Yes, I picked him up as a hatchling at the 1996 Orlando Expo. I went down to get a mountain tortoise but after seeing the sulcata hatchlings knowing how big they could get I came home with one of each. One of the best spur of the moment buys I've ever made.
22lbs and not even 2 years old? WOAH now my understanding is that Sulcatas from Sudan get larger? Is that the region that Stump hails from?
I don't believe because he seems to have the hereditary "saddle" indentation in the rear that seems to come from the ones from Mali, etc. According to Tom the sudanese ones grow like normal have a higher dome and then just keep growing. Those are 300-400lb animals and beyond my ability to care for. That said, Stump IS a beast of an under 2 year tortoise but not unheard of. He was 5lbs @ 1 year and now over 20. He should be over 25 at 2 years.
So nice that you've had him all these years. That's one of the wonderful things about having a tortoise for a pet. They can become a permanent member of your family and maybe your children's family too.🤗
Very interesting. Well I certainly appreciate your updates and all the pictures here, and has me excited for the future. Minus the backhoe i'll need to clean the poop.
Absolutely, I've been reading posts and looking at photos here of several midatlantic and midwest keepers, and you guys definitely all have good advice for how you're doing things. I'm definitely going to put in the work and the time to make sure my little guy can thrive in this environment. I actually think the summers here and the humidity levels in the holler will be great for a tortoise.
