article on 100lb Sulcata found in AZ desert
- Thread starter REXANNismyprettygirl
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- Nov 18, 2010
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You know... I've been getting kinda tired of Pennsylvania lately....
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oh, what an amazing story. sad enough to make you sad to take her from as close to her natural habitat as she will ever be and put her in your back yard, but happy enough to read about such a happy ending success story for this tortoise. its a lot happier than some of the other stories you read about!
In phoenix right now it is cold and rainy. There is snow in the higher elevations and from my home, I'll be able to see snow on the different peaks around the valley.
RV is currently underground ~ she had a good feed yesterday of mazuri, pumpkin, cactus and some romaine. Even tho we keep her house open and warm, she prefers to sleep below. She does go in her home - I find scrapings of her dinner that rub off of her carapace. With this weather I expect not to see her for a few days. She may poke her head out, but won't stay out too long. I expect a tort left out in the desert long enough to dig 2 burrows (one 9 feet deep - someone pulled a 'tom' and went below) was doing just fine in the local enviroment.
As for people leaving their animals 'free', it is appalling and cruel. People who do this do not deserve the honor of having pets.
teri
RV is currently underground ~ she had a good feed yesterday of mazuri, pumpkin, cactus and some romaine. Even tho we keep her house open and warm, she prefers to sleep below. She does go in her home - I find scrapings of her dinner that rub off of her carapace. With this weather I expect not to see her for a few days. She may poke her head out, but won't stay out too long. I expect a tort left out in the desert long enough to dig 2 burrows (one 9 feet deep - someone pulled a 'tom' and went below) was doing just fine in the local enviroment.
As for people leaving their animals 'free', it is appalling and cruel. People who do this do not deserve the honor of having pets.
teri
I couldn't agree more! While I do agree with Tom on the survival instincts of reptiles...I still think anyone who abandons their pet(s) is a piece of s**t! Abandonment is cruel! Abandonment is abuse! That having been said...did anyone catch this?
http://www.ebaumsworld.com/video/watch/81245660/
http://www.ebaumsworld.com/video/watch/81245660/
One of the girls at school works with the Phoenix Herpetological Society up in Scottsdale (http://www.phoenixherp.com/), and they work with the Game and Fish dept to rescue/rehome exotics in the area. I'll ask her in a few weeks (when I'm back at uni) if they got this one and if she'll be up for adoption.
-Devon
-Devon
I was supposed to go on the "rescue" trip but had some prior engagements.
I believe the tortoise is already spoken for.
Other than sulcatas, russian tortoise pop up pretty frequently. The 3 males I have were all found either on the streets or randomly in someone's yard. I think most of them come from Petsmart....and the buyers either let them go or they escape their pens.
I believe the tortoise is already spoken for.
Other than sulcatas, russian tortoise pop up pretty frequently. The 3 males I have were all found either on the streets or randomly in someone's yard. I think most of them come from Petsmart....and the buyers either let them go or they escape their pens.
gummybearpoop said:
That's interesting...a few years ago PetsMart received several shipments of Russian tortoises. They'd sell off a bunch, then they would get in some more. When that happened, I started receiving "found tortoise" calls all the time over the summer. I don't think your average joe was ready for how escape-able little Russian tortoises are.
Badgemash said:
Well this is interesting! I've personally been to Dan Marshand (sp) and his "Phoenix Herpetological Society facility". The truth is, Mr Marshand is acruing and keeping the breedable rescue tortoises, ( we saw about 200 rescue tortoises there set up in only two yards) breeding them and selling their babies under the guise of "conservation". When I was there he had over a hundred fifty baby tortoises for sale and hundreds more eggs in his incubators. The babies all felt kind of soft-shelled to me so I didn't buy any. He told me he would sell them all anyway, to regular customers. After seeing him and the place with my own eyes, I was rather surprised he is given rescue tortoises. Chaps my hide.
Criskers said:
AND gives the good rescue places a bad name by association.
emysemys said:
PHS is a good rescue, I volunteer up there 2-3 times a month. They have received multiple awards from Arizona Fish and Game, have an active NGO status, and have various approved educational grants and activities. Do they have lots of sulcatas, yes tons, they get adopted and rescued on a constant basis. They are all healthy and active since I am the one who rakes their poo once a week(an love it!).
