of course). some tortoises (ahem, redfoots) need animal protein, fruit, flowers, and other more novel food items in their diets. how will you provide year-round edible flowers?
-how do you plan to obtain tortoise-appropriate supplies? even things like hides and water bowls that are made for reptiles are useless and often dangerous for tortoises (the water bowls with the ramp up to them? huge flipping/drowning hazard). most tortoise keepers end up DIYing nearly everything in their enclosures. if you're not handy, you'll need to either get handy or find someone who is to help.
-tortoises need daily care that can't be automated, if you travel you'll need a knowledgeable tort-sitter.
-all changes with tortoises have to be made slowly, gradually. they stress quite easily, and even moving them to a nicer, bigger enclosure could stress a tort enough to kill it.
-how do you plan to keep your tortoise safe? cats, dogs, raccoons, weasels, and more have to be accounted for in both enclosure design and your management. flipping and not being able to turn back over, or suffering organ damage from flipping too fast are common worries, especially with hatchling and juvenile tortoises. flipping over typically happens when the tortoise doesn't have enough space, has improper decor (stuff that encourages climbing), and usually in corners. there are many ways to help minimize your tortoises chances of flipping over.
-what's your plan to learn about your species? what's your plan to keep yourself up-to-date with gold standard practice (or at least exceeding minimum standards) as tortoise keepers learn more and as standards evolve? do you have knowledgeable keepers to talk to? will you stay up-to-date on current information even years from now? or will you get stuck in the practices that you learned to do first?
this isn't everything but it's a decent start. anyway have fun reading about tortoises. i like the tortoise forum for getting a good handle on care.
