Should I go see this baby Sulcata or????

[hannah]

Below is the text of the Crailgslist ad in my area. Aside from the spelling being deplorable, should i check this out?
I have been preparing for a Sulcata and am well researched on needs, etc, my Russians are thriving and I have space allocated indoors and out.
Here's the ad...

Need to find this guy a new home,,we got him during nov dec 08 he...i think..is a good eater and drinker mr turdy likes fresh grass red leaf lettece spinish,,he has only been on fresh food ..we were going to get another one but decided not yet,,please do your reserch first before you want him,,to good family only he needs a buddy,he is almost 3 inches.............................rehome fee 60.
i got him from cl from a very good tortoise guy from woodland hills...he posts ads every now and then and belongs to a tortise club.I would love to have a nice habitat like that guy does but i think mr turdy needs a friend to hang out with,,I was going to get another one but my husband said no.I usally dont listen to him but I do have my hands full


do sulcatas need companions???? this i did not know!

 

[tortoisenerd]

No they do not. They do better alone from what I know--all torts do for the most part.

From the ad, I get the feeling this lady isn't experienced with torts, although she may think she is. That said, sounds like she is doing the right thing by giving him up. If you want the tort, have done the research, have a vet lined up, etc, then why not check it out? Better to get a tort that needs a home than buy a brand new hatchling, although this one is young. I would watch it for at least 20 minutes in its enclosure to see how it looks. Look online for a checklist of things to look for in terms of health--like eyes, movement, etc. I wouldn't be surprised if this one had health problems, and the current owner may not even know. Just be careful, and take it to the vet right away. Be prepared to spend money in any case.

Best wishes.

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Oh, and I would ask for the breeder's name and talk to him for additional info. Everything you know about a tort's history only helps the case. That's one of my regrets--I got my tort from a pet store (a good one thankfully), but never found out anything about the breeder. All I know is the month he was born.

 

[Crazy1]

hanna, Kate gave you great advice. the only thing I would add is if you want a sully there are always those out there that need to be rehomed and are in rescues. In the event this one does not work out check some of the rescues, they often will rehome them with little or no cost to you. however they are not always hatchlings. By the way the hatchlings I saw at the last reptile show were going for between $40 and $50 from the breeder.