Care of older sulcata

[Phyllis wilkins]

I have to thank this forum for probably saving my baby’s life.
I bought a hatching sulcata from a reliable source, but before I did I bought a book and read everything I could on their care and boy did they all say different things. But by some miracle I find this forum and came across Toms care sheet, which I implemented. Today my Frank is 2 1/2 years old and weighs 15 1/2
Pounds. My question is care for a juvenile sulcata. Do I need to bath as frequently? Can the humidity drop from 80+% and what is a safe low outdoor temperature for him. I have included a photo of my little man, Frank. Thank you for providing this wonderful forum for us newbies.

 

[wellington]

Yay glad he is doing good. I will see if @Tom can answer this for you.
Your buddy is very handsome.

 

[Tom]

I have to thank this forum for probably saving my baby’s life.
I bought a hatching sulcata from a reliable source, but before I did I bought a book and read everything I could on their care and boy did they all say different things. But by some miracle I find this forum and came across Toms care sheet, which I implemented. Today my Frank is 2 1/2 years old and weighs 15 1/2
Pounds. My question is care for a juvenile sulcata. Do I need to bath as frequently? Can the humidity drop from 80+% and what is a safe low outdoor temperature for him. I have included a photo of my little man, Frank. Thank you for providing this wonderful forum for us newbies.

Hi Phyllis. I remember you from a couple of years back. So glad your story has a happy ending!

At 15 pounds soaking once or twice a week should be plenty. More will hurt nothing, but it isn't necessary. Of course, there should always be a source of drinking water available. I prefer at least two drinking sources in different areas of the enclosure.

Your boy is ready to be moved outside full time with a heated night box. Lock him up every night and open the door every morning. I'll link examples at the end of this post.

I also like to let them burrow in hot scorching desert summers. Underground is the best way to go. They don't dig out, and you don't have to worry about collapse or flooding in summer. When the nights begin to cool in Fall, usually late October or early November for me, I block off the burrow and make them start using their heated night house again. They make this transition annually with no problem.

I like to have tubs of water in the night box out of tortoise reach to add humidity in our dry climates. You can't humidify the world, but you CAN humidify the box they spend most of each day in. This simulates a wild burrow and is totally natural.

Once the tortoise is used to its shelter and using the box on its own, you don't have to worry about the temperature outside. In the wild, the ground temps range from 80-85 all year. This is what I do in their shelters as well. I do 80 in the box in spring and fall when we have cool nights but warm sunny days. I do 86 in the box in winter when the days are cold and overcast and they can't come out and warm up. I turn the thermostats down to around 70 in summer when every day is over 100, and the nights are warm.

You can also start feeding all the food on a bed of orchard grass hay, if he's not already eating hay. Hopefully, you've already planted some spineless opuntia pads. If not get that going ASAP, as they are great tortoise food.

Here are two night box ideas, with two safe heating strategies:

Single Tortoise Night Box

I like my larger tortoises to live outside full time. My climate permits this year round with a little help. For people who live where it snows all winter, this type of box is still good for warmer weather, getting them out earlier in Spring, and keeping them out a bit later into fall. You'll...

tortoiseforum.org

Double Door Night Box

As the years have gone by and I build more of these boxes, I learn more and more each time. This one is the latest and I incorporated everything I've learned over the years. I also tried to take lots of pics so I can explain in more detail some of what is going on. It will take multiple posts to...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[Tom]

Double post

 

[Chubbs the tegu]

I have a question.. why is it that you tell people from colder climates they must keep their adult sulcata indoors that the whole enclosure has to be 80+? But when u keep them outdoors there is no way they are getting 80+ (Besides their night box)

 

[Chubbs the tegu]

Why cant they have a night box in their basement? Which the ambient temps are warmer than ur winter temps?

 

[Phyllis wilkins]

Double post

Thank you Tom. I will do as you recommend.

 

[Len B]

I have a question.. why is it that you tell people from colder climates they must keep their adult sulcata indoors that the whole enclosure has to be 80+? But when u keep them outdoors there is no way they are getting 80+ (Besides their night box)

I may be typing out of line here but I believe @Tom does this out of caution for new inexperienced tortoise keeping members and the health and well being of the tortoises. Keeping sulcatas in colder climates takes a lot of effort and thought to have the right setup which is not that difficult when you understand their needs. Sulcatas can take cold temps for short periods of time, and all the sulcatas that I have kept knew when to return to their heated house to warm back up even when the temps were below freezing. I have been keeping sulcatas outside for years without problems but I have back up options for whatever may arise during sevier winter conditions to keep the tortoises safe and unharmed.

 

[Tom]

I have a question.. why is it that you tell people from colder climates they must keep their adult sulcata indoors that the whole enclosure has to be 80+? But when u keep them outdoors there is no way they are getting 80+ (Besides their night box)

Because in warmer climates like Nevada, CA, AZ, TX, and FL, essentuially the whole southern border of the US, we have warm sunny days most of the year. The torts can go outside and warm up in the sun. We have 80-90 degree days fairly regularly in winter, and even in the cooler times its usually high 60s to low 70s, and almost always sunny. My torts know where to go and warm up in the warmest spots where the ground meets south facing walls and the sun's heat is reflected down at them. On the occasion that we have a cold rainy spell with daytime highs in the 50s, they can just stay in their heated boxes until the sunshine returns the next day. It works here.

In someone's basement, even when the temp is kept at 60-70, there is no way for the tortoise to warm up properly because there is no sun. 60-70 in a basement and 80 in a box in the basement doesn't give the tortoise anywhere to get their core temp into the high 80s or 90s. It doesn't work and that is why we see so many micro-sulcatas from Northern states. When the temp is 60-70 in my tortoise yards, they are basking in the warm sunshine and getting their core temps where they need to be, and then spending the colder nights in their heated boxes.

The difference is warm sunshine.