Gorilla Cart for Tortoise Transport

[jsheffield]

Hello,

I'm looking ahead to the warm months, when my tortoises can enjoy some time in their outside enclosures, and have been thinking about a cart... both for moving them and supplies to and from the outside enclosures, and for transporting the torts in boxes when bringing them to readings of my books and presentations at schools and such.

GORILLA CARTS 4 cu. ft. Plastic Garden Cart GCR-4W - The Home Depot

The new Gorilla Carts 4 cu. Poly Yard Cart is a great alternative to an old-fashioned, hard-to-use wheelbarrow. The 30 in. L x 24 in. W tough poly bed is impact-resistant and built to hold up to 300 lbs.

www.homedepot.com

This one is well-rated, inexpensive ($89), seems tough enough for my demands, and the handle can fold for loading into the car when I bring the torts on the road.

There's a similar one with pneumatic tires, but reviews seem to suggest that they go flat and need to be changed out sooner than later, so I thought the solid tires made more sense.

Thoughts?

Jamie

 

[TammyJ]

It's great! Sure looks like it would beat my old wheelbarrow!

 

[Maggie3fan]

I used a very old wheelbarrow for Bob, my large Sulcata. The tires are important as you read. Don't get the pneumatic tires. My "Bob cart" is just like that gorilla cart. The square front makes it easy for the tortoise to just walk right in. Bob loved riding in his cart and I still have it, one tire has a hole in it, but it's still working. It's all rusty now, I do recommend the gorilla cart...
I'd lower the front and he would load up so easy...he'd walk right in. I don't remember what species you have but this cart is a good one...

 

[jsheffield]

I used a very old wheelbarrow for Bob, my large Sulcata. The tires are important as you read. Don't get the pneumatic tires. My "Bob cart" is just like that gorilla cart. The square front makes it easy for the tortoise to just walk right in. Bob loved riding in his cart and I still have it, one tire has a hole in it, but it's still working. It's all rusty now, I do recommend the gorilla cart...
I'd lower the front and he would load up so easy...he'd walk right in. I don't remember what species you have but this cart is a good one...

Darwin, a Redfoot is big enough that I worry about dropping her, and Aretha, an MEP, is about 8kg and growing bigger every day... I have other MEPs which are still pretty small, and a creep of Russians that could probably all fit inside the cart (provided I hose/wipe it out between passengers, as I plan to do).

J

 

[Maggie3fan]

Darwin, a Redfoot is big enough that I worry about dropping her, and Aretha, an MEP, is about 8kg and growing bigger every day... I have other MEPs which are still pretty small, and a creep of Russians that could probably all fit inside the cart (provided I hose/wipe it out between passengers, as I plan to do).

J

Well...that cart will do right by all those animals...even the Russians can just walk in....but the MEP's will get too big for that cart...

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I assembled the GORILLAS at Lowes while I was the assembler/ repairman.
They're high quality

 

[jsheffield]

Well...that cart will do right by all those animals...even the Russians can just walk in....but the MEP's will get too big for that cart...

That's an amazing thought!

J

 

[Yvonne G]

This is the Gorilla cart I use for the larger tortoises:


Maybe it's "Gorilla" in a previous iteration, but it IS labelled "Gorilla."

And @Maggie3fan this is a 70lb Mep.

 

[Maggie3fan]

That's an amazing thought!

J

OK...question...I only know a bit about RF's I've fostered a couple, I had the Great Houdini, and some time this week if the weather gets better I will get 4 count'em four 3 month old RF's to headstart so I've researched my butt off....Oh...I am so excited..anyway so big you almost drop??? wtf?
This is Houdini the best RedFoot ever

 

[jsheffield]

OK...question...I only know a bit about RF's I've fostered a couple, I had the Great Houdini, and some time this week if the weather gets better I will get 4 count'em four 3 month old RF's to headstart so I've researched my butt off....Oh...I am so excited..anyway so big you almost drop??? wtf?
This is Houdini the best RedFoot everView attachment 354569View attachment 354570

Darwin's not ginormous, but I got used to holding her one-handed in her early years, and she's big and active enough now, that I get nervous and force myself to hold her with two hands... especially given how muddy and mucky she sometimes gets.

Jamie

 

[jsheffield]

Cart, with handle folded so it fits in the car more easily.


Cart, with handle extended for rolling.


Cart, with 15" long MEP in it for scale.

I'm happy with it and it's just in time as I just got contacted by a k-8 school in Vermont today to do a full day of programs for their kids... a mix of readings from my books and some natural history with the Russian, Redfoot, and MEP.

Jamie