Hello all!

[Noodlesmadison]

I am the proud owner of Gir, sulcata. She has run of the house, I would have it no other way
She had surgery when she was 3 months old to remove her outer layer of skin (fungal infection). They broke her jaw in surgery so now she has a funny little face.

 

[ascott]

Welcome to the forum

Gir is absolutely beautiful....just character in that precious little face

Removed her outer layer of skin? How is that possible....I must be visualizing something a bit whacky scientist....LOL but seriously, what was that conversation like? remove outer layer of skin...do you mean like shed? Help me understand, please

---

Would Gir be from the Invader Zim planet? My son and I LOVE Invader Zim

 

[jaizei]

Welcome

 

[chase thorn]

very nice sulcata! welcome!

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Noodlesmadison:

Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!

May we know your name and where you are?

Please don't think I'm picking on you, as I mean this in the kindest way:

You may think you're doing your tortoise a favor, but actually you're not and it may be harmful for her to have free roam of the house. Being cold-blooded animals, they have to be able to get their inner body temp upwards of 80+ degrees in order to digest their food. And no matter how warm your house is, it isn't 80 degrees on the cold floor. Besides the heat factor, there are too many hazards that a tortoise might get into trouble with by being allowed loose in the house, too many small non-edible items that it might eat.

Another mistake sulcata-keepers make is allowing the tortoise to know that there is a big, wide, wonderful world outside the tortoise's habitat. Once a sulcata knows of the outer world, he's never happy in his habitat again. He'll always be trying to escape.

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Welcome.

 

[coreyc]

Hello and welcome to the TFO

 

[AnthonyC]

She doesn't have a "messed up little face" she has ORIGINALITY!!!! Welcome to the forum!!!

 

[Noodlesmadison]

Welcome to the forum

Gir is absolutely beautiful....just character in that precious little face

Removed her outer layer of skin? How is that possible....I must be visualizing something a bit whacky scientist....LOL but seriously, what was that conversation like? remove outer layer of skin...do you mean like shed? Help me understand, please

---

Would Gir be from the Invader Zim planet? My son and I LOVE Invader Zim

---

lol yes! You are the FIRST person to get that! We were completely Invader Zim obsessed when we named her. I love Gir, funniest character I've seen in a long time. I wish they didn't cancel that show

The surgery was insane! She was a greenish hue, the vet said surgery is a must within a week. She came out of surgery with a broken jaw and the RAWEST skin I've ever seen (well for a tortoise at least). She looked like a burn victim. We had to put iodine-type stuff on her for months. Ack.

 

[Noodlesmadison]

Hi Noodlesmadison:

Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!

May we know your name and where you are?

Please don't think I'm picking on you, as I mean this in the kindest way:

You may think you're doing your tortoise a favor, but actually you're not and it may be harmful for her to have free roam of the house. Being cold-blooded animals, they have to be able to get their inner body temp upwards of 80+ degrees in order to digest their food. And no matter how warm your house is, it isn't 80 degrees on the cold floor. Besides the heat factor, there are too many hazards that a tortoise might get into trouble with by being allowed loose in the house, too many small non-edible items that it might eat.

Another mistake sulcata-keepers make is allowing the tortoise to know that there is a big, wide, wonderful world outside the tortoise's habitat. Once a sulcata knows of the outer world, he's never happy in his habitat again. He'll always be trying to escape.

I'm Vanessa in NYC. Our apartment is roasting to the point of uncomfortable at all times, the heat in the building isn't regulated and the floor is very warm. I'm not worried about it. She has a ton of heat lamps and she's very healthy. I've spoken to her vet, they aren't concerned either.
We pick up everything on the floor, she doesn't have access to anything. That is including my dogs toys and treats. On day one, we found out she likes green and orange toys, those are never on the floor now.

She LOVES her habitat. Every night, she goes back in and falls right to sleep. She lets us know when she wants back out in the late morning.
When she's out of her habitat, she eats and then walks back to her corner to sleep. She sleeps most of the day, only waking up to eat.

 

[dmarcus]

Hello and welcome to the forum...

 

[Turtle Guru]

Welcome to the forum

 

[Claireabbo]

welcome! :]

 

[Noodlesmadison]

Hi Noodlesmadison:

Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!

May we know your name and where you are?

Please don't think I'm picking on you, as I mean this in the kindest way:

You may think you're doing your tortoise a favor, but actually you're not and it may be harmful for her to have free roam of the house. Being cold-blooded animals, they have to be able to get their inner body temp upwards of 80+ degrees in order to digest their food. And no matter how warm your house is, it isn't 80 degrees on the cold floor. Besides the heat factor, there are too many hazards that a tortoise might get into trouble with by being allowed loose in the house, too many small non-edible items that it might eat.

Another mistake sulcata-keepers make is allowing the tortoise to know that there is a big, wide, wonderful world outside the tortoise's habitat. Once a sulcata knows of the outer world, he's never happy in his habitat again. He'll always be trying to escape.

I am curious, however. What led you to believe that I haven't thought of all of these things or that I haven't researched everything about sulcata's and living indoors?
We have a beautiful park near us that she goes to every summer for an hour or two of sunlight a day (yes, that's away from the grass that has been peed on by dogs- yes, I researched that as well!).

I'm not ignorant, my tortoise is extremely happy and healthy and besides not being able to eat very well (due to her deformed jaw), she is wonderful.
There is not one right way to keep an animal, tortoise and otherwise.