NEW SULCATA TORTOISE

[CELLMASS]

hey guys..... new to the forum. just recieved a desert tortoise as a gift about a week ago. im completely new to torts but not to reptiles. i have him/her in a 12'x16' outdoor enclosure. he will have free roam of the whole yard once he/she gets a little bigger.

anyways i was wondering if the seasoned owners could give me some insight. anything would be appreciated. thnx in advance.

 

[Yvonne G]

RE: NEW DT

Hi Cellmass:

(May we know your name?)

to the forum!!

Desert tortoises are great tortoises! So people oriented. How old/big is your tortoise?

Best diet is weeds and grasses. If that's not possible, then dark, leafy greens from the store.

Sink a plant pot saucer into the ground for water.

A nice hiding place to get out of the weather.

Plenty of sun for basking, but shade too so he doesn't overheat.

And pictures...pictures...pictures!!!

 

[spikethebest]

RE: NEW DT

Welcome to the forum!

 

[CELLMASS]

RE: NEW DT

my real name is russell

he is 2 years young....... and maybe 7-8 inch. i do plan on growing cacti and other desert plants in his enclosure. we live in arizona, the sonoran desert, so i guess he should be fine outside.

 

[spikethebest]

RE: NEW DT

my real name is russell

he is 2 years young....... and maybe 7-8 inch. i do plan on growing cacti and other desert plants in his enclosure. we live in arizona, the sonoran desert, so i guess he should be fine outside.

what kind of plants are you going to grow?

I grow these...

Eriogonum fasciculatum, (California Buckwheat)
Sphaeralcea ambigua, (Apricot Mallow)
Salvia columbariae, (Chia)
Lasthenia californica, (Goldfields)
Nassella cernua, (Nodding Needlegrass)
Castilleja exserta, (Ornate Owl's Clover)

 

[CELLMASS]

RE: NEW DT

definetly a prickly pear. and some grass.

were can i get some seeds from spike?

 

[Yvonne G]

RE: NEW DT

Hey Russell:

I'm afraid you've been given the wrong scoop. Your new baby isn't a desert tortoise...its a sulcata. Do you know anything about sulcatas? They get BIG!! A 2 year old desert tortoise would only be about 4" or so.

 

[spikethebest]

RE: NEW DT

i didnt look at the picture before posting... Yvonne is 100% correct. its a sulcata. these do not hiberate. that is first, and most important difference between the two species. they need to be kept warm, ALL year long. are you able to do that?

---

definetly a prickly pear. and some grass.

were can i get some seeds from spike?

i can ship you some, but we need to help you take care of your sulcata tortoise properly before you think about planting seeds.

HEAT HEAT HEAT is the main concern right now...

 

[CELLMASS]

RE: NEW DT

wow you guys dropped a bomb on me. i was eventually going to get a sulcata so im kinda relieved he is one. care wont be an issue, i can provide it with anything it needs. but for now its back to the drawing board. i guess that shows how new i am to torts. haahaa.

so lets try this again.... do you guys have any info on sulcata. wow i feel dumb.

how can you guys tell the difference anyways?

 

[spikethebest]

RE: NEW DT

do a google image search for "sulcata tortoise" and "california desert tortoise" you will be able to clearly see a difference. color is huge difference. scales on arms is huge difference. head is huge difference. shape and design of carapace is huge difference.

to us, we can instantly tell the difference.

 

[CELLMASS]

RE: NEW DT

yeah i just gooled it. the shell is a dead give away. im glad i joined the forum.

 

[Yvonne G]

Well we're glad you joined too! You live in a great state to support a sulcata. And at 8", if the weather permits, he's big enough to be outside now. Same instructions as for a desert tortoise...weeds and grasses, a shelter, a water pan, plenty of sun with shade and a good secure fence. The only difference in their care, as Cory (spikethebest) as said, is they don't hibernate.

 

[CELLMASS]

im so excited to see a huge tortoise in my back yard. thnx for all the helpfull info guys.

 

[Stephanie Logan]

Congratulations on your new Sulcata, and how refreshing to hear that you plan to do the research to care for it properly!

They are big and messy, but seem to have great personalities and are often more like dogs than reptiles. We have several notable Sulcatas here on the forum, but Bob is the biggest star. You should do a search for threads by Maggie (maggie3fan) and you will learn A LOT just by reading through some of those.

Welcome to the forum!

 

[DonaTello's-Mom]

Oh and make sure you take the "Sulcata challenge". Welcome aboard!

 

[Annieski]

I wanted to say Welcome! I only have one Sulcata--Mortimer-- and I do have to say yours is quite beautiful.

 

[CELLMASS]

I wanted to say Welcome! I only have one Sulcata--Mortimer-- and I do have to say yours is quite beautiful.

do you have any pictures of your tort? and whats the sulcata challenge?

 

[Yvonne G]

Here's the link to the sulcata challenge:

http://turtlerescues.com/sulcata_challenge.htm

 

[CELLMASS]

does anyone know were to order natural seed for bermuda and orchard grass?

 

[moswen]

you can order seed specifically formulated for sulcatas here:

http://www.sulcatafood.com/

but you can just grab some bermuda or orchard grass seeds at your local lowe's and grow them in organic soil as well. also, if you can find a feed store (like for cattle) they usually carry huge bags of "pasture mix" that can have bermuda, orchard, timothy, and alfalfa (and/or others) grass seeds all mixed together, these are also good for your sully!