Adding a Sulcata to the family...

[thelifeofbuttons]

I don't know if it's because I'm really missing my CDTs while they hibernate, but I'm obsessing over adding a Sulcata to our family (and so is my 7yo son, who is equally obsessed with becoming a Herpetologist). Anyway, we currently have two CDT loves, I have raised since they were about one and two years old, give or take some months, the oldest is coming up on 15 yo. Once they were big enough to live outside, I built them a rather large habitat, and lock them up at night to keep them away from the Raccoons. Now, I'm thinking a Sulcata can live, separately, in the other 80% of our pretty big backyard. It's not a farm, but I've got lots of grass, shady and sunny areas, large pad of concrete, and space to eventually build a great shelter. Knowing me, I'll completely redo our entire backyard to accommodate a new Sulcata love. I've been doing quite a bit of reading on here already in regards to care, and best practices, but of course I'm just scratching the surface and much more in depth research will commence immediately on care and best practices.

So here's my question(s)...Part of me wants to raise another hatchling, and part of me wants to adopt a somewhat older dude. I don't know what I want! Anyway, there's so many looking to be rehomed on craigslist, and tons of hatchlings for sale (which makes me really bummed...i don't know).

Anyway, I found one that the owner needs to rehome that they say is 18 months (and they also wrote it's a boy...so i feel like they don't really know what they've got going on because it's only the width of a can of green beans at this point) and it looks like it's already got some pyramiding beginning too.

So my question is what are some of your opinions about getting a tortoise off Craigslist? Part of me wants to take them all home and give them a dream life, but obviously that's not possible, until I actually live on a farm. But, should I be concerned about a Sulcata that's a year and a half that has pyramiding...?? My CDTs have some pyramiding (take me back 14 years so I can start over in my education and care). I've been working hard to correct the humidity level of their habitat and home, so I feel very much up to the task of taking on a Sulcata and giving it a great life, but don't want to get in over my head either.

Also, can I start the Sulcata outdoors already at the young age of 18mo with daily soakings, a safe place to graze and a safe/warm place to sleep at night?

I just want to make sure I'm not letting my excitement cloud my judgment.

Thank you in advance for any and all advice on this.

 

[xMario]

I don't know if it's because I'm really missing my CDTs while they hibernate, but I'm obsessing over adding a Sulcata to our family (and so is my 7yo son, who is equally obsessed with becoming a Herpetologist). Anyway, we currently have two CDT loves, I have raised since they were about one and two years old, give or take some months, the oldest is coming up on 15 yo. Once they were big enough to live outside, I built them a rather large habitat, and lock them up at night to keep them away from the Raccoons. Now, I'm thinking a Sulcata can live, separately, in the other 80% of our pretty big backyard. It's not a farm, but I've got lots of grass, shady and sunny areas, large pad of concrete, and space to eventually build a great shelter. Knowing me, I'll completely redo our entire backyard to accommodate a new Sulcata love. I've been doing quite a bit of reading on here already in regards to care, and best practices, but of course I'm just scratching the surface and much more in depth research will commence immediately on care and best practices.

So here's my question(s)...Part of me wants to raise another hatchling, and part of me wants to adopt a somewhat older dude. I don't know what I want! Anyway, there's so many looking to be rehomed on craigslist, and tons of hatchlings for sale (which makes me really bummed...i don't know).

Anyway, I found one that the owner needs to rehome that they say is 18 months (and they also wrote it's a boy...so i feel like they don't really know what they've got going on because it's only the width of a can of green beans at this point) and it looks like it's already got some pyramiding beginning too.

So my question is what are some of your opinions about getting a tortoise off Craigslist? Part of me wants to take them all home and give them a dream life, but obviously that's not possible, until I actually live on a farm. But, should I be concerned about a Sulcata that's a year and a half that has pyramiding...?? My CDTs have some pyramiding (take me back 14 years so I can start over in my education and care). I've been working hard to correct the humidity level of their habitat and home, so I feel very much up to the task of taking on a Sulcata and giving it a great life, but don't want to get in over my head either.

Also, can I start the Sulcata outdoors already at the young age of 18mo with daily soakings, a safe place to graze and a safe/warm place to sleep at night?

I just want to make sure I'm not letting my excitement cloud my judgment.

Thank you in advance for any and all advice on this.

Hello and welcome to the Forum [emoji16] here are very experienced sulcata owners and breeders they will definitely shine in and give u there suggestions since I'm not even near of the knowledge they have I'm not gonna suggest u anything but be careful about a young tortoise outside I just saw a hawk (i think it was a hawk) this morning with a big river cooter in it's talons so be aware they could probably pick a young sulcata up with no problems...
I hope u enjoy ur stay at the TFO and I wish u the best with ur future family member [emoji1]

 

[Tom]

Hello and welcome.

If you get a hatchling, get it from the right source. Few people start them correctly. You want indoor closed chamber housing, daily soaks and a damp substrate. Outdoors all day, weekly soaks, and dry substrate is a catastrophe for a hatchling and many don't survive it.

There is no reason to not rescue and older one that is in need of a home, but yes, you will inherit all the problems with however it was raised. Pyramiding is only cosmetic as long as all else was good like temps, diet and hydration.

I don't like to move them outside full time with a heated night box until they reach at least 8-10". I prefer to bring them inside to a large, warm enclosure at night and on cold rainy days like today. When the time comes we can give you links to the right type of shelters.

You'll have to decide if you want to buy a healthy hatchling from a good source, or if you'd rather rescue an older one in need of a home. Each has their good and bad points. No one here will fault you either way. I've done both and it can go either way with either depending on many factors. We are happy to answer all your questions and help with making your choice.

