Deciding to get a baby Sulcata!

Violanna

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So I’ve already read Tom’s care sheet and I still have about a billion questions. I luckily have a month to do research and prepare as this was a special birthday request for my oldest. I’ve got all the enclosure stuff down except type of hydrometer and night heating element to use for the indoor hatchling enclosure? Also what are their personalities/activities like during the day? Are the diggers or climbers? Will 1/4in plywood suffice for the temporary winter enclosure? Curious to know more specifics on how fast they grow. How much is too much to feed them, as I know with our old Russian it was feed them as much as they want but I’ve seen that over feeding is common in hatchlings. Can I get any recommendations on breeders or places to buy from? I’m in Fort Worth Texas if anyone knows someone local.
For reference we will be wanting a young baby or hatchling by November. We will winter it indoors while my husband builds a fancy enclosure outdoors. But we just bought this house in May and the yard was completely neglected before we moved in, so we are completely tearing up and redoing all of it. So we need to know just how fast these big guys grow so we can get a corner of the yard ready for it while we finish up the rest of the yard and then build it an even bigger enclosure.
 

Lokkje

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I would love to try to help you but I don’t know Sulcatas. I have a leopard tortoise and desert torts. I know the Sullys Grow every fast and I know you’re gonna need a lot of room for it. I know they can be very destructive which is why I don’t have one. Hang in there and I’m sure somebody with some knowledge will help you.
 

nicoleann2214

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Hoping someone is able to help still??
They grow quick especially if given the right care. Closed chambers work the best. I got mine last March at about 100grams and she’s almost 700 grams now. They have very interesting personalities, that’s mine tearing my aloe plant down. ?
 

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Chubbs the tegu

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1. Night heating u can use a ceramic heat emitter on a thermostat set for min of 80 f
2.hydrometer u can get an accurite digital one at home depot or lowes for like 10 bucks
3.personalities are awesome. Some dig some dont.. its a toss up.
4. 1/4 plywood ..depends the size or the sulcata.. an adult i wouldnt even attempt it.
5.as far as how fast they grow.. it all depends on ur care and conditions. Mine just turned 1 is about 6 lbs now. U could have a 30 lber or more in 3 yrs easily.
6. U cannot over feed a sulcata as long as u feed the correct foods.. they are grazers and will graze till their hearts content
 

Hamiltondood

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Thanks I’m luckily not in too much of a hurry! Still have a month. But hubby is getting started on his winter enclosure design tonight ?
you should get a closed enclosure if you want a hatchling. you can just buy a grow tent on amazon for 50-90 dollars on amazon. i use orchid bark and cypress mulch for substrate. coco coir is great with orchid bark too but it's a bit messy. a CHE works great for a night bulb. you can get one on amazon but make sure the fixture is the correct one. i'm in richmond texas, so a few hours away. i have a mini greenhouse instead of a grow tent but i reccommend a grow tent. 1601856157814.png this is what Srmcclure's enclosure looks like for his redfoot, so it might but a bit different. my sulcata LOVES to climb so i added a rock and dug it into the ground a little so he doesn't flip over. i think tom has some sudan sulcatas hatchlings for sale. don't forget to post pictures when you get one ?
 

Maro2Bear

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So I’ve already read Tom’s care sheet and I still have about a billion questions. I luckily have a month to do research and prepare as this was a special birthday request for my oldest. I’ve got all the enclosure stuff down except type of hydrometer and night heating element to use for the indoor hatchling enclosure? Also what are their personalities/activities like during the day? Are the diggers or climbers? Will 1/4in plywood suffice for the temporary winter enclosure? Curious to know more specifics on how fast they grow. How much is too much to feed them, as I know with our old Russian it was feed them as much as they want but I’ve seen that over feeding is common in hatchlings. Can I get any recommendations on breeders or places to buy from? I’m in Fort Worth Texas if anyone knows someone local.
For reference we will be wanting a young baby or hatchling by November. We will winter it indoors while my husband builds a fancy enclosure outdoors. But we just bought this house in May and the yard was completely neglected before we moved in, so we are completely tearing up and redoing all of it. So we need to know just how fast these big guys grow so we can get a corner of the yard ready for it while we finish up the rest of the yard and then build it an even bigger enclosure.

