Mom to a LARGE Sulcata!

M

Maggie Cummings

Guest
Maggie is one of those experts of which she speaks. She would just never say as much, but she is.
Poo! I am not, just pretty vocal about Bob....
I found a whole bunch of silly Bob stories at the end of this thread. I didn't remember some of them so I even laughed at my own writing. It actually was kind of complimenting to see all of them there...here's one...

.tortoiseforum.org/threads/bobs-temper-tantrum.90695/
 
M

Maggie Cummings

Guest
Gosh, they're gone! I'm not complimented at all...:( Did I just hallucinate it? Throw back from the '60's or what??? Wow...
 

Tank'sMom

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 25, 2014
Messages
462
Location (City and/or State)
Olmito, Tx
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...

There is another post/thread I started on the whole topic. I have decided against it after getting the proper info from you guys, the "experts". That's why I'm here.
I haven't totally ruled out getting another hatchling. But of course they would be completely separate. Totally. For my little boys. Not even sure about that.
And I am working on constructing a "house" for Tank. And a second, much larger pen after we harvest our garden. I have lots of space. I'm looking through other enclosures and asking questions first so that I can design it properly.
As far as predators, there's not much to worry about. My dogs won't let ANYTHING in the yard without me finding it dead on the lawn the next day. And they are totally cool with Tank. ;)
 
M

Maggie Cummings

Guest
As far as predators, there's not much to worry about. My dogs won't let ANYTHING in the yard without me finding it dead on the lawn the next day. And they are totally cool with Tank.

OK...If you don't take any other advice I have given you, listen with an open mind to what I am going to say now, because there is NO more important subject that I will ever talk about. I am a jokester, and I like to kid, and I still want to see a horse with big green balls....BUT please please pay attention here. Yes, fellow TFO members I am going to talk about Mildred, so the rest of you can go back to bed.

Tanks Mom...I am going to repeat again the story of Mildred, except Mildred's story is simply one of hundreds.
Mildred was a California Desert Tortoise (Gopherus agassizii). She and the family dog lived together for 20 years, that's twenty years. Then one day the animals owner came home to find Mildred's front leg missing. The dog, the nice well mannered family dog had chewed it off.( Long about this part of the story ALL dog owners say, well, MY dog loves the tortoise and he would never do that.) BS ...For whatever reason that day the dog ate, ATE, Mildred's left front leg, then licked the wound enough that is wasn't even bleeding, can you just imagine the trauma she went through? He ate it off at the shoulder. The owner took Mildred to the Vet and the wound was closed and healed. The owner decided it was just too much trouble to keep them separated, so after 20 years she took Mildred to a tortoise rescue. Can you just imagine the pain and confusion and loneliness the poor tort went thru? She lost her leg AND her long term home. Believe me, they know when they are not home, and where was her person? The person that Mildred had bonded to all her life...oh the trauma. Fortunately for me, it was my sister' rescue Mildred went to so I ended up with her. Just a beautiful 3-legged regal old lady. I loved that old lady, she had a personality you just couldn't believe. Anyhow, we will never know what happened that day, or many other days to many other chelonians. Mildred was lucky, she lived, most dog chewed tortoises don't live, they die a horrible awful painful death. Yes, your dogs can and maybe would chew on Tank. You love them and they are well mannered, but you cannot trust them alone with your tortoise. You simply can't. Please don't ever leave the dogs unsupervised with Tank.
The Tom that has been giving you such good advice? He's an animal trainer for the movies. I have been to his place outside of Ventura Calif. I have seen his animals, and he put on a demonstration for me that turned a snarling vicious German Shepherd into a ***** cat with the flick of a finger. Tom knows animals, and I know he will back my story 110%. He has a dog chewed tortoise story that has made me cry more then once, I will try and find it now for you, and if I can't I am sure he will post it tomorrow for you. And other keepers who have just read this will tell you their story about what happened to their tortoise. Please know that this is a very, the most serious situation.
 

Tank'sMom

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 25, 2014
Messages
462
Location (City and/or State)
Olmito, Tx
Wow!!! That is a sad story! The dog was 20 years old??
When I say my dogs are good with Tank, that doesn't mean they have access to him. He is in his pen and they cannot get in there.
When he roams outside he is always supervised because of the pool anyhow. I am aware that dogs can be unpredictable and aren't quite sure what to make of Tank yet. But just like everything else on my property, they will protect him from predators in the event something comes around. And if they are, for whatever reason, unable to do so, their barking is enough cue for me to investigate with my shotgun. This is Texas, after all.
So rest easy knowing that Tank is in a well protected, secure pen and his "guard dogs" don't have access to him unsupervised. ;)
Thanks for the advice!
 

Tank'sMom

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 25, 2014
Messages
462
Location (City and/or State)
Olmito, Tx
And BTW, I listen to ALL of the advice I get on here. I'm here to learn and hear stories such as this one. So I will take your advice about the dogs and any other advice you may have to offer. :)
 

DeanS

SULCATA OASIS
10 Year Member!
Joined
May 6, 2010
Messages
4,407
Location (City and/or State)
SoCal
I must've missed it somewhere...but just how big is Tank? Length and weight...
 

Tank'sMom

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 25, 2014
Messages
462
Location (City and/or State)
Olmito, Tx
I must've missed it somewhere...but just how big is Tank? Length and weight...
Missed that I had I had a Tank or missed this post?
Hope you haven't missed out on all his mischief!
Tank is 32" carapace length and 30" across (from bottom side to bottom side) today.
I weighed him again just for you, and this morning he is weighing in at 120 lbs (scale zeroed to bucket).
ImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1402587772.322861.jpgImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1402587787.322458.jpg
 

DeanS

SULCATA OASIS
10 Year Member!
Joined
May 6, 2010
Messages
4,407
Location (City and/or State)
SoCal
Missed that I had I had a Tank or missed this post?
Hope you haven't missed out on all his mischief!
Tank is 32" carapace length and 30" across (from bottom side to bottom side) today.
I weighed him again just for you, and this morning he is weighing in at 120 lbs (scale zeroed to bucket).
View attachment 83408View attachment 83409
Neither! I know about Tank and I knew about this post...I just never heard his stats! Is that 32" over the top of the carapace...or straight length? Either way, very impressive. Now...step back and imagine him double the weight! That's the daddy's of Tom's and my Sudans...I LOVE THE GIANTS!
 

Tank'sMom

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 25, 2014
Messages
462
Location (City and/or State)
Olmito, Tx
32" over the top of his carapace. I swear he's grown since I first got him. I'm hoping keeps getting bigger!!
 
Top