Should I get a Sulcata? -New to the forum and questions

Mares

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Joined
Dec 22, 2020
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13
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Dayton
Hello all! As you could probably tell from the title, I am new to the forum and considering buying a Sulcata. As far as introductions go, my name is Mary, and I am currently a college student considering majoring in Zoology/ Wildlife Biology. I have always been fascinated by animals and their environment, and am passionate about giving all of my exotic animals as close to their natural environment I can. I have owned fish, hamsters, rabbits, parrots, hermit crabs, and probably more that I just can't think of right now lol. I am new to the world of tortoises and reptiles, so bear with me :)

So, as I said, I am looking into buying a Sulcata. I have read all the Sulcata care posts on here that I've found, so I think I have a pretty good understanding of their basic care. High humidity and temperature requirements, closed enclosures, not too much outdoor time for young torts, daily soaks, dietary needs, humid hides, etc. I am sure I will come back with more questions on those topics lol, but for now I have a few specific questions.

For starters, what age do you recomend I buy the Sulcata? I found a reptile store near me that seems very professional and open, with good care (at least, from what I can tell). From what I've learned in my research (thanks guys :) , I think I want to get the tort pretty young, so that I can raise them under correct conditions (and so I can have them during their cutest stage lol). I'm not entirely sure what age the specific store I'm looking at has, but they seem to be between a couple months old to a few years old. I imagine I could also request a hatchling whenever the next batch hatches. Personally, I think I would enjoy getting the tort as a hatchling the most, so that I could have them from as young as possible and watch them grow, but I don't know if I should get them that young. I know that babies are more fragile and more vulnerable to temperature/humidity fluctuations, with less wiggle room for care. What do you guys think? If I do end up getting a hatching, are there any other things I should be aware of?

Beyond that, how much space would a baby need? I plan on building an indoor enclosure (probably around 4x8, and yes I'm aware that won't last long for a Sulcata lol). Until I finish building the enclosure, could I keep the baby in a bin (closed and with everything they need, of course)? How long could I keep them in there/how long would I have to complete the enclosure? Or should I wait until the enclosure is done before I get the Sulcata?

And finally, how much work and time do Sulcatas require? I understand the initial work of setting up the enclosure, buying the equipment, etc., but beyond that, how much upkeep do they require once everything is established and settled? For a tort that's 5-10 inches, what would my daily routine with them look like? Soaking, feeding, cleaning, outdoor time, etc.? And as they grow, how much more work and upkeep do they require?

For clarification, I volunteer at a exotic bird rescue, and I've decided that parrots are the highest maintainence pets there are lol. I have 4 budgies (parakeets) who pretty much have full reign of my house, and keeping up with them and their needs is pretty much a full time job. So how much work is a tortoise? I don't want to get a pet unless I know I can give them the best life I can, even with school, work, and other aspects of life.

Thank you all so much! I'm sorry this was slightly long-winded, so thank you for taking the time to read all of it lol. I look forward to seeing what you guys have to say!
 

Mares

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Dec 22, 2020
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Dayton
Welcome to the Forum, Mary!

Have you thought of how to keep a 100lb tortoise warm during your Ohio winters?

Thank you so much for replying! To answer your question, I will not be in Ohio too much longer, and I plan to move south so it won't be a problem. I figure I have some time before the tort gets big enough to live outside. So good point, I should have mentioned that as well!
 

Dustythetortoise

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Dec 23, 2020
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mesa
Thank you so much for replying! To answer your question, I will not be in Ohio too much longer, and I plan to move south so it won't be a problem. I figure I have some time before the tort gets big enough to live outside. So good point, I should have mentioned that as well!
20201216_073059.jpg20201216_073059.jpg They are great pets...
 

Dustythetortoise

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mesa
Hey, heads up, your tortoise doesn't look very healthy. I am admittedly new to tortoises, but the shell looks pretty dry and I'm concerned about what's going on with it's eyes. But I agree, I am excited to possibly get a tortoise!
Hey heads up his eyes are closed, and he just woke up from being burrowed, so hasn't had his water bath yet. I have one 30 years old i know what I'm doing, but thanks for your concern.
 

