Hate that people buy Sulcatas and dont know how to car for them

[waterboy]

Just read a craigslist ad for a guy in Tracy Ca. that's selling his 70lb sulcata. In the ad it says he loves grass and dog poop, that's right dog poop. I mean come on, for one you just let your tortoise roam the yard all year long and 2 you let him eat dog poop can't believe he is still alive. He goes on in the ad saying hes healthy, can see that if hes been eating dog poop for 10 years. Even worse i did a rescue in Nevada last week and the guy had 3 sulcatas 10" 12" and 13" in a 4 foot by 18 inch plastic tub and told me he never soaks them because they are dessert torts and had never taken them out side and all he feeds them is the hard store bought tortoise pellets, that's just crazy they lived 3 years in his care. It will take me months to get them back to health,they are completely dried out, have scares all over them, are pooping out green junk with long bits of wood that was the substrate, and the 2 smaller one have soft shell. So for anyone thinking of getting a sulcata or any other tort please read up on them first and make sure you can take care of them for more then 3 years.

 

[chris_m90731]

Agreed. But you know Sulcata's are known to eat poo in the wild, right?

 

[StudentoftheReptile]

I hate it when people buy any kind of animal and don't know how to care for them.

 

[EricIvins]

Well, according to you my Sulcatas should be dead also.......I mean, I let them roam around a 1/4 acre lot year round, and they do eat dog poop on occasion along with those dreaded dry pellets every day.......

I don't soak them either........

 

[Jacqui]

Sorry not seeing that the person in the ad is doing so very wrong by his sulcata. It's a 70 lb sulcata for goodness sake, not a hatchling. Did he say he has no housing or even a burrow for him? Did he say he goes to the store and buys dog poop for him? Or does he just happen to get to some of the guy's dog(s) poop before he gets it picked up? I know I have lost a race to a tortoise to see who could get to the cat poop first.

I do agree it would be nice if folks learned about any living thing, BEFORE they get them. However, I know from experience that A) real life sometimes hands you things before your ready for them B) looking for advice does not mean you will find correct advice either. Sometimes you just need to be grateful folks give up the animals before it is too late or that they look for and find correct information as soon as they get the unexpected bundle of joy.

 

[waterboy]

WOW!!!

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Their is a ton of intestinal and parasite problems they can get from animal poop. Also the pellets are not horrible but that is all he has feed them for 3 years which is horrible. If you guys lived in northern CA. you would know you can keep sulcatas outside all year round without a nice heated indoor enclosure with pig blankets and uv light.

 

[Jacqui]

Their is a ton of intestinal and parasite problems they can get from animal poop.

Maybe not a ton. I don't think anybody is saying eating poop is ideal, however is a part of being a tortoise. There is also a "ton" of possibly beneficial nutrients they may get from that same poop. What I am more saying is those things do not make the owner of the 70 pounder a horrible keeper as your implying. That tortoise may be as healthy as the owner is saying.

 

[DeanS]

Hey Waterboy...I think you better read up a little more on sulcata diets! Granted, they shouldn't eat a lot of poop...but occasional delvings ain't gonna hurt a thing! In fact, it's proving to be a GROWTH stimulator...at least with mine. And yes! Mine indulge a couple times a week!

Perhaps you can study Shelly's thread here...pay particularly close attention to the ANIMAL PROTEIN section about half way down!

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Sulcata-Diet-Sheet#axzz24cxGtLzg

Enjoy!

 

[jpmcclure]

I'm completely new but I looked at the pics of that sully and he looks healthy. His shell seems to look pretty good too. There was another one for sale also that said they were renovating their backyard so the tortoise has to go. Now THAT was heartless!! At least this guy in Tracy said while he did have plenty of room, he just didn't have the time it takes to care for him.

 

[bigred]

My redfoots eat cat and dog poop any chance they get. They can sniff that poop out FAST, In the wild they would eat other dead animals and all kinds of different poop. It is really hard to prevent it when cats can jump fences and go in your yard

 

[TheTortoiseWhisperer]

Waterboy, I'm really glad there are people like you that truly love tortoises, I've learned sooooo much while I've been trying to get ready for my recently adopted Sulcata's and I know I still have a very longggggg way to go, but here's a bit of information the awesome people here taught me when I was stressing the fact that I knew I wouldn't be able to remember which plant is good for them and which isn't, to me a flower is a flower, I can literally kill a cactus….heck I've killed fake plants so I was really freaking out until someone reminded me of the beauty of Mother Nature, which is a huge part of an animals intuition…..they actually know if it's ok to eat something or not before they ingest it. I read that although it's really gross to us, Sulcata's loveeeee dog poop, possibly more than they do Mazuri.((((eeeewwwwwwww))))))

 

[EricIvins]

I live in Florida, and my Sulcatas stay outside year round with no supplemental heat what so ever.......They do just fine, even on 28 degree nights because they are not stupid animals and are hardwired to know exactly what to do in those situations.......