They are currently fundraising to build a education center that will be disabled centric view, imagine a blind child being able to feel a tortoise, or snake, even a gator. Imagine them being able to feel a gators roar. They also offer mobile educational vans, and wildlife removal or pest seizure.
Jermosh said:
This kind of gives a little more credence to the fact that I've always said there are too many sulcatas in the rescues. Its hard to find homes for them. Tyler always shoots me down and says he'll take them. Has PHS ever tried to give them to Tyler? He says he'll take them all. I believe he's in Nevada, but that's practically right next door, right Tyler?
emysemys said:
So what is the other option though? I mean if people give up a pet, and we cannot find a sanctuary or rescue for them. The only option I can see is euthanasia.
Tyler tried to get some at one point, and they told him they were $400-$800 apiece... I remember that from another thread.
So that is a fair "adoption" price?
So that is a fair "adoption" price?
kyryah said:
I would think so, its ~$10/lb. What is the issue with that, all or most rescues charge an adoption fee. While the sulcatas are not that expensive to maintain, they do need electricity, lots of volunteer work, and we buy hay but rely on donations for produce from local stores and restaurants.
Jermosh said:
No, you've misunderstood me. I believe in taking them in and finding homes for them. I've said in the past that its hard to find homes for sulcatas. This usually comes up on the breeding sulcata threads. Tyler always refutes that statement saying there AREN'T too many sulcatas in the rescues. This little part of this thread shows that even a large rescue in Arizona is having trouble placing the sulcata tortoises. I was just giving Tyler a little jab to let him know that I'm not the only one with too many sulcatas.
I see what you mean, I think breeding part is just part of having them in the sanctuary. It is what it is I guess. Until we have a decent way to neuter them, not sure what else to do then to euthanize any hatchlings. Selling the hatchlings is funding the rescue/sanctuary, I keep useing that term since we do have a lot of animals that are not for private collection, like albino cobras, gators, or varios venomous snakes/lizards that we trade with zoos or schools/R&D research companies studing venom. We send gila monsters in for diabetes cure with it venom, these are animals that are already displaced, so no taking them from the wild.emysemys said:
We also provide deseased animals for necropsy studies for schools, I think Andrew Zimmerman would have a field day with our freezers. I was in there trying to find space for some fish and I found multible rattle snakes, huge monitors, some exotic vipers, all the while having this huge puff adder behind me being all angry and stuff(not a pleasant growl).
emysemys said:
Well, technically, what I've always said is that I will take them in if they're unwanted.... Not that I was going to go pay for them. My gripe is that there's a small handful of "rescues" out there that really are full of them (mostly in AZ, from what I've seen), yet any effort I've made to take them in (at no cost to me) was laughed at, since I'm unwilling to pay for them. Why would I pay for them? $10/pound? Are you kidding? That's far above the market price on any male over 30 pounds. I have no problem with them charging whatever they want for an "adoption fee," but when they start complaining that they have more than they can handle, it borders on stupidity since there are and always has been people willing to take them in at no cost. I even mentioned to you in the past (Yvonne) that I have a few friends in CA looking for them, and you've never said (at least to me) that you had any or knew of any. I still have friends in CA that can take them in.
For the record, the photos in the article in this original post is a male. I noticed many people refered to "her," but the gulars are way too big to be a girl, which would also explain the shell flaring up (normal in males).
There is no shortage of homes for them. When ever one shows up at the local animal shelter (not very often) they are snapped up in hours, if not minutes. There are only three reasons why a rescue would have a lot of them.
1. They are trying to sell them at relatively high price. As Tyler said, $10 a pound is absurd for a retailer, much less a "rescue" who got it for free.
2. They are trying to breed them and sell the babies.
3. They make the adoption process much too difficult and invasive.
There are lots of us out there who will take a free sulcata with no strings attached.
1. They are trying to sell them at relatively high price. As Tyler said, $10 a pound is absurd for a retailer, much less a "rescue" who got it for free.
2. They are trying to breed them and sell the babies.
3. They make the adoption process much too difficult and invasive.
There are lots of us out there who will take a free sulcata with no strings attached.
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