How much room do you really need?

[Livingstone]

Hey folks,

As we all know sulcatas are a large species of tortoise, but it never fails to amaze me just how fast they get BIG. I live in Richmond Virginia which is not super cold during winter, but its too cold for Livingstone to be outside. So what do you do with a 3+ year old sulcata that cant be outside... Well you bring him inside, you give up half of your basement, cover it in mulch, make a basking spot big enough to accomodate him, and run a heater to bump the room temp all day and night. He's a happy camper, however it is not for a lack of effort on mine or my wife's part, and would be utterly impossible to do if we didn't have our own home with a back yard.

Just to give everybody still in the christmas tree box phase an idea, here is my basement pen:

1) A three year old sulcata (not large for his age).

2)Food for one 3 year old sulcata.

3)Pen for said 3 year old sulcata.

Happy Holidays to all,

 

[Yvonne G]

Nice. Plenty of room for the Livingstone!

Just how cold does it get there in the winter? Is a heated outdoor shed a possibility?

 

[mainey34]

Its so nice for you to share your home with your sulcata...

 

[dmarcus]

Very nice pen Livingstone has there....

 

[Livingstone]

Nice. Plenty of room for the Livingstone!
Just how cold does it get there in the winter? Is a heated outdoor shed a possibility?

It would be far more expensive to heat an outdoor shed, and I would still have to go outside in the cold to deliver food.

Its so nice for you to share your home with your sulcata...

He's awesome, I wouldn't give it a second thought.

Very nice pen Livingstone has there....

Thank you.

 

[Jacqui]

Another positive point for having him inside, is you no doubt spend more time with him being inside or atleast visit more often, then if you had to go outside in the cold to visit.

 

[Livingstone]

absolutely, we have afternoon mazuri feeding sessions which help to estalish me as the food god and train livingstone to come for food. An exercise that will surely serve me well when he eclipses the 100lb mark.

 

[Urtle]

Nice Job! I really like the way you have everything in place. They really do grow quickly

 

[LuckysGirl007]

He's beautiful! You can tell he's a spoiled little guy!

 

[Missy]

I also house my torts in the basement in winter. They have a room all to their selves. I had thought about making their outside shed winter ready but for your same exact reasons I chose to keep them close only a few steps away. Livingstone looks great and happy.

 

[Livingstone]

Thanks guys. He seems to be a healthy tort. Im actually experimenting with a 4ft wide, 3ft high enclosed humid house that I built, I really believe strongly in the humid house and it gets really hard when they get over the 1ft mark. It has been cheap to build so if it works out I'll post a how-to.

 

[Laura]

not to get 'personal' but how much does it cost to house him that way in the winter? cost of heating.. so people who are planning this.. can save or prepare....
its part of the cost of keeping that a lot of people don't figure in....
guesstimate?

 

[tortoisefanatic]

Just prepare for the day when he is a couple feet long and weighs over 100 pounds! Bringing him in may be more of a challenge.

 

[kathyth]

I really think you did a great job!
You sound like a fabulous tortoise owner, who is willing to go to any lengths!
When he gets bigger, I know you will figure it put.
Thanks for the pictures

 

[Livingstone]

not to get 'personal' but how much does it cost to house him that way in the winter? cost of heating.. so people who are planning this.. can save or prepare....
its part of the cost of keeping that a lot of people don't figure in....
guesstimate?

$60.00 to $70.00 per month (electricity and food in winter).

Just prepare for the day when he is a couple feet long and weighs over 100 pounds! Bringing him in may be more of a challenge.

Yup, I'm up for the challenge. We are probably going to move further south.

I really think you did a great job!
You sound like a fabulous tortoise owner, who is willing to go to any lengths!
When he gets bigger, I know you will figure it put.
Thanks for the pictures

Thank you.

 

[Tom]

Great great post. I think it is helpful for people to actually see this so they understand where their tiny little baby is heading in the near future.

Livingstone is well beyond the point where he would be living outside full time in the more southern states. I have some half his size that live outside full time now.

Thank you for the info.

 

[sibi]

Florida is a great place to raise Livingztone. It has warm winters with just a few cold spells (around 30 degrees for one or two nights). For those days, you can convert a garage into a warm room.) the cold days start around December and ends in February. If you go further south, the temps do get warmer. I love the pen you set up in the basement. I don't know what kind of entry you have, but if you have steps leading outside, you can build a ramp to the outside. My plan is to build a warm room in my carport with an entry to my backyard. So, my torts will have an inside and an outside enclosure year round. When the project starts, I will post pics and specs.

 

[CourtneyAndCarl]

After reading this thread, I am reminded once again about the great decision I made when I decided to go with a Hermann's instead of a Leopard tortoise.

 

[jtrux]

Yup, I'm up for the challenge. We are probably going to move further south.

Now that's a commitment!

 

[Livingstone]

Great great post. I think it is helpful for people to actually see this so they understand where their tiny little baby is heading in the near future.

Livingstone is well beyond the point where he would be living outside full time in the more southern states. I have some half his size that live outside full time now.

Thank you for the info.

Anytime Tom. You know I believe in the whole for warned is for armed.

Yup, I'm up for the challenge. We are probably going to move further south.

Now that's a commitment!

Haha, thanks. We are actually thinking about Austin TX. Im doing my undergrad in biology, and then Med school (fingers crossed). Baylor has a very good med school but we'll see.