Mares

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Dec 22, 2020
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Hey heads up his eyes are closed, and he just woke up from being burrowed, so hasn't had his water bath yet. I have one 30 years old i know what I'm doing, but thanks for your concern.
Hi, sorry if I came off the wrong way, I wasn't trying to be rude, just helpful. Please be kind :)
 

Dustythetortoise

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mesa
Hi, sorry if I came off the wrong way, I wasn't trying to be rude, just helpful. Please be kind :)
I was being kind was letting you know your assumption was incorrect. I live in Arizona (desert) so he burrows in the Az. dry dirt however he gets soaked daily.. Merry Christmas fellow tortoise person.
 

Mares

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I was being kind was letting you know your assumption was incorrect. I live in Arizona (desert) so he burrows in the Az. dry dirt however he gets soaked daily.. Merry Christmas fellow tortoise person.
Merry Christmas to you too! Give your little guys some treats for me! Sorry about all the confusion lol
 

Dustythetortoise

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Merry Christmas to you too! Give your little guys some treats for me! Sorry about all the confusion lol
No worries:) Dusty the tortoise thanks you for thinking about him ( he's a him, till I can tell different) ..lol
 

queen koopa

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Aug 22, 2018
Messages
754
Location (City and/or State)
Las Vegas Nevada
Hello all! As you could probably tell from the title, I am new to the forum and considering buying a Sulcata. As far as introductions go, my name is Mary, and I am currently a college student considering majoring in Zoology/ Wildlife Biology. I have always been fascinated by animals and their environment, and am passionate about giving all of my exotic animals as close to their natural environment I can. I have owned fish, hamsters, rabbits, parrots, hermit crabs, and probably more that I just can't think of right now lol. I am new to the world of tortoises and reptiles, so bear with me :)

So, as I said, I am looking into buying a Sulcata. I have read all the Sulcata care posts on here that I've found, so I think I have a pretty good understanding of their basic care. High humidity and temperature requirements, closed enclosures, not too much outdoor time for young torts, daily soaks, dietary needs, humid hides, etc. I am sure I will come back with more questions on those topics lol, but for now I have a few specific questions.

For starters, what age do you recomend I buy the Sulcata? I found a reptile store near me that seems very professional and open, with good care (at least, from what I can tell). From what I've learned in my research (thanks guys :) , I think I want to get the tort pretty young, so that I can raise them under correct conditions (and so I can have them during their cutest stage lol). I'm not entirely sure what age the specific store I'm looking at has, but they seem to be between a couple months old to a few years old. I imagine I could also request a hatchling whenever the next batch hatches. Personally, I think I would enjoy getting the tort as a hatchling the most, so that I could have them from as young as possible and watch them grow, but I don't know if I should get them that young. I know that babies are more fragile and more vulnerable to temperature/humidity fluctuations, with less wiggle room for care. What do you guys think? If I do end up getting a hatching, are there any other things I should be aware of?

Beyond that, how much space would a baby need? I plan on building an indoor enclosure (probably around 4x8, and yes I'm aware that won't last long for a Sulcata lol). Until I finish building the enclosure, could I keep the baby in a bin (closed and with everything they need, of course)? How long could I keep them in there/how long would I have to complete the enclosure? Or should I wait until the enclosure is done before I get the Sulcata?

And finally, how much work and time do Sulcatas require? I understand the initial work of setting up the enclosure, buying the equipment, etc., but beyond that, how much upkeep do they require once everything is established and settled? For a tort that's 5-10 inches, what would my daily routine with them look like? Soaking, feeding, cleaning, outdoor time, etc.? And as they grow, how much more work and upkeep do they require?

For clarification, I volunteer at a exotic bird rescue, and I've decided that parrots are the highest maintainence pets there are lol. I have 4 budgies (parakeets) who pretty much have full reign of my house, and keeping up with them and their needs is pretty much a full time job. So how much work is a tortoise? I don't want to get a pet unless I know I can give them the best life I can, even with school, work, and other aspects of life.

