This page is intended to address the common questions we are asked via e-mail or phone. If you have a question related to shipping or the guarantee, please check the appropriate tabs above, as the answer is very likely there.

----- 

- How do I take care of a tortoise? 

This is a topic that is simply too long to answer in an e-mail or a phone conversation, and is really dependant on the species you're looking for, your climate and size allowance, and many other factors. We have some care sheets and articles on the "Articles" page, and more will be added on a regular basis. 

-----

- Can I choose my tortoise from a series of photos?

We no longer provide photos of the actual available tortoises prior to a purchase. As often as we are asked for photos, it would take us several hours each week keeping up with these requests, and many people don't end up buying anyways (just curious lookers). Because of this, we are no longer able to keep separating tortoises and waiting for answers. If you want to request the lightest, darkest etc, we will send you just that. The photos on the site are very accurate representations of what to expect your tortoise to look like. 

----- 

- Do you have a retail storefront or a facility I can come visit?

Unfortunately, we do not. We raise all our tortoises in private locations, and in order to maintain the security of our collection, we do not allow customers to come over and see/pick out their tortoises. We keep all our animals in private locations only to protect their security. To allow customers to come over and "get a tour" would be opening ourselves up for bigger risks than we want to take. We have good friends in the reptile industry that do not know where our facility is, and only for security reasons, we plan to keep it that way. We have a $10 delivery option within Las Vegas so there is a minimal cost to get it delivered (no order too small or large for the $10 option).

-----

- Do you still have this particular tortoise in stock?

Our website keeps a rolling inventory of what we have available at all times. It will not allow you to buy something that we don't have. If you attempt to buy 4 hermanns tortoises, and it only lets you buy 3, it means we only have 3 remaining in stock. We keep this inventory only on perfect, healthy tortoises that are available for immediate shipping. We occasionally also have "B-Grade" tortoises that may have split scutes, small flaws, etc, but these are not included in the rolling inventory.

-----

- What type of tortoise should I get?

This will all depend on what you’re looking to do, and the amount of space your are able to offer it. If the long term plan is to keep it indoors, you are very limited on the options because of the sizes that most tortoises eventually get to; it's just not reasonable to keep them indoors. The smallest tortoises are mostly the different types of Testudo (Russians, Hermanns, Greeks), with a few others being smaller also (Indian Stars, cherryheads, pancakes or others). All species do much better if they are able to be outdoors for even a part of the year. In the Southern, warmer states, the options are much more open since the tortoise can be outdoors most or even all of the year. Northern climates generally mean the tortoises will spend much of the year indoors, so the size is again a big determining factor. We have average adult sizes listed on each species on this site, so you can get a general idea what to expect. 

-----

- How much will shipping cost?

As of January 2011, we re-worked our shipping options to offer flat rate of $34.95 for all orders that include only a tortoise or multiple tortoises. If your order has supplies and a tortoise in it, the cost will be higher, as a bigger box is required, and the tortoise will ship overnight while the supplies will ship with UPS Ground. Supply-only orders are calculated by the website based on your address. Because we ship from Las Vegas Nevada, West coast shipping is generally a bit cheaper than a similar order sent to an East coast address. Shipping costs are based on multiple things, but generally are the size and weight of the products being ordered, and the address they're going to. All our products have a size and weight assigned to them, so the shopping cart will calculate an accurate shipping cost per order. See the Shipping Info page for more information about shipping.