Greetings, lots of great questions. MOST if not all of your questions are answered in @Tom ‘s Sully Guide...

➡️ https://www.tortoiseforum.org/threa...se-a-sulcata-leopard-or-star-tortoise.181497/

Get a good digital thermometer/hydrometer - ACURITE has some good cheap ones with a probe

Night Heating Element - you will want to use a CHE and/or Radiant Heat Panel. USING a thermostat! that is connected 24/7. Your ambient temp should be 80 f.

Hatchlings are inquisitive. Adventurous, but not really diggers or climbers early on.

Feed? Yes, feed them daily. A wide range of weeds, chopped grass & more. All in the care sheet. But feed daily.

Enclosure - fully enclose, heat & humidity.

Soaking - daily

Humifity - high but temps need to be high too. All in Toms care sheet.

They grow fast, but you have a few years to grow with them. The key is heat, humidity and food. Soak daily.
 

Blackdog1714

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BTW rent a backhoe and dig random deep holes in your yard to mimic the burrows your sulcata will dig to escape the summer heat! That is why I have a leopard! Welcome and good luck
 

Violanna

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1. Night heating u can use a ceramic heat emitter on a thermostat set for min of 80 f
2.hydrometer u can get an accurite digital one at home depot or lowes for like 10 bucks
3.personalities are awesome. Some dig some dont.. its a toss up.
4. 1/4 plywood ..depends the size or the sulcata.. an adult i wouldnt even attempt it.
5.as far as how fast they grow.. it all depends on ur care and conditions. Mine just turned 1 is about 6 lbs now. U could have a 30 lber or more in 3 yrs easily.
6. U cannot over feed a sulcata as long as u feed the correct foods.. they are grazers and will graze till their hearts content
Yeah we are getting a hatchling. Most my questions were just about surviving the winter indoors. For outdoors we already have. Big pond tub that we are turning into a sunning enclosure and later the enclosure it will use until ready to have something bigger. We have dogs and a cat so it will probably never have free reign of the whole yard. But I already have a big fenced garden and my husband is building raised beds for my fruits and veggies. I’m thinking about the ground space being home for the tort!
 

Violanna

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you should get a closed enclosure if you want a hatchling. you can just buy a grow tent on amazon for 50-90 dollars on amazon. i use orchid bark and cypress mulch for substrate. coco coir is great with orchid bark too but it's a bit messy. a CHE works great for a night bulb. you can get one on amazon but make sure the fixture is the correct one. i'm in richmond texas, so a few hours away. i have a mini greenhouse instead of a grow tent but i reccommend a grow tent. View attachment 308093 this is what Srmcclure's enclosure looks like for his redfoot, so it might but a bit different. my sulcata LOVES to climb so i added a rock and dug it into the ground a little so he doesn't flip over. i think tom has some sudan sulcatas hatchlings for sale. don't forget to post pictures when you get one ?
Yup hubby is designing an enclosure as we speak. We are just trying to decide if a wooden insulated night hide will hold enough humidity.
 

