Largest sulcata on record?

[zovick]

What about the poor tortoise was “trouble”?
No tortoise could possibly be THAT bad.
Maybe the tortoise was POed because people kept trading him in making him mate all of the time?
They are smart ya know.
He might have felt used?
Poor booger. ☹️

@TechnoCheese also

My guess is that he kept overturning other tortoises and/or was aggressive toward humans. Bob lives in AZ and has a huge enclosure for the sulcatas and going into it to rescue/upright overturned ones could be a full time job with a male that large. And if the overturned ones are not found in timely fashion, they die in the sun rather quickly.

Also, when I kept sulcatas, my largest male (only around 100 lbs. by comparison to this one) was extremely unfriendly/aggressive toward humans. He would purposefully attempt to pin an arm or a leg against the side of his enclosure with great pressure and then move his body rapidly from side to side while digging his front marginal scutes into the trapped flesh. This resulted in some pretty significant cuts if one was not very careful when approaching this guy. His final trick if I was not near a side wall was to come up from behind me when I was unaware of his proximity and butt the back of my calf muscle with his shell. This didn't cause the same type of cuts as if the leg was pinned, but it was still annoying and disconcerting to be attacked from the rear unexpectedly.

So if this big male of Bob's had the same tendencies, I can see good reason to let it go elsewhere.

 

[BajatheChickenMan]

I absolutely believe that tortoise is a lot of trouble. How do you even contain a tortoise that hefty? I suppose the same way you contain big aldabras or Galapagos?

I was just wondering this because from what I have seen and read here, Aldabras and Galops have a lot more mild temperaments than Sulcatas. At that size it would have to be housed in something like a drained gator enclosure or something else 'prison like'. I bet even in a wide open pasture it would find its way to fence line and just destroy it.

 

[zovick]

I was just wondering this because from what I have seen and read here, Aldabras and Galops have a lot more mild temperaments than Sulcatas. At that size it would have to be housed in something like a drained gator enclosure or something else 'prison like'. I bet even in a wide open pasture it would find its way to fence line and just destroy it.

That is a good bet.

 

[BajatheChickenMan]

OK, here's the scoop:

I spoke to Bob Blome and got the full story on the tortoise at David's Jungle. It was indeed imported with other Sudanese sulcatas in 1985 by a fellow named Brad Morris.

Bob Blome acquired it and used it for breeding in his herd until about 8 years ago, when he sold it to Andrew Hermes, warning him that the tortoise would be a LOT of trouble. After some time, Andrew realized that Bob had been correct in that assessment and he, in turn, sold it to David's Jungle.

Bob Blome says that the male he sold to Andrew weighed roughly 280 to 300 pounds when he sold it. Bob says he has some other males now which are OVER 300 pounds.

Thanks for following up on this! It's quite a fun conversation and certainly eye opening to the potential size of the Sudanese!

edit: I went back and watched the video from Kamp Kenan where he visited Bob Blome's place and holy moly!

 

[TechnoCheese]

@TechnoCheese also

My guess is that he kept overturning other tortoises and/or was aggressive toward humans. Bob lives in AZ and has a huge enclosure for the sulcatas and going into it to rescue/upright overturned ones could be a full time job with a male that large. And if the overturned ones are not found in timely fashion, they die in the sun rather quickly.

I totally believe this. I'm not sure I would ever keep a sulcata this large with other tortoises, but I also don't have a whole herd of sulcatas to find room for. If I were his size and hated everyone, I think I'd throw my weight around like that, too!

 

[jaizei]

Kamp Kenan has a couple of videos showing Bob Blomes sulcatas

 

[Yvonne G]

When I first posted the picture on this thread I sent an email to David's Jungle. I heard back from him today:

David Jensen​	12:42 PM (4 hours ago)
to me

Hi! Yes, he is still alive and well. He was last weighed 2 years ago. He’s over 340 lbs. He was weighed on a semi truck scale. I’ll attach a couple pics below. My Instagram is DavidsJungle and you’ll be able to find more pictures and videos of him on there.

Thanks for reaching out.
David





OMG!!!!!! 340lbs! From the looks of his upper body, a lot of that weight is FAT!!!!!

 

[TechnoCheese]

When I first posted the picture on this thread I sent an email to David's Jungle. I heard back from him today:

David Jensen​	12:42 PM (4 hours ago)
to me

Hi! Yes, he is still alive and well. He was last weighed 2 years ago. He’s over 340 lbs. He was weighed on a semi truck scale. I’ll attach a couple pics below. My Instagram is DavidsJungle and you’ll be able to find more pictures and videos of him on there.

Thanks for reaching out.
David



View attachment 366467View attachment 366468

OMG!!!!!! 340lbs! From the looks of his upper body, a lot of that weight if FAT!!!!!

He is just MASSIVE!

 

[BajatheChickenMan]

What a unit!

 

[Chefdenoel10]

@TechnoCheese also

My guess is that he kept overturning other tortoises and/or was aggressive toward humans. Bob lives in AZ and has a huge enclosure for the sulcatas and going into it to rescue/upright overturned ones could be a full time job with a male that large. And if the overturned ones are not found in timely fashion, they die in the sun rather quickly.

