Mom to a LARGE Sulcata!

[Tom]

I currently have a STURDY iron fence on 2 sides of the enclosure, and the 2 existing sides are our yards privacy fence. So far, he cannot get through it. He does climb it, or try anyway. He knows where the gate is, which has 3 strong chains on it, and that's his favorite place to "push". He beds down in the same corner every night (the corner of the 2 wooden fences) and I'm planning to build a shelter over that area.
(At his previous home he had dug a 6 ft burrow under his shelter). I plan to expand the enclosure out another 20' at least. We also have a 30'x40' garden that will get fenced in and used as a second pen for him after harvesting. Of course I intend to let him "clean it out" as well.
I saw your "cinder block wall", is that what that is? I can't imagine him not powering through that!

Understand that your fence needs to provide a visual barrier as well as a physical. Sulcatas often injure themselves trying to walk through chain link, wrought iron or any thing they can see through. 24" would be great, but really 16" will work just fine too. Going 16" high will allow you to use one sheet of plywood for every 24', vs. 16' if you go 24" high.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

"Large Green Horse Balls"??? I have lots of space and weeds too (I'm in South Texas). I'm wondering what that is? Some kind of pen??

Don't 'large green horse balls' grow on large green horses??? Guess I should just go weed the beds...

 

[Tank'sMom]

Understand that your fence needs to provide a visual barrier as well as a physical. Sulcatas often injure themselves trying to walk through chain link, wrought iron or any thing they can see through. 24" would be great, but really 16" will work just fine too. Going 16" high will allow you to use one sheet of plywood for every 24', vs. 16' if you go 24" high.

I was warned about the "seeing through" issue by a friend who has one near the same size. He has a real problem with that. Since we built the pen in a hurry, it was the cheapest, sturdiest option for the time. I was honestly worried that he would just push right through!
So far, he doesn't do that at all. At least not in any way he can injure his carpace. When he pushes he stands against it. And he seems to like looking out and eating hibiscus and cactus through the bars.
Is it possible that he has the personality to just not want to push through? Mostly he walks around in there, or sits and looks out at the scenery, the dogs....
I was planning to enlarge the pen using the same material. Do you think that's a bad idea?

 

[Tom]

Can you post pics of your enclosure? I can't recall seeing any. This we help us give some better tips.

Try tinypic.com. Super easy, free and you don't have to give any info or have an account.

 

[Tank'sMom]

Can you post pics of your enclosure? I can't recall seeing any. This we help us give some better tips.

Try tinypic.com. Super easy, free and you don't have to give any info or have an account.

I've been trying to figure out how to post pics…. I'll try that...

 

[Tank'sMom]

This



These are some pics of his "home". I don't have a pic of the full "pen", but you can see the iron fencing, the privacy fencing (his favorite corner) and other bits of the yard. The last one is him in our garden, which is approx 25'x40'. I contemplating turning that into another pen. He'd have 2 pens to switch out, between gardening seasons and he'd of course get to "clear out the garden".

 

[Dizisdalife]

They walk their perimeter, and walk, and walk. When they turn they use the wall, or fence, seeming climbing part way up as they make the turn. A chain link or wrought iron fence can cause an injury. Mine tore a small piece of one of his scutes pacing along a chain link fence before I put in a plywood wall. I did what Tom suggested and used 16" high plywood. The fence is behind bushes and the tortoise is in and out of them most of the day. In some places he has to squeeze between a limb of the bush and the wall.
The bushes along the perimeter are a good thing. He finds shady areas to escape the mid-day sun and hide. Much better for me that he does this rather than dig a deep burrow.

 

[Tank'sMom]

Thanks for the input, as I am looking for all suggestions and researching before I build his permanent home.

 

[Tank'sMom]

On another note, we are in hurricane territory. The previous owners think he "sensed" our last big hurricane (Dolly, in about 2009) and dug a 6' burrow prior to the hurricane hitting. He had never done that before. Not sure if it was because he felt the hurricane coming or not, but they almost lost him to flooding. Of course he retreated to his burrow. They said it was near impossible to pull him out. This is another concern of mine....

 

[Len B]

I wanted Walker to dig under his house if he was going to dig, I built a 3 sided box like thing it has 2 sides and a top only, I placed it at the back of his house which is shaded by very old and tough lilac bushes that helps to keep it cooler when it gets real hot. He found it and used it to rest in, and in time he started to dig a little to make it more comfortable I guess. Now when he is in it he ain't coming out until he wants to, I built a door cover to block the door so he can't go in if I don't want him in there. it sets on top of the entrance out of the way when not is use. I removed the door block a few days ago, last night was his first night in it this year, Summer is officially here, Walker is sleeping under ground and pooping in the yard, not in his house.

 

[Tom]

On another note, we are in hurricane territory. The previous owners think he "sensed" our last big hurricane (Dolly, in about 2009) and dug a 6' burrow prior to the hurricane hitting. He had never done that before. Not sure if it was because he felt the hurricane coming or not, but they almost lost him to flooding. Of course he retreated to his burrow. They said it was near impossible to pull him out. This is another concern of mine....

There are four main problems with natural tortoise-made burrows for a sulcata in North America:
1. Flooding.
2. Collapse.
3. No access to your tortoise.
4. Too cold in the winter.