Chubbs the tegu

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Yeah we are getting a hatchling. Most my questions were just about surviving the winter indoors. For outdoors we already have. Big pond tub that we are turning into a sunning enclosure and later the enclosure it will use until ready to have something bigger. We have dogs and a cat so it will probably never have free reign of the whole yard. But I already have a big fenced garden and my husband is building raised beds for my fruits and veggies. I’m thinking about the ground space being home for the tort!
All good.. uve read Toms thread already so u understand he should be raised indoors In a closed chamber For the first couple years or at least till hes about 10” or so? I mean of course outside time during the days weather permitting
 

Violanna

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Does anyone happen to know how many quarts of orchid bark I’d need for a 2x4 enclosure? Our first winter enclosure will be about 2’x4’x18”
 

Blackdog1714

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Check the local garden centers they may carry the fine fir bark in bulk bags like mulch . Other wise maybe like 8 bags. I use cypress mulch first about 4” thick with Reptibark (fine fir bark from pet stores) over top. Same performance and look but a lot cheaper
 

Tom

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Does anyone happen to know how many quarts of orchid bark I’d need for a 2x4 enclosure? Our first winter enclosure will be about 2’x4’x18”
There is no summer or winter enclosure for babies. I'm not understanding what you think the difference is. There is just their large closed chamber that is indoors and temperature regulated. Its the same enclosure year round. Once thermostats and timers are set, you don't have to do much from season to season. Sometimes change a basking bulb to a little higher wattage for winter, but that should be about it.

I'd get two of the 24 quart bags of Reptibark, or one 2.0 cu. ft. bag of fir bark if you can find fine grade at a local nursery.
 

pawsplus

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There is no summer or winter enclosure for babies. I'm not understanding what you think the difference is. There is just their large closed chamber that is indoors and temperature regulated. Its the same enclosure year round. Once thermostats and timers are set, you don't have to do much from season to season. Sometimes change a basking bulb to a little higher wattage for winter, but that should be about it
You don't put your tortoises outside in the summer?
 

EllieMay

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Does anyone happen to know how many quarts of orchid bark I’d need for a 2x4 enclosure? Our first winter enclosure will be about 2’x4’x18”
I live in Marshall Tx and have 3 sulcatas.... Two of which I raised from hatchlings.. for our area, Cypress mulch is the easiest to come by in large amounts. 1 of the big bags found at Lowe’s or Home Depot will do nicely for your enclosure.. and you will probably not have to use the whole bag.. You could expect to move a hatchling outside full time in its second year... The general recommendations For full time outdoors here is after 8” SCL...
 

shawnateerow

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Check the local garden centers they may carry the fine fir bark in bulk bags like mulch . Other wise maybe like 8 bags. I use cypress mulch first about 4” thick with Reptibark (fine fir bark from pet stores) over top. Same performance and look but a lot cheaper

I use ecoearth coco coir (dehydrated bricks) mixed with reptibark fir mulch. I used 3 bricks and half a bag reptibark mix in my 3x3 ft enclosure
 

Maggie3fan

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So I’ve already read Tom’s care sheet and I still have about a billion questions. I luckily have a month to do research and prepare as this was a special birthday request for my oldest. I’ve got all the enclosure stuff down except type of hydrometer and night heating element to use for the indoor hatchling enclosure? Also what are their personalities/activities like during the day? Are the diggers or climbers? Will 1/4in plywood suffice for the temporary winter enclosure? Curious to know more specifics on how fast they grow. How much is too much to feed them, as I know with our old Russian it was feed them as much as they want but I’ve seen that over feeding is common in hatchlings. Can I get any recommendations on breeders or places to buy from? I’m in Fort Worth Texas if anyone knows someone local.
For reference we will be wanting a young baby or hatchling by November. We will winter it indoors while my husband builds a fancy enclosure outdoors. But we just bought this house in May and the yard was completely neglected before we moved in, so we are completely tearing up and redoing all of it. So we need to know just how fast these big guys grow so we can get a corner of the yard ready for it while we finish up the rest of the yard and then build it an even bigger enclosure.
I don't have much experience but...I have noticed that as they grow, the weight, 5 years 40 to 50 lbs. 6 years, 50 to 60 lbs. That's loosely, just to give you an idea. Why get a hatchling? Those are fragile, hard to keep, and die easily. Adopt a bigger Sulcata, the rescues are full of them. And if you've never kept a tortoise before, get a Russian first. Not Sulcata
 

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