New Potential Tortoise Owner with Some Questions

lizzyholi

New Member
Joined
Nov 19, 2019
Messages
1
Location (City and/or State)
Dallas, TX
Hi

I'm from Dallas, Texas and am interested in getting a preferably adult tortoise in 2 or more years. I know there is a lot of time before I have to make any real decisions, but I have a few questions to see if this is something that I should keep looking into.

I would prefer an adult Sulcata I think. Feel free to tell me why this might not be a good idea. ;)
I am thinking of an outside enclosure with a fenced area and a heated home?
In the heated area I'm thinking it needs to be heated to 85-90? If the weather outside is warmer than that I assume heating will be turned off. Is there a time where it can get too hot for them?
How large should this area be for an adult Sulcata? My parents live on 3 acres where space is not an issue and if this happens I assume I would be living at home, hence the 2 years before anything actually happening.
What kind of fencing and how tall does it need to be? My dad is worried about possible digging
Substrate: is that used where everywhere or just the heated area?
I read that they mostly graze, assuming the space is large enough would it be reasonable to plant grass/other greens for them to graze for spring and summer and supplement with hay in the fall and winter like for our horse?
What else is there in the day to day care of a tortoise?
Where do you even find an adult tortoise? A rescue or rehoming?

Thanks
Elizabeth Hopefully a Future Tortoise Owner!
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
TFO Admin
10 Year Member!
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Jan 23, 2008
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93,390
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Hi Elizabeth, and welcome to the Forum! I'm moving your thread to the Sulcata section so other, more experienced members will be sure to see it and offer you more suggestions.
 

Tim Carlisle

Well-Known Member
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Nov 13, 2017
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Cincinnati, OH
Sulcatas are fun and relatively easy to maintain for first-time tortoise enthusiasts. It can be harder to maintain them given their size as adults (can be well northward of 100+ lbs.). I believe the general rule of thumb is to give them as much outdoor space as possible, but the minimum should be around 50' x 50'. Sulcatas are grazers and will spend hours in different areas of the enclosure munching up the grass and weeds. Whatever are you decide to set up the fencing in, be sure to patrol the area first for any plants that may be harmful for ingestion. As far as winter eating, they will still graze as long as there is no snow on the ground. You can supplement the diet with certain hays, Mazuri Tortoise Diet, store-bought greens, Repashy, just to name a few.

For full-grown Sulcatas, the fence height should be no less than 16" - 24", and should be a solid fence to where your tort cannot see past it (no chain link fences et al). There are tons off great ideas for outdoor enclosures in the Enclosure forum: https://tortoiseforum.org/forums/tortoise-enclosures.7/

I only keep substrate (about 4" of it) in my outdoor tortoise house, mainly to maintain humidity levels in his house. Mine is mixed with Cypress bark and orchid bark. The "house" should be a minimum of 4'x8', insulated, and maintain an ambient temperature of at least 80 degrees. You might want to purchase a temperature gun to measure the different temp points throughout the house and adjust where necessary. I use a radiant heater in mine that is connected to a thermostat. There are several different types of heaters that you can use, but I, personally, would avoid anything that uses a forced air system (contains a fan). I do use a standalone fan in mine just to add circulation though, kinda like a ceiling fan.

Sulcatas can be adopted from any number of reptile rescues, but I'm not sure what ones are in your area. Many of the forum users here advertise sulcata rehoming. As a last resort, I see ads in Craigslist all the time trying to rehome them.

Be sure to read through the care links located at the top of the Sulcata forum. They are extremely helpful! https://tortoiseforum.org/forums/sulcata-tortoises.88/

Plenty more info that I can give you, but unfortunately I have to get back to work here. Welcome and best of luck!
 

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