Looking for a home for a friend in Los Angeles area

[Roberta]

Hello-

I have a 19 year old male sulcata tortoise. I've raised him from a hatchling and he has lived in my big back yard in Redondo Beach for many happy years. I am moving to Missouri and need to find a new home for him. I am willing to drive him to a new home, if someone can please give him a good place. Any advise or help is welcome.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Roberta:

Welcome to the Forum!

I'm wondering why he can't move to Missouri with you? The weather there is ok for him.

 

[Roberta]

I thought the winders would be too stressful for him. I've been searching online for information on wintering sulcatas and it sounded like they didn't really do well in areas where the temps get below 20. Can you direct me to some information on care in cold winters?

 

[mike taylor]

I have a shed that has a heater in it . Sulcatas will go outside for a bit then back into the shed to heat up . It is very doable to keep him . Look at Tom's threads on heated night boxes .

 

[ZippyButter]

Welcome to the forum. That's a beautiful sulcata you have. Have you been to where you are moving to? It will give you ideas how to set up new place for your tort. Are you in Knob Hill Ave. area or North Redondo area? Best Wishes and hope that you don't have to rehome him after living with him for these past many years.

 

[cassieopia]

I am in North Arkansas. I see it being quite ok for a tort/sully here in the winter. It takes forever for winter to show up- and it doesn't really last that long...

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

Keeping a sully in a colder place (like Ohio or Missouri) is very doable!
Tom's night box's aren't insulated enough for our winters, but you can adapt them to make it work. All you need is a larger shed, as it's better for them to more room as they will be stuck in the shed for the better part of 5 months, and to bulk up the walls more with layers of insulation.
You can buy food from livestock supply stores.
It's expensive, but it can work.

 

[D€Z!R€€]

Hello-

I have a 19 year old male sulcata tortoise. I've raised him from a hatchling and he has lived in my big back yard in Redondo Beach for many happy years. I am moving to Missouri and need to find a new home for him. I am willing to drive him to a new home, if someone can please give him a good place. Any advise or help is welcome.

View attachment 132212

Hi Roberta,
My name is a Desiree. I will be happy to give your Sulcata a new home. I have two other 6yr 50lbs Sulcatas that I love like my own children. They have a beautiful two story dog house that was custom made for them. It's heated and Stays real warm. A whole section of the back yard is grass for grazing. I growing edible plants and flowers along with different grasses, so they have a lot of varieties. I don't feed them regularly store bought groceries. They both have a great friendly attitude. Like to play with me wen I water the grass and loves for me to scratch their backs. I located in Los Angeles county, live in Montebello 90640. So Roberta if you are still looking for a home for your sulcata I here. I will take good care of him, will even keep in contact with you sending you updates on he is doing with his new friends. Hope to here back from you soon. Thank you and have a great day!!
Desiree

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Hi, Roberta, and a very warm welcome to Tortoise Forum.
Lots of good advice has already been given, so I just want to say, that if you don't want to part with your gorgeous tortoise there are ways he can be kept quite happily and healthily in your new location.
Good luck, whatever you decide to do.

 

[keepergale]

Hi and welcome to new member Desiree too.

 

[Cfr200]

I live in southern Missouri and we get snow and it get down to as cold as zero here. Our winters are not very long or normally that cold. My Sulcatas seem to roll with it very well. They have a heated shed ame I open their door everyday. They go outside almost everyday in the winter, last winter one went out when it was 8 degrees. She weighs 65lbs so she can retain her heat fairly well. She wandered around for about 10 minutes then went back inside and sat under her heat lamp for the rest of the day. I have found if I don't give them the option of going outisde they will tear up the shed trying to get out. They know when it is too bad to venture outside, I just leave it up to them.

 

[Tortugatron]

Hello Roberta! So sorry to hear about your difficult decision. I know it well. My family has been around sulcatas for my entire life, and when I was younger we had to rehome our 100lb boy Charlie because we were moving and we wouldn't have the room at the new place. It was heartbreaking, but we did our leg work and found him a great home. It's was tough, but in the end it was better for him.

That being said, I agree with what most of the other commenters are saying. Sulcatas have been known to do well even in cold temperatures if they're properly cared for. I recently spoke with a man who had been raising them for years in North Carolina , and he commented that his tortoises would occasionally come out of their shed and tromp around in the snow for a bit during feeding time. I think with a bit of preparation your tortoise could do quite well with you.

If however, you decide not to take him, and you cannot find a home to place him, I would be happy to take him in. I live in Riverside, Ca and we have a few big sulcatas of our own that we took in from those that could no longer keep them. Our entire backyard is dedicated to their care. Please let me know if you have any questions or would like to speak with me further in that regard. All in all, I hope you're able to take him with you and enjoy many more years together. Best of luck!

 

[Cfr200]

Fred tracks in about 3 inches of snow.