Hey Maggie, I think you need a new tortoise for that great yard. I know you can never replace Bob but you can give another tortoise a great home. And I think everybody has to consider the size of their tortoise as an adult. That's why I did not get one of these big guys even though I totally fell in love with one as a hatchling and that is what got me interested in tortoises. I knew I could not provide what they would need as an adult.Kikwi, ...Bob was 25 pounds at 5 yrs and 115 at 17 yrs. And if I can do it right here's a picture of Bob's shed, it's 12'X20'. That small door on the side is his doggie door. It's insulated and heated to an ambient temp of 85 degrees with 2; 150 watt UVB basking bulbs, a sleeping box with a pig blanket in it. A solid cedar fence, a dug out pool and decent grass. If Bob was still there, the grass would not be like you see. So that's, IMO, the minimum a large Sulcata needs in the North, so he has room to pace while it's icing or well below freezing. Bob went out, loved the rain cold or not and would take a couple of laps in the snow. BUT, that's a large Sulcata not a small young one.
How big and how fast do sulcatas grow?
- Thread starter Kikwi
- Start date
Kikwi
Member
after seeing this i beleive i have more than enough space, my only problem would be figuring out how to make a good efficient house for him like you have his shed, maybe i could buy something and insulate it and put stuff in myself, if not i might have to build one with my father myself (im horrible at building but my father is pretty good he could me out outKikwi, ...Bob was 25 pounds at 5 yrs and 115 at 17 yrs. And if I can do it right here's a picture of Bob's shed, it's 12'X20'. That small door on the side is his doggie door. It's insulated and heated to an ambient temp of 85 degrees with 2; 150 watt UVB basking bulbs, a sleeping box with a pig blanket in it. A solid cedar fence, a dug out pool and decent grass. If Bob was still there, the grass would not be like you see. So that's, IMO, the minimum a large Sulcata needs in the North, so he has room to pace while it's icing or well below freezing. Bob went out, loved the rain cold or not and would take a couple of laps in the snow. BUT, that's a large Sulcata not a small young one.
)Just wondering, but are you set on starting with a baby or would you like to get a big one now? Only because there are so many of the big ones out there that need rehomed because the people were not prepared. I admit though, the babies are absolutely adorable.
That's Tom Crutchfield in his younger days.
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Maggie Cummings
Guest
Tina, you know I lov ya, BUT....I would never recommend an inexperienced newbee get a baby Sulcata. Fun, absolutely, however, a larger grown over say...75 pounds can be (as we know from Bob) they 'can' be or is a destructive bulldozing machine. Bob was massive amounts of fun. But It's because for years I socialized him, took him out in public etc. A hatchling, can be a hard animal for someone who knows nada about tortoises.
To "me" Sulcata are very easy keepers, to a new keeper it can be hell, pyramiding, MBD , starvation from stress, massive destruction.....I could go on and on. So I personally would not recommend a Sulcata at most ages for a brand new keeper. That's just my personal opinion.
A person can't just run out and get a 100 lb tortoise...altho, go over to the adoptions page...
Kikwi
Member
i was going to get a care for a baby first, and prepare for his adulthood in the future.
SGT Fish
Active Member
may I suggest that you look for a tortoise/reptile rescue to find an already grown sulcata? unless you want the temporary pleasure of having a little baby, i would look and see what is already out there in need of a home. read around here and set up an appropriate enclosure for it. they are out there and adults are a lot less likely to have health issues. And there are a lot of people that give them up after they get big.
Kikwi
Member
i would, but not many people have tortoises in texas, or atleast my part of texas.
I bet there are a lot out there. Check out the for sale and adoption sections here also. Craigs list, reptile rescue's, even animal shelters and vet clinics.
I'm a little confused Maggie. It doesn't take much to confuse me but anyway,,, are you saying a person should get a hatchling or not get a hatchling if they are not experienced with tortoises?
It is definitely easier to get ready for a hatchling. But it is also more critical that it is right from the get go. All the information you need is here on this forum.
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Maggie Cummings
Guest
If I may stick my 2 cents in. She
For an inexperienced person, my opinion is that neither a hatchling NOR a large Sulcata are the tort for a person without tort knowledge. A large one will get out and escape from the noob cuz he didn't see that hole in his fence, or like my sister's 130 pound Sulcata Dudley, he took out the whole fence. Or simply be destructive. Sulcata babies will go into hatchling failure syndrome and die before one could spit. I have the very unpopular opinion that Sulcata no matter what age needs an experienced keeper. I recommend a Russian or a box turtle , then with some experience under your belt you can get a Sulcata. If fact I'm about to accidentally end up with 3 but I won't keep but 1.
I see what you're saying, both extremes have their challenges. They could get a smaller one, say 5 pounds give or take. It's kind of a happy medium. I do not think I could've handled a hatchling very well at first. I think I could now but I do have experience.
I have heard Russians called miniature sulcatas, and I think that may be right. They are outgoing, fearless, determined and all this can lead to destructive. My Russian can practically destroy anything in her indoor enclosure if she gets her mind to it, upped that by about 110 pounds and it could get interesting very quickly.
I raised Charlie from a baby, with very little instruction. Like all babies, he required a lot of care when he was little. There are many things that can go wrong. We were incredibly lucky because he didn't have any major problems, even though we didn't have the knowledge or help of this forum. He was so adorable!
I remember being impatient to see him get big though. When he was five, he started living outdoors permanently. It has been very easy these last 11 years, except for those periods of destruction. He gets his own food from the yard. There was the time he dug under the fence into the neighbors. Then there was the time he dug a burrow under our house and we let him because it kept him cool in the summer and protected in the winter, until we realized our house was in danger of collapsing. It wasn't cheap to repair it, and looking at his sad face when we didn't allow him back in his burrow wasn't pleasant either. Tortoises don't go around obstacles; they go through them. He has gotten himself entangled in the patio furniture, broken the sprinkler system, etc. We have had to call a handyman a few times to cut him out of things.
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Maggie Cummings
Guest
It is so darned obvious when someone really knows about Sulcata. They rarely talk about how sweet and wonderful the animal is, just the destruction. lol
Bob was over 100 pounds when he died unexpectedly. He wiped out 10, count'em, TEN Roses bushes. I got so mad, but everyone else (Mike) thought it was funny. I could talk about Bob for days (watching all of you rolling your eyes). I took pictures of his path of destruction, and would write stories about what he had done. He escaped one time and walked up 7 stairs crossed the deck, down 5 stairs, gone up the street.
He used a full on sprinkler to get me fired from State Farm, as he flooded his shed and ruined the insulation under the floor. I think they gave me $1500 for the repair, then canceled me because I have "exotic, dangerous" animals....lol
Have I ever said "I LOVE SULCATA?" Well, I do. Just in case no one could tell....lol
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Yes it was funny . I learned from Bob . That's why all my sulcata fenced in areas you have to step over to get in and out . I ran all water and power lines outside of the tortoises yard . I don't let anyone back by my tortoises unless I know them good . I don't put stuff anywhere around them they can break or get stuck in . I guess I'm lucky I found this forum . The only sulcata I have that will dig is Sally when she lays . I also have metal r panels as fencing so they can't break through the fence .
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Too fast and too big!
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Maggie Cummings
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Kelly named Harry and it suck . Then a year later we got Sally from him and my wife named her .
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