I solved all of those problems, but kept all the benefits of being underground with this:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/daisys-new-enclosure.28662/

 

[Tom]

Looks like you have some nice areas there.

The wrought iron and the lattice fence will likely be a problem sooner or later. Simply lining the bottom with 16" tall plywood strips will prevent the problem. The hard ware store will even cut the plywood for you.

 

[Tank'sMom]

Looks like you have some nice areas there.

The wrought iron and the lattice fence will likely be a problem sooner or later. Simply lining the bottom with 16" tall plywood strips will prevent the problem. The hard ware store will even cut the plywood for you.

I saw the "man-made" tunnel you built! That's quite impressive! I suppose I could try something like that.
I also like the previous posters idea of building a box over the area (which I was going to do anyway) that could be blocked off if I needed to.
The good thing about hurricanes, is we know days before they hit.
The "garden", with the lattice, is an area I'm considering for a second pen. I've put him out there a few times and he's been so busy he didn't even try to get out! It would definitely need to be reinforced.
I'm looking through ideas and trying to come up with something awesome. I really like your enclosures Tom. You've got some great ideas.
Now I need to go find out why not to get a second tortoise...














we know days before they hit.

 

[Tank'sMom]

I wanted Walker to dig under his house if he was going to dig, I built a 3 sided box like thing it has 2 sides and a top only, I placed it at the back of his house which is shaded by very old and tough lilac bushes that helps to keep it cooler when it gets real hot. He found it and used it to rest in, and in time he started to dig a little to make it more comfortable I guess. Now when he is in it he ain't coming out until he wants to, I built a door cover to block the door so he can't go in if I don't want him in there. it sets on top of the entrance out of the way when not is use. I removed the door block a few days ago, last night was his first night in it this year, Summer is officially here, Walker is sleeping under ground and pooping in the yard, not in his house.

I really like your idea of being able to block off the tunnel in bad weather. I was planning to build a "tortoise house" over his favorite sleeping spot, where he likes to dig. If I could block it off in bad weather, that would be great! In South Texas, the only seasons we have are hot, hurricane/rainy season, and "winter" during which we have about one month of "really cold" 40-50 degree weather.

 

[pam]

Welcome

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

Don't 'large green horse balls' grow on large green horses??? Guess I should just go weed the beds...

This is what I was referring to…
Here's the sad, offending plastic planter.

 

[Tank'sMom]

This is what I was referring to…View attachment 81865
Here's the sad, offending plastic planter. View attachment 81866View attachment 81867

Ahhhh.... Yes I've seen those. I gave him a few items yesterday and you're right, he kicked em around and squished them! Thanks for the tip!

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I actually like the image of large green horses having them better...or like some cowboys hanging one off the trailer hitch...guess I need to do more then just go weed something...lol

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Now I need to go find out why not to get a second tortoise...


Tortoises are mostly solitary creatures. A male Sulcata will normally fight another male to protect his territory, the best sleeping spot or the food. Unless you have experience and room like Tom and Ken, I suggest, with all due respect, that you get used to this tort first. Gain your experience from him, set him up better and get him something to sleep in. They like to sleep in something secure and safe. Do you have any predators there in your part of Texas? I used to be an over the road truck driver and I saw coyotes, armadillos, and wolves regularly and a cougar once. Aren't you just North of Brownsville and Matamoros? I delivered to McAllen and Pharr all the time. Had to pull in to a locked protected drop yard in Pharr, and drop my trailer, then a Mexican truck would show up sooner or later and haul that trailer into Mexico and unload it. I had to wait sometimes 36 hours in that drop yard, and my company made us be locked in that yard the whole time. And there was a house with a Mexican lady who did not speak American in the yard, and she would bring 3 meals a day to my truck until I got my trailer back. Real homemade food, tortillas to die for, yum. Best part of the trip. The sleazy truck stop in Edinburg was one of my favorites. But as usual I digress, your tortoise needs something safe to sleep in, to get out of the rain in and out of your one month of cold. Not all Sulcata dig, Bob doesn't at all. He lives in a shed as I have already described. I have coyotes and raccoons in my yard every night, so when he takes himself to bed every night at 6:30 then I close his doggie door and padlock the people door. (Against 2 legged predators). He only gets 1 watermelon a year as fruit is not good for them. They cannot process the sugar like we can. He gets a fair amount of different lettuces for breakfast, he eats hay, I cut grass for him, grow grape leaves, and Rose of Sharon for the blooms, but I think I printed a list of what I grow for him in my first post to you, so I won't repeat it.
Two more things...you should not mix species with any other species, especially Sulcata as they are aggressive and bullies. Each species carries it's own pathogens that 'could' conceivably make the other species sick or dead. It's a bad thing
If you get another Sulcata it must be kept in quarantine for 5 to 6 months from your resident tort. So you'd need to made 2 pens anyway...

Here's a care sheet to help you out. There is a lot of conflicting information on the Internet,
I like to just stick with the experts here on TFO and my own personal experience with Bad Bob

tortoiseforum.org/threads/african-spurred-tortoise-sulcata-care-sheet.52524/

Oh, I forgot to say he's nice looking animal...

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

I like to just stick with the experts here on TFO and my own personal experience with Bad Bob

Oh, I forgot to say he's nice looking animal...

Maggie is one of those experts of which she speaks. She would just never say as much, but she is.