Park Ranger looking to adopt a sulcata in Louisiana

[tickfawint2]

My name is Julia H Morris, and I am an Interpretive Park Ranger at Tickfaw State Park in Springfield Louisiana. I (along with three other interpretive rangers/naturalists) work at a nature center which is located inside Tickfaw State Park. and we would love to offer a great home to a sulcata that needs a new home. There is someone at the park seven days a week, and he/she would get lots of attention. He/she would be used in an educational animal show for the public about once a week for 30 mins but even during the program, only one of the four naturalists actually touch and/or handle the animals. We have been looking for a sulcata to adopt for some time but as we are a non-profit organization it has been difficult because everyone seems to be asking for very high adoption fees and or shipping fees. All four of us have lots of experience in turtles, tortoises, and exotic animals in general. Please consider us as a new home for your sulcata and if you ever come to louisiana for a trip you could always stop by our park for a visit. Thank you very much for your consideration.

~Julia Morris~
Interpretive Ranger II
Tickfaw State Park

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Julia:

It sounds like you would provide a great home for a sulcata. Does your habitat have lots a natural space and plenty of room? What are the winters like in LA? I'm sure you've done you homework and understand the needs of a large sulcata tortoise, and I hope someone who is looking to place their tortoise will contact you! Good Luck.

Yvonne

 

[tortoisenerd]

Hi there! Good luck finding one.

 

[K9KidsLove]

Julia...email [email protected]...they may be able to rehome one to you. Bill Watts is a member of the organization. He sent me a fairly nice Redfoot, as well as some turtles, via the veterinarian I used to work for.
Good luck
Patsy

 

[Yvonne G]

Julia...email [email protected]...they may be able to rehome one to you. Bill Watts is a member of the organization. He sent me a fairly nice Redfoot, as well as some turtles, via the veterinarian I used to work for.
Good luck
Patsy

She hasn't visited us back since the end of October. It might be a good idea to send her an email.

 

[-EJ]

First... where are all those unwanted Sulcatas???????

Second... she probably thinks we're all a bunch of nut cases.

Julia...email [email protected]...they may be able to rehome one to you. Bill Watts is a member of the organization. He sent me a fairly nice Redfoot, as well as some turtles, via the veterinarian I used to work for.
Good luck
Patsy

She hasn't visited us back since the end of October. It might be a good idea to send her an email.

 

[TylerStewart]

where are all those unwanted Sulcatas???????

Ha ha ha, we all know there's no unwanted sulcatas

Too much money to be made on "adoption fees."

 

[Yvonne G]

I don't charge a fee, however, I only took in three sulcatas this year. Last year I had more than I had pens for and this year I got one at a time and was able to find homes for them right away. This year started out going great guns, but petered out after that first push. Very slow year.

 

[TylerStewart]

I don't charge a fee, however, I only took in three sulcatas this year. Last year I had more than I had pens for and this year I got one at a time and was able to find homes for them right away. This year started out going great guns, but petered out after that first push. Very slow year.

I wasn't referring to you, just thought it was funny after all the debates before that someone was looking for one and there's apparently none to be got in her area, or on here thus far.

 

[Yvonne G]

Julie of the Turtle Rescue of Long Island, recently took in this poor sulcata that lived on a diet of dry dog food:

http://turtlerescues.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=7049

 

[Meg90]

She's also looking for a "large" sulcata which could support the debate that most don't make it into adult hood and that they are all pyramided stunted things.

There is no shortage of babies, as we all know.

 

[-EJ]

Wrong assumption. Most of the animals that I've received were relatively nice.

She's also looking for a "large" sulcata which could support the debate that most don't make it into adult hood and that they are all pyramided stunted things.

There is no shortage of babies, as we all know.

 

[Meg90]

Yes, that YOU have received. She is obviously having a hard time adopting an adult. I'm guessing your animals are breeders? Display animals?

Would you take a squashed pyramided sully if someone tried to sell you one?

Some keepers here are so argumentative. Its insulting to the entire species to say that they are all well cared for and appreciated. They are not. LOTS and lots of people buy them as throw away pets. Everyone who finds out I have torts ask me if they are "those really huge ones" because "they want one of those."

They don't think about the large appetites and large feces and the large enclosure that is needed. They just want a big tortoise for show.

This person is obviously having difficulties finding an adult sully, and that's not uncommon. IMO it is because most of them don't live long enough to make that size from lack of proper care.

 

[Nay]

Meg, It's funny, I had some people over to my house the other day because I had a TV on Craigs List. They happened to see my tort tables and said "oh what's in there? and walked over. You can't help but see my large RF Jack and Petey. They had NEVER seen anything like them and immediately wanted one, in fact offered to buy him!!!!!Right there on the spot, never seeing one before. My Leopard Pinkly is in my bottom table and because my other pets find their food so much better, I have hung a piece of lattice across the front, side) Good Luck they didn't see her, they probably would've offered double!!
So yes I agree, some folks just want a disposable show piece. I have no doubt these people would've gladly handed me money for something they had absolutely!!!!!!NO CLUE as to what to do with. (HEY wait a minute, isn't that what a pet shop(SOME) do????? And a month or two down the road, then what??? Hopefully find a site such as this to post>>>>
Can't comment on the original topic,it seems I just try and not look at any classified for torts..because everythime I do there are too many.
Na

 

[-EJ]

You are very wrong. I have not met one person who purchased their pet Sulcata casually.

Life situations change. All of the people I know of who needed to get rid of their tortoise fell under that catagory.

