Hello! Planning to get a sulcata soon!

[Kupcake]

Hi! I’m in the process of learning and setting up our house to get a sulcata hatchling! The process is very daunting so we are taking our time getting everything right before we take the plunge.

I have always wanted a tortoise and my husband and I just bought our first house with a big back yard and we are excited to add to our current zoo, we have 3 dogs and two cats.

I am currently looking for a coffee table I can convert to an indoor enclosure and will be building a screened in outdoor enclosure and will transport the baby back and forth daily until in a few years he can stay outdoors permanently.

 

[Yvonne G]

Welcome!

 

[Bambam1989]

Hi! I’m in the process of learning and setting up our house to get a sulcata hatchling! The process is very daunting so we are taking our time getting everything right before we take the plunge.

I have always wanted a tortoise and my husband and I just bought our first house with a big back yard and we are excited to add to our current zoo, we have 3 dogs and two cats.

I am currently looking for a coffee table I can convert to an indoor enclosure and will be building a screened in outdoor enclosure and will transport the baby back and forth daily until in a few years he can stay outdoors permanently.

Hello and welcome!
It's great that you found the forum before getting your little tort. There is alot of old outdated info for sulcatas but here on the forum we have care sheets that have been tested and proven to raise healthy, THRIVING, tortoises.
Give these a thorough read if you have not already.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-45180.html

https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/

https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/sulcata-diet-sheet.64290/

Because heat AND humidity are so important to young tortoises, keep in mind that a closed chamber enclosure is important when planning your pen.
The folks here will happily give advice.

When your ready to get your tort, we can give some breeder recommendations too (it's best to get straight from a breeder because most petstores do not take proper care of them and you could end up with a sick tort)

 

[Tom]

Hello and welcome!

Glad you found us BEFORE you bought your baby. Be aware that most of the care info you find for this species, including info from some breeders, vets, pet shops and other "experts", is old, out-dated and wrong. We've been doing it wrong for decades. Me included until a few years ago. They are not a desert species, and in fact need warm humid conditions as babies because they hatch in the wild at the start of the warm tropical monsoon season. Most breeders start them too dry, leave them outside in the dry air too long, and don't soak enough. Here is what can go wrong: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/hatchling-failure-syndrome.23493/

I'm happy to have the opportunity to warn you ahead of time, because the person you buy from, and the care your baby received before you bought it will have everything to do with whether you and your family are all smiles, or if you have a disaster that ends in heartbreak and tears. We see it here all the time, and I try to prevent it where I can.

Here is the correct care info:
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

Your questions are welcome. Please don't just take my word for all this. Question me. Question my assertions. Let me explain where this info came from and why I say what I say. I've been doing this for decades, and the lessons I learned along the way can help make your tortoise experience a positive one.

 

[Bambam1989]

Hello and welcome!

Glad you found us BEFORE you bought your baby. Be aware that most of the care info you find for this species, including info from some breeders, vets, pet shops and other "experts", is old, out-dated and wrong. We've been doing it wrong for decades. Me included until a few years ago. They are not a desert species, and in fact need warm humid conditions as babies because they hatch in the wild at the start of the warm tropical monsoon season. Most breeders start them too dry, leave them outside in the dry air too long, and don't soak enough. Here is what can go wrong: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/hatchling-failure-syndrome.23493/

I'm happy to have the opportunity to warn you ahead of time, because the person you buy from, and the care your baby received before you bought it will have everything to do with whether you and your family are all smiles, or if you have a disaster that ends in heartbreak and tears. We see it here all the time, and I try to prevent it where I can.

Here is the correct care info:
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

Your questions are welcome. Please don't just take my word for all this. Question me. Question my assertions. Let me explain where this info came from and why I say what I say. I've been doing this for decades, and the lessons I learned along the way can help make your tortoise experience a positive one.

We must have been typing at the same time lol!

 

[Kupcake]

Tom and Bambam I appreciate your thoughtful advice! I have read and reread all of those those posts, and have some of them bookmarked! I think your passion for these animals speaks for itself and I appreciate all the information I have and will gain from you and this forum. I plan on looking for advice every step of the way I want to do it right and have a thriving tortoise to pass on to my children!