Thank you all so much! I'm sorry this was slightly long-winded, so thank you for taking the time to read all of it lol. I look forward to seeing what you guys have to say!
I have a 45 pound sulcata. Adopted her 3 yrs ago, she is 7 now. I live in Las Vegas. 6 months out if the year I have to check and close her door every night to keep heat in. I am working on a wifi TempStick right now to alert me if the temp drops due to breaker issue or whatever. I have been SUPER paranoid about this after posts in the oast week about freezing Sulcatas? She has 2 heat sources that run like 18 hrs a day if not more and a fan. And her outdoor enclosure is around 600 sq ft plus a shed. All the grass dies in November so you have learn early on how to winter feed until weeds come back. These animals are not for roaming the house. Sounds like your interests and line of work fit perfectly for a Sulcata. Just need the space. I would say those 6 months are the most time consuming and include more worries....
 

Aloysius Taschse

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Sulcatas are wonderful pets if you care for them right. As long as you have a good heating setup you should be great! I would also suggest adopting one (if you can find one up for adoption), and if that doesn't work try to find a trustworthy breeder. The reptile store might be safe, but places like Tortoise Town have high reviews but still give sick and unhealthy babies sometimes. Good luck with the sulcata and your major in Zoology/Wildlife Biology!
 

Maggie3fan

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Hi, welcome. I also have parakeets, 2 of them are nesting. You talked about young Sulcata, I am not an expert by any means but here's my initial thoughts...
It seems you've done some research...but you should buy from a breeder with a reputation here on TFO. I am assuming you are young, that means if you get a hatchling...he will be your responsibility for the rest of your life. I just read Yvonne's comment, she types faster than I...for the first few years he will be intensive on the daily care, but how are you going to set him up outside when he's over 50 pounds thru your winters. He WILL get to a size that won't fit in an apartment in a few years. At your age now and I mean no disrespect, you will be responsible for a large powerful exotic animal for all of your life. It is wrong to get an animal like a Sulcata and rehome him in a few years because he's gotten too big. At a minimum example, my heated and insulated tort shed not counting all the lights and other stuff in it 13 years ago cost almost $2000. Add lights, sleeping boxes, pig blankets humidity making electric stuff and all that stuff and it's another grand. The now big Sulcata needs a permanent place to live with a pen etc. Are you going to provide all that needed equipment for the next est. 60 years of YOUR life, then who takes him??? Think this thru
 

Mares

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Joined
Dec 22, 2020
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Dayton
Oh wow, I was not expecting this to get this much attention lol. Thank you all so much for taking the time to reply!
 

Mares

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Joined
Dec 22, 2020
Messages
13
Location (City and/or State)
Dayton
I have a 45 pound sulcata. Adopted her 3 yrs ago, she is 7 now. I live in Las Vegas. 6 months out if the year I have to check and close her door every night to keep heat in. I am working on a wifi TempStick right now to alert me if the temp drops due to breaker issue or whatever. I have been SUPER paranoid about this after posts in the oast week about freezing Sulcatas? She has 2 heat sources that run like 18 hrs a day if not more and a fan. And her outdoor enclosure is around 600 sq ft plus a shed. All the grass dies in November so you have learn early on how to winter feed until weeds come back. These animals are not for roaming the house. Sounds like your interests and line of work fit perfectly for a Sulcata. Just need the space. I would say those 6 months are the most time consuming and include more worries....
Oh my goodness, I can imagine how that would be anxiety inducing! That sounds awful! Working on that TempStick that will alert you is a super great idea! I hope it works out for you!
Thank you so much for explaining what winters may be like for me if I don't move in time! I hope to be out of here before it gets to be a problem, but if not, I will definitely have to make plans! My current winter plan is to use a sun-room off the side of my house, which is already heated. Obviously not a long term plan, but hopefully it will never come to that. Thank you so much for replying!
 

