Tony the tortoise, does he thrive on wondering or does he hate me?

Jelsup

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Hi there I have a 30 year old sulcata Toritosie named Tony, Weighing in about 45# I adopted him a year ago from a reptile expo, he must have lived in some pretty bad previous conditions because he has a lot of heat lamp damage on his shell. Where I live in Northern California he can be outdoors from May - November once it drops lower than 50 F degrees if there’s no heat lamp in his tortoise house he has to come inside. Due to him living in such tight closures in his previous habitat it pangs me to have to isolate him so I he allow him to roam 2.5 acres of prime land, this entire area is fenced and in closed with 6inch square fencing that’s 8 feet tall/ I have made sure to secure the bottoms of the fencing and the weeds have helped me by binding into the fencing- I watch him pace the fence line often and when I see him trying to push through I usually put a cement brick in his way and he moves on . He has plenty of different grasses to live on, plus when I do my summer garden the pumpkin watermelon / squashes/cucumbers are all for him. I have done a far amount of research on diet and I understand it’s better for them to graze on outside grasses etc And veggies/ fruits should be treated like “treats” ( once in a while). I also created him a shallow pond that is cemented and full with fresh water - he rather burrow under one of my huge planter boxes until he reaches water and then just sit in that mud pit. He likes creating his own burrow holes and they are quit impressive he’s scattered them throughout the 2.5 acres -plus I created him a tortoise house as well. (Even though he rather sleep In his home made 2-3foot Deep burrow he creates) He is VERY fast , it’s like he has hydraulic’s the way he can move. Hah.. My land is not completely flat - it has its ups and downs and plateau‘s in which iv watched him scale more times in one day than a human would do..
My dilemma ....
This is my first summer with him and I have already had him escape 4 times- the first time it was my fault for not doing a proper fence and not realizing they can walk over a foot and half of cinder block plus I found out if you put a solid color at the fence line (like black tarp or even just a cardboard a tortoise will not try to push through on the area bc they can’t see past it)- the second time he escaped someone left the front gate open and he waited until no one was watching- he is VERY intellectual I mean they are prehistoric so they’ve learned to survive somehow. but he learned within a day how we use the gate to exit and so forth, at the time I found him at our neighbor hood pond so I decided maybe he escaped bc he was in search of a water source so I made him anotherbig pool like area(nothing deep only an inch or two) I also began to feed him “treats” meaning watermelon pumpkins squashes Daily’ ( I try to stay away from acidic veggies and fruits I heard it’s too much acidity for them) He was getting a whole
Pumpkin in which he would eat the whole thing in half a day! I began basically bribing him with treats thinking maybe it’ll keep him from wanting to escape! Btw these animals are natural born grazers that is there main mission in life. So he will eat all day if he wants too.
the third time was my husbands fault for one of the mastiffs broke down the front gate in the middle of the night and he did not fix it immediately and Tony did a late night escape. The latest and last escape he actually finally managed to flex the fence squares wide enough to inch through (picture attached) something I didn’t think was possible but bc it was also at night I was not around to stop him or turn him around. What’s crazy is he has yet to try and dig under the fence which is super possible for him. I am Very blessed that my neighborhood has been kind enough to always post on social media when they find him and luckily I have gotten back Farley quickly every time. But I know his luck will run out soon and they’re will be a time no one posts they find him - plus my neighborhood probably thinks I’m a horrible animal owner always letting him get out. So I really need some insight and advice .. is he escaping because he’s in search of a female? Or is he searching for different food?Does he just want to go on adventures?? Or does he just plain hate me??? I have invested so much time money and love for me to give up on this guy. And he truly is an amazing creature. Any advice would be great, I will post pictures and some videos if it allows! Thank you in advance!
 

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Maggie3fan

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#1. yes, he hates you.
#2 he escapes simply because he can.
#3 he is much smarter than given credit for.
You need to block his vision thru the fence. Get a self closing gate so those incapable of closing the gate won't let him out. At 30 years in my opinion he should weigh over 100 lbs. So you're lucky he's small. Make him a heated night house. He should take himself to bed every night. His house needs to have a basking light for heat, night heat of some sort, and safe for sleeping. I use an oil filled radiator type heater at 85 degrees for ambient heat. A 150 watt UVB light, the old fashioned type.
If he were mine, I'd make a smaller inescapable pen with his own house for security. The more times he successfully escapes, the harder he will try to escape when you bring him home.
Mary Knobbins
100_5058.JPG
 

Jelsup

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Attached photos are of one escape route and other of smaller cement made pond next to tortoise house (Blue)
 

Jelsup

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#1. yes, he hates you.
#2 he escapes simply because he can.
#3 he is much smarter than given credit for.
You need to block his vision thru the fence. Get a self closing gate so those incapable of closing the gate won't let him out. At 30 years in my opinion he should weigh over 100 lbs. So you're lucky he's small. Make him a heated night house. He should take himself to bed every night. His house needs to have a basking light for heat, night heat of some sort, and safe for sleeping. I use an oil filled radiator type heater at 85 degrees for ambient heat. A 150 watt UVB light, the old fashioned type.
If he were mine, I'd make a smaller inescapable pen with his own house for security. The more times he successfully escapes, the harder he will try to escape when you bring him home.
Mary Knobbins
View attachment 308104

Oops I meant to say 65# ( but I’d range it 65-75) and I hope it’s sarcasm that he hates me lol but if it wasn’t could you enlighten me on why he would hate someone who is taking care of him. Yes he has a heat lamp in his outside house but he rather burrow under a giant tree stump during the summer days ( I even leave the lamp on to make sure he knows) but you are right I should minimize his enclosure to just his house and and around it, just wish I could let him free roam more due to his past- thank you for your time!
Ps I keep trying to attach photos but my service is horrible I will try again
 
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queen koopa

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Build a smaller enclosure that he cannot see out. When they know theres more out there, They will always be trying to get there.
 