Here is the current and correct care info. Most of what you find will be old, out-dated and wrong.
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

Again, questions and conversation are welcome.

 

[Yvonne G]

This is a question only you can answer. If you have your heart set on a hatchling, then don't get sidetracked by the craigslist ads - stay off craigslist for a while. If it were me, I'd get the older model. He's still not quite big enough to live outside all the time, but a whole lot easier to set up indoors at that size.

 

[thelifeofbuttons]

Hello and welcome to the Forum [emoji16] here are very experienced sulcata owners and breeders they will definitely shine in and give u there suggestions since I'm not even near of the knowledge they have I'm not gonna suggest u anything but be careful about a young tortoise outside I just saw a hawk (i think it was a hawk) this morning with a big river cooter in it's talons so be aware they could probably pick a young sulcata up with no problems...
I hope u enjoy ur stay at the TFO and I wish u the best with ur future family member [emoji1]

Thanks for the reply! This is my favorite place to come for all my tortoise questions, everyone knows so very much, and very kind and generous with their knowledge. Having CDTs for a number of years, and they grow much more slowly, I'm very cautious about potential predators, especially from the sky. It's an important concern to mention, and definitely on my list of young Sulcata responsibilities for sure! Any small tortoise grazing time would be well supervised, until it's too large to be flown off with.

 

[thelifeofbuttons]

Hello and welcome.

If you get a hatchling, get it from the right source. Few people start them correctly. You want indoor closed chamber housing, daily soaks and a damp substrate. Outdoors all day, weekly soaks, and dry substrate is a catastrophe for a hatchling and many don't survive it.

There is no reason to not rescue and older one that is in need of a home, but yes, you will inherit all the problems with however it was raised. Pyramiding is only cosmetic as long as all else was good like temps, diet and hydration.

I don't like to move them outside full time with a heated night box until they reach at least 8-10". I prefer to bring them inside to a large, warm enclosure at night and on cold rainy days like today. When the time comes we can give you links to the right type of shelters.

You'll have to decide if you want to buy a healthy hatchling from a good source, or if you'd rather rescue an older one in need of a home. Each has their good and bad points. No one here will fault you either way. I've done both and it can go either way with either depending on many factors. We are happy to answer all your questions and help with making your choice.

Here is the current and correct care info. Most of what you find will be old, out-dated and wrong.
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

Again, questions and conversation are welcome.

okay, yes! Thank you for all of this! If I were to get a hatchling it certainly would be indoors in the proper environment until it reaches an appropriate size, and I'm not concerned about managing any of that. I have already read over many of the care sheets you have created (they are awesome!! Thank you for taking the time to put those together). Also, I appreciate the sizing reference of when you think it would be okay to have future Sulcata love living outside...8-10" is a prefect visual for me to keep in mind moving forward. Getting a hatchling might be a good way for me to take the time to properly prepare my yard, or win the lottery and get a house on a few acres I've had my heart set on. But I think the ideal situation would be to patiently wait for a little one that is 18mos in age. The one I found on Craigslist has since become unavailable, so now I'll work on just getting prepared in case one comes up, or if I take the leap to get a hatchling. As you are in SoCal also (I'm in the Ventura County area), can you recommend how to best search for younger Sulcatas for adoption, or where to get a hatchling that has been started properly? No worries, if that's too much to ask.

As with anything in life, I think patience will be on my side (and very appropriate for a long life with tortoises anyway. Lots of work to get to in my CDTs outdoor habitat after all this rain too, before they start waking up.

Thank you so very much for your time and wisdom.

 

[queen koopa]

I was just reading another thread about hatchling care and the occurrence of sudden hatchling failure.... precise humidy & heat control 24/7, soaking, weighing... Then thought to myself that if I were to get another tortoise (like wanted to take that on, not a unplanned rescue) it would be on the older side. And yeah I’m bothered too when I see all Sulcatas for sale because I’m pretty sure most I see in pet stores go to oblivious parents giving in to cute pets for their kids.

 

[thelifeofbuttons]

I was just reading another thread about hatchling care and the occurrence of sudden hatchling failure.... precise humidy & heat control 24/7, soaking, weighing... Then thought to myself that if I were to get another tortoise (like wanted to take that on, not a unplanned rescue) it would be on the older side. And yeah I’m bothered too when I see all Sulcatas for sale because I’m pretty sure most I see in pet stores go to oblivious parents giving in to cute pets for their kids.

Yes to all of this! I agree that it feels so important and overwhelming (in addition to life with kids, two pampered tortoises and a bearded dragon) to take on a hatchling Sulcata. I must have just read the same thread as you about Hatchling failure, and that would just kill me. But then I think part of me really wants to do it right from the beginning, and I'm up for the task, and then I go back to there's so many who end up in the wrong home, and could use a loving tortoise home too. The craigslist ads just break my heart. I try to educate about reptiles and tortoises whenever I can, but I think it's a lot like bunnies around Easter. Parents see something cute, and have NO IDEA what they are getting themselves into, but then they rarely take the time to figure out how to do it it right even after they buy the poor rabbit, dog, tortoise, gecko from the pet store. It's such a problem. I'm really hoping I can get all my ducks in a row over here and hope the right Sulcata will find us soon.

 

[thelifeofbuttons]

This is a question only you can answer. If you have your heart set on a hatchling, then don't get sidetracked by the craigslist ads - stay off craigslist for a while. If it were me, I'd get the older model. He's still not quite big enough to live outside all the time, but a whole lot easier to set up indoors at that size.

Excellent points. I think you are exactly right. I appreciate you taking the time to respond. Thank you!