I've also been feeding those dreaded pellets for the better part of 6 years now as a staple diet.......The animals thank me for it.......

 

[holliewould]

I think I would be considered a bad owner too. I just watched my big guy eat the largest steaming pile of poop I have even ever seen come out of an animal. Upon further research, it appears feces of all kinds are their favorite snacks. He just dragged out a pile and circled back to dine on it. He was happy so I was happy. Disgusted but happy for him. Everyones husbandry differs from yours. I wouldn't dare water my tortoises chlorinated and floridated tap water but I would never think of another owner as being a dead beat tort owner because of it.

 

[Annaliisas]

I think I would be considered a bad owner too. I just watched my big guy eat the largest steaming pile of poop I have even ever seen come out of an animal. Upon further research, it appears feces of all kinds are their favorite snacks. He just dragged out a pile and circled back to dine on it. He was happy so I was happy. Disgusted but happy for him. Everyones husbandry differs from yours. I wouldn't dare water my tortoises chlorinated and floridated tap water but I would never think of another owner as being a dead beat tort owner because of it.

Whhaaaaaat!?!.!.?? I soak my tortoise in tap water! And he REALLY NEEDS the soaking and the calcium and the sunshine desperately to counteract the care he was given before! Is tap water bad???

 

[dmmj]

did the ad say it was good for him or just that he loves it, because it is true sulcatas love poop, especially dog poop.

 

[holliewould]

I think I would be considered a bad owner too. I just watched my big guy eat the largest steaming pile of poop I have even ever seen come out of an animal. Upon further research, it appears feces of all kinds are their favorite snacks. He just dragged out a pile and circled back to dine on it. He was happy so I was happy. Disgusted but happy for him. Everyones husbandry differs from yours. I wouldn't dare water my tortoises chlorinated and floridated tap water but I would never think of another owner as being a dead beat tort owner because of it.

Whhaaaaaat!?!.!.?? I soak my tortoise in tap water! And he REALLY NEEDS the soaking and the calcium and the sunshine desperately to counteract the care he was given before! Is tap water bad???

I don't know hon. I collect water for my ducks and chickens and I do know that in the wild their water isn't treated. My run off collection is pure atmosphere so I dunno. When animals, especially my food animals, I don't use tap water. I would assume a chlorinated water would dry them up? Maybe someone else can chime in on that one. For me it is just my logic only.

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And no. I am a major water collector so if I wont drink it I wouldn't let my food animals drink it. My new tortoises are not my food, but they are my new lawn mowers so no, they get rain water that I collect. Hmmmm I wonder if chemicals and city run off might contribute to pyramiding? Maybe a way to protect the insides from certain contaminated that the tortoise starts to pyramid????

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So that the old dried shell absorbs the contaminated? Just a thought.

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Just think of what chlorine does to the human. Then imagine all if them soaks on a tortoise.

 

[Tom]

Tap water does not cause or contribute to pyramiding. I've used well water from 428 feet under ground and regular direct untreated tap water. The results are the same.

 

[holliewould]

You know Tom it must be true because the tortoises I just acquired have never had tap water and are pyramiding. However I am fortunate enough to harvest my own water

 

[stinax182]

I don't know hon. I collect water for my ducks and chickens and I do know that in the wild their water isn't treated. My run off collection is pure atmosphere so I dunno. When animals, especially my food animals, I don't use tap water. I would assume a chlorinated water would dry them up? Maybe someone else can chime in on that one. For me it is just my logic only.

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And no. I am a major water collector so if I wont drink it I wouldn't let my food animals drink it. My new tortoises are not my food, but they are my new lawn mowers so no, they get rain water that I collect. Hmmmm I wonder if chemicals and city run off might contribute to pyramiding? Maybe a way to protect the insides from certain contaminated that the tortoise starts to pyramid????

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So that the old dried shell absorbs the contaminated? Just a thought.

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Just think of what chlorine does to the human. Then imagine all if them soaks on a tortoise.

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i use RO filtered water for all my animals. especially the ones who gets it on their skin, like my chameleon. and if you can't get filtered water (from most fish stores) then just fill up a jug and let it sit for 24 hrs, the chlorine will have disappeared by then and it's safer! i just worry mostly about it stinging their eyes and possibly drying their skin out. hey, people like filtered water better, why not reptiles?

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[shellysmom]

I think I would be considered a bad owner too. I just watched my big guy eat the largest steaming pile of poop I have even ever seen come out of an animal. Upon further research, it appears feces of all kinds are their favorite snacks. He just dragged out a pile and circled back to dine on it. He was happy so I was happy.

um, ewwwww.