M
Maggie Cummings
Guest
For those of you that don't know, Bob is a 150 pound 16 year old Sulcata. My sis operates a tortoise rescue in Clovis CA and 11 years ago she asked if I could keep this 5 yr old Sulcata as she just didn't have room for him at that time. I have had him ever since. He has the biggest out-going personality and he's so smart I just couldn't give him back to her. 8 years ago I left Clovis and moved to Oregon where the weather is not the greatest for a sun worshipping tort. Most mornings I open his doggie door and he can come and go as he pleases, except when it's cold and raining. I let him go out in the snow, but cold rain I don't. This morning it was 40 degrees and a steady rain and I did not open his door and he got mad. He does throw temper tantrums and rams the walls so hard I can hear him in my house. The sun had been shining for a few days and he got used to going out. He was already pyramided when I got him and those 'flairs' over his head are not supposed to look like that. He should be smooth with rounded edges. This shows that whatever damage is done to them when they are young does not go away.
Here's a photo of his yard and shed.
You can see the trail of hay, poop and pee that he leaves when he's mad. It does not look as bad in the photo as it is in reality. The big thing is his water dish. He moves it out of the corner and poops in it. He does it on purpose and in my mind I can just see him pulling it out of the corner with his foot,
and slinging his butt over it and leaving me a present, the jerk.
When he does get out he is smart enough to stand on his back legs and he pushes the top row of cinder blocks over and has escaped. There are metal stakes inside the blocks, but he is so strong. So I have to put a barrier up in the corners that he works. Looks hokey but they work.
I have written some stories about his escapes, they are posted here on the Forum. I just wanted to show some of you new keepers with small Sulcata what you are in for when those small tortoises get big.
I would not trade Bob for anything, but he sure keeps me on my toes.
Here's a photo of his yard and shed.
You can see the trail of hay, poop and pee that he leaves when he's mad. It does not look as bad in the photo as it is in reality. The big thing is his water dish. He moves it out of the corner and poops in it. He does it on purpose and in my mind I can just see him pulling it out of the corner with his foot,
and slinging his butt over it and leaving me a present, the jerk.When he does get out he is smart enough to stand on his back legs and he pushes the top row of cinder blocks over and has escaped. There are metal stakes inside the blocks, but he is so strong. So I have to put a barrier up in the corners that he works. Looks hokey but they work.
I have written some stories about his escapes, they are posted here on the Forum. I just wanted to show some of you new keepers with small Sulcata what you are in for when those small tortoises get big.
I would not trade Bob for anything, but he sure keeps me on my toes.
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Gotta love him though, sounds like a lot of fun, yet lot of work at the same time trying to stay one step ahead of him