Mares

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Dec 22, 2020
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Dayton
Sulcatas are wonderful pets if you care for them right. As long as you have a good heating setup you should be great! I would also suggest adopting one (if you can find one up for adoption), and if that doesn't work try to find a trustworthy breeder. The reptile store might be safe, but places like Tortoise Town have high reviews but still give sick and unhealthy babies sometimes. Good luck with the sulcata and your major in Zoology/Wildlife Biology!
Thank you so much for taking the time to reply! I agree, I think having a Sulcata would be very rewarding!

As far as adopting goes, I completely agree that adopting is a thousand times better than a pet store! Actually, most of my current pets have all been rescues and rehomes. I'm not entirely sure how I should go about finding a rescue, as most places don't take tortoises, so if you have any advice that would be wonderful! I have looked a little on Craigslist and other sites, but so far haven't found anything promising :(

And, as far as I have been able to tell, there is no breeders in Ohio, or anywhere near. I've looked into Arizona Tortoise Compound, which seems to be recommended on here, but they have yet to respond to me :( So unless some on here knows of a good breeder near me (insert hopeful wink here), my options are kinda limited.

Thank you again so much for replying! You guys sure know how to make someone feel welcome here!
 

Mares

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Joined
Dec 22, 2020
Messages
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Dayton
Hi, welcome. I also have parakeets, 2 of them are nesting. You talked about young Sulcata, I am not an expert by any means but here's my initial thoughts...
It seems you've done some research...but you should buy from a breeder with a reputation here on TFO. I am assuming you are young, that means if you get a hatchling...he will be your responsibility for the rest of your life. I just read Yvonne's comment, she types faster than I...for the first few years he will be intensive on the daily care, but how are you going to set him up outside when he's over 50 pounds thru your winters. He WILL get to a size that won't fit in an apartment in a few years. At your age now and I mean no disrespect, you will be responsible for a large powerful exotic animal for all of your life. It is wrong to get an animal like a Sulcata and rehome him in a few years because he's gotten too big. At a minimum example, my heated and insulated tort shed not counting all the lights and other stuff in it 13 years ago cost almost $2000. Add lights, sleeping boxes, pig blankets humidity making electric stuff and all that stuff and it's another grand. The now big Sulcata needs a permanent place to live with a pen etc. Are you going to provide all that needed equipment for the next est. 60 years of YOUR life, then who takes him??? Think this thru

Thank you so much for taking the time to write such an extensive reply! Yes, I have done a lot of initial research, but I recognize that I am nowhere near done on that! This is definitely not something I am willing to rush!

As far as my age, you guessed correctly, I am only 18 :) I am currently living with my parents (and they have been absolutely wonderful in accepting my weird animal hobbies lol). We have a large backyard (I think 2 acres or so?), so outdoor space shouldn't become an issue at all, especially since I plan to move south in a few years and go to college there.

As far as the responsibility level, I completely agree!! This is not a decision I am taking lightly whatsoever. I understand completely that this is a huge lifetime commitment, that this would be a life that is solely dependent on me. I have absolutely no plans to ever rehome, and promise I will do everything I can to make sure none of my animals ever have to undergo that trauma.

As far as my age/whether or not I want to make a lifetime commitment, I believe that getting a tortoise now, while I am young, would be a wonderful opportunity! I could literally grow up with them and spend a greater amount of time with them than most people have to opportunity to.

And on the topic of adopting/ finding a good breeder, I talked about it in my previous reply to someone. To summarize, I haven't been able to find any breeders near me, and all the suggested breeders who would ship hasn't got back to me :( So I am somewhat stuck in that regard. If you have any recommendations, I will gladly take them!

Thank you again for replying!
 

Mares

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Joined
Dec 22, 2020
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13
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Dayton
Rent a backhoe and dig a couple of random deep holes in your yard and stare at them for about a week. That should help with deciding to get a Sulcata. BTW I own a grumpy Russian and Leopard!
Haha, oh my gosh, I love that suggestion! Luckily, I am not attached to the aesthetics of my yard/future yard lol. Give your 2 little grumps some treats for me!
 
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