Also, when I kept sulcatas, my largest male (only around 100 lbs. by comparison to this one) was extremely unfriendly/aggressive toward humans. He would purposefully attempt to pin an arm or a leg against the side of his enclosure with great pressure and then move his body rapidly from side to side while digging his front marginal scutes into the trapped flesh. This resulted in some pretty significant cuts if one was not very careful when approaching this guy. His final trick if I was not near a side wall was to come up from behind me when I was unaware of his proximity and butt the back of my calf muscle with his shell. This didn't cause the same type of cuts as if the leg was pinned, but it was still annoying and disconcerting to be attacked from the rear unexpectedly.

So if this big male of Bob's had the same tendencies, I can see good reason to let it go elsewhere.

Ok…. Yea…. That makes total sense..
I hope he is in his own enclosure at the zoo!? Those poor unexpecting zoo keepers!! 😳

 

[Chefdenoel10]

And…. HAPPY BIRTHDAY ZOVIC!!!!
🌹♥️😘🥳🎊🎈

 

[Chefdenoel10]

When I first posted the picture on this thread I sent an email to David's Jungle. I heard back from him today:

David Jensen​	12:42 PM (4 hours ago)
to me

Hi! Yes, he is still alive and well. He was last weighed 2 years ago. He’s over 340 lbs. He was weighed on a semi truck scale. I’ll attach a couple pics below. My Instagram is DavidsJungle and you’ll be able to find more pictures and videos of him on there.

Thanks for reaching out.
David



View attachment 366467View attachment 366468

OMG!!!!!! 340lbs! From the looks of his upper body, a lot of that weight if FAT!!!!!

Yea, he could maybe loose a couple of pounds; but who’s gonna tell him? 😆
With a face like that he doesn’t seem to care what anyone thinks.
He ain’t looking for that Ozempic stuff either. 😝

 

[BajatheChickenMan]

Yea, he could maybe loose a couple of pounds; but who’s gonna tell him? 😆
With a face like that he doesn’t seem to care what anyone thinks.
He ain’t looking for that Ozempic stuff either. 😝

Those legs look like giant fossilized artichokes lol!

 

[Markw84]

As a note... When I have talked with Bob and Andrew about this tortoise, they both said the main issue was it was constantly testing fences and could pretty much knock anything over. Last time I was at Andrew's he showed me the fencing that was destroyed and constantly needed to be redone to try to contain that tortoise. At Bob's just a few months ago, he does have some other males that appear to be bigger than this one. However, not the same issue with breaking fences. Both of them use stacked block as fencing. Bob's perimeter main fences are mortered in place, but cross fencing is often not - so can be rearranged.

Galapagos are nowhere near the same problem with fencing. I certainly use very sturdy fencing, but they do not constantly march the perimeter and test fencing like a sulcata will. A very big Galapagos will lean against fencing and because of size = it better be solid. But a sulcata can and will ram and bulldoze it until it gives.

 

[TechnoCheese]

As a note... When I have talked with Bob and Andrew about this tortoise, they both said the main issue was it was constantly testing fences and could pretty much knock anything over. Last time I was at Andrew's he showed me the fencing that was destroyed and constantly needed to be redone to try to contain that tortoise.

Knew it! Even Curtis, my much smaller female, constantly tests the fence like this. Historically, she has ripped a hole straight through a chain link gate after moving the cinderblock and plywood, and that was years ago when she was smaller. Sulcatas just live to tear down walls...

 

[SinLA]

One day I'd like to have a free-roaming tortoise in my backyard (post dogs), and will likely get a CDT b/c it makes sense for where I am. Have thought about a rescue sulcata (god knows there are enough of them) because while I have the space, my fence is concrete blocks on all sides but one - I share a wood fence with a neighbor who has a Cane Corso, a RottieX and a Pittie. I just envision having a sulcata plowing through that fence into their yard, lol.

 

[Ray--Opo]

Don't know if this was answered. What are the possibilities that this giant came from Sudan? I have often wondered that the reason the carapace is so smooth. Is sulcata's that originally come from the wild in Sudan are not inbred. The sulcata's we buy here might be inbred so much. That it might have changed the genes and contributes to pyramiding. Not to take away the importance of keeping sulcata's humid when raising.
Just spitballing!

 

[jaizei]

Don't know if this was answered. What are the possibilities that this giant came from Sudan? I have often wondered that the reason the carapace is so smooth. Is sulcata's that originally come from the wild in Sudan are not inbred. The sulcata's we buy here might be inbred so much. That it might have changed the genes and contributes to pyramiding. Not to take away the importance of keeping sulcata's humid when raising.
Just spitballing!

The original source, Brad Morris, is the source for most (all?) sulcatas labelled as from Sudan.

I think that the sulcatas from Sudan were kept 'pure' makes it more likely that if inbreeding was an issue, it would be there vs with the 'common' sulcata.

 

[BajatheChickenMan]

Does anyone know if that Youtube tortoise Tiptoe is a Sudanese Sulcata? She says he's 22 years old an weighs 175lbs. His shell looks pretty good but not a super high dome like the some of the others shown in this thread.

For reference:

 

[BajatheChickenMan]

Hey guys and gals I also found a video from Dav Kaufman at the Vegas Reptile Expo and he talks to David (David's Jungle) for quite a bit and they talk about that Giant Sulcata and measure him. They even put another adult male up next to him to show you the differences, I feel bad for him being at that loud noisy show but its still pretty cool to see the beast.