Your arrogance is seriously breathtaking. I've gotten some really deformed tortoises... all of those keepers had the best intentions.

I'm amazed at your negativity... but I do have to than you for an idea. I have an adult male I'm looking for the right home. I do not need to get rid of it but I do see problems down the road... anyway thanks.

Yes, that YOU have received. She is obviously having a hard time adopting an adult. I'm guessing your animals are breeders? Display animals?

Would you take a squashed pyramided sully if someone tried to sell you one?

Some keepers here are so argumentative. Its insulting to the entire species to say that they are all well cared for and appreciated. They are not. LOTS and lots of people buy them as throw away pets. Everyone who finds out I have torts ask me if they are "those really huge ones" because "they want one of those."

They don't think about the large appetites and large feces and the large enclosure that is needed. They just want a big tortoise for show.

This person is obviously having difficulties finding an adult sully, and that's not uncommon. IMO it is because most of them don't live long enough to make that size from lack of proper care.

 

[Yvonne G]

You are very wrong. I have not met one person who purchased their pet Sulcata casually.

Ed: You are seeing a very small portion of the sulcata problem. Most of the people who had to give up their sulcatas to me had been casual purchasers or impulse buyers. You can speak from your experience, but you really can't argue the point effectively because you just plain old don't have a good over-all handle of the problem. Subscribe to Julie's YAHOO group and just lurk for a bit. Look through her "rescue" photo album. [email protected] I think you'll have a better picture of what's going on around you in the sulcata world.

 

[-EJ]

you know better.

You are very wrong. I have not met one person who purchased their pet Sulcata casually.

Ed: You are seeing a very small portion of the sulcata problem. Most of the people who had to give up their sulcatas to me had been casual purchasers or impulse buyers. You can speak from your experience, but you really can't argue the point effectively because you just plain old don't have a good over-all handle of the problem. Subscribe to Julie's YAHOO group and just lurk for a bit. Look through her "rescue" photo album. [email protected] I think you'll have a better picture of what's going on around you in the sulcata world.

 

[Meg90]

Someone just wants to argue.

If you have a bad day, take the stick poking somewhere else.

It sickens me what people do to tortoises and turtles, and the animals can make no noise to even complain. Its sick that "the best intentions" are an excuse for deforming an animal for life, and ruining its chances of behaving as it naturally would.

Again, it goes back to the excess amount of breeders with shite info that sell their babies dirt cheap just so people will buy them.

I think your posts are missing something....that good old IMO. Your opinion is no more correct than is mine. And to say "you are incorrect" and "you know better" is crass, and arrogant IMO

 

[TylerStewart]

Not to be intentionally argumentive myself, but you've got to show more than one side to this story in the attempts to, again, attack sulcatas. To refer someone to a photo gallery that's purpose is to show mistreated/rescued animals is not relevant. It's like asking PETA to prove that an animal has ever been miskept. Of course there's animals out there that have been miskept. There's children that have been miskept. There's everything that's been miskept.

This has been pointed out before, but somehow gets forgotten - but there are THOUSANDS of sulcatas produced in the US every year. Sure, many of them die in their first year, but I guarantee that more of them survive their first year in captivity than survive their first year in the wild. Does this mean anything positive to anyone? Or is man still the bad guy for being in charge of the fate? If an elephant tramples a baby sulcata, should we get rid of elephants? The natural cycle of live destines some animals to die, even when kept under perfect conditions.

Nobody denies that some sulcatas get mistreated, impulse purchased, neglected. It just sickens me that you guys keep showing the bad while hiding the good. Show both sides of the story. Many many people every year buy baby sulcatas and keep them happy successfully for years and years.

 

[Candy]

I don't charge a fee, however, I only took in three sulcatas this year. Last year I had more than I had pens for and this year I got one at a time and was able to find homes for them right away. This year started out going great guns, but petered out after that first push. Very slow year.

I wasn't referring to you, just thought it was funny after all the debates before that someone was looking for one and there's apparently none to be got in her area, or on here thus far.

I can't believe that you haven't seen all of the Sulcata's that people have been trying to get rid of or that have died on this site since I started the thread "Why do people breed Sulcata's?" There have been so many I couldn't believe it.

---

Not to be intentionally argumentive myself, but you've got to show more than one side to this story in the attempts to, again, attack sulcatas. To refer someone to a photo gallery that's purpose is to show mistreated/rescued animals is not relevant. It's like asking PETA to prove that an animal has ever been miskept. Of course there's animals out there that have been miskept. There's children that have been miskept. There's everything that's been miskept.

This has been pointed out before, but somehow gets forgotten - but there are THOUSANDS of sulcatas produced in the US every year. Sure, many of them die in their first year, but I guarantee that more of them survive their first year in captivity than survive their first year in the wild. Does this mean anything positive to anyone? Or is man still the bad guy for being in charge of the fate? If an elephant tramples a baby sulcata, should we get rid of elephants? The natural cycle of live destines some animals to die, even when kept under perfect conditions.

Nobody denies that some sulcatas get mistreated, impulse purchased, neglected. It just sickens me that you guys keep showing the bad while hiding the good. Show both sides of the story. Many many people every year buy baby sulcatas and keep them happy successfully for years and years.

Of course there's animals out there that have been miskept. There's children that have been miskept. There's everything that's been miskept.

That argument doesn't make it right by any means. You are a breeder not a rescue are you? I understand there are two sides to a story, but to me what happens in nature is natural, but bring man into it and the whole story changes. Money, money and more money.