Maggie3fan

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Oops I meant to say 65# ( but I’d range it 65-75) and I hope it’s sarcasm that he hates me lol but if it wasn’t could you enlighten me on why he would hate someone who is taking care of him. Yes he has a heat lamp in his outside house but he rather burrow under a giant tree stump during the summer days ( I even leave the lamp on to make sure he knows) but you are right I should minimize his enclosure to just his house and and around it, just wish I could let him free roam more due to his past- thank you for your time!
Ps I keep trying to attach photos but my service is horrible I will try again
I'm sorry, that was just my failed attempt at humor. I so totally understand about wanting him to roam, so that just gives you a bigger area to make escape proof. The big thing is that you need to make his pen escape proof. His life work is to escape, yours is to prevent that. Don't know why, but once they escape, they will continue to try. My bigger Sulcata walked out the open gate, up 9 stairs, across the deck, down 6 stairs and up the street. I can still hear the kids in my memory, "Let's go Bob, come on Bob, lets go Bob." Until then, I didn't know a big hardbodied being like him could climb stairs. lol Bottom line is, pen needs to be escape proof. Do you have predators where you are? I do, so my Sulcata are locked in at night.
 

Jelsup

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I'm sorry, that was just my failed attempt at humor. I so totally understand about wanting him to roam, so that just gives you a bigger area to make escape proof. The big thing is that you need to make his pen escape proof. His life work is to escape, yours is to prevent that. Don't know why, but once they escape, they will continue to try. My bigger Sulcata walked out the open gate, up 9 stairs, across the deck, down 6 stairs and up the street. I can still hear the kids in my memory, "Let's go Bob, come on Bob, lets go Bob." Until then, I didn't know a big hardbodied being like him could climb stairs. lol Bottom line is, pen needs to be escape proof. Do you have predators where you are? I do, so my Sulcata are locked in at night.
I have two 180# mastiffs and a 60# mix pup that keep the predators at bay- and even though I have the heat lamp in his house I still intend to bring him indoors for the winter season due to frost
 

Jelsup

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I wish I could attach videos because I have a video where I prop the front gate open and he was just pacing the fence line and I wanted to catch him escaping- we’ll go figure he walked right up to the gate turned and looked me dead in the eye once he saw me watching and then proceeded to walkaway from the gate and stayed in the fence line....crazy guy
 

Hamiltondood

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I wish I could attach videos because I have a video where I prop the front gate open and he was just pacing the fence line and I wanted to catch him escaping- we’ll go figure he walked right up to the gate turned and looked me dead in the eye once he saw me watching and then proceeded to walkaway from the gate and stayed in the fence line....crazy guy
you can attach videos by posting them on youtube and linking them here.
 

Jelsup

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I and
I wish I could attach videos because I have a video where I prop the front gate open and he was just pacing the fence line and I wanted to catch him escaping- we’ll go figure he walked right up to the gate turned and looked me dead in the eye once he saw me watching and then proceeded to walkaway from the gate and stayed in the fence line....crazy guy
oh and one more question what are your thoughts on sharpee -ing my telephone number on his shell somewhere on his rear end , I know a lot of ppl who do that to there horses and live stock in case a fire breaks out and they must release them , they are able to be tied back to the owner ( fires are strong this year). Do you find this torturous or not right? I researched for a animal friendly adhesive like glue or putty to attach a tag with number on it but I never found anything that would be ok for a tortoise shell. I assumed sharpee would maybe be more humane?
 

queen koopa

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I wish I could attach videos because I have a video where I prop the front gate open and he was just pacing the fence line and I wanted to catch him escaping- we’ll go figure he walked right up to the gate turned and looked me dead in the eye once he saw me watching and then proceeded to walkaway from the gate and stayed in the fence line....crazy guy
Yes! Haha similar to mine. Adopted my female sulcata when she was 5, she’s 7 now. I’ve made small openings that devide my new enclosure and koopa would not walk through it, looked at me and then pretends the opening is not there. She has never escaped but has climbed cinder blocks. She paced for maybe a month when expanded her enclosure the first time and I used to take her out to graze on other lawns around the yard. You would be going from acres to sq ft probably unless you are up for all that secured fence work. He still may pace for a couple weeks because he remembers the big yard. Some tips I’ve learned on this forum and some trial
and error:
1. Site barriers and sections.
They feel less vulnerable with site barriers in an open space. Like logs, a boulder, dog house. Careful with providing too much cover with something like a dog house thats directly on the ground, he may try to burrow there. Also avoid making the enclosure in corners against buildings...he may try to burrow.. Also with site barriers koopa doesn’t always see plants or patches of grass and allows it to grow back
for a bit. Make sections you can close off and open up when it grows back.
2. Your water is GREAT I am in the process of doing something similar.
3. Wood Pannel siding at least 2 ft up the enclosure fence, and at least 1ft underground. You can search the forum in enclosures section for ideas. I’ll post some of mine.
 

Tortisedonk7

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I’ve never had a Sulcata but here is what works with other diggers and Houdini animals.
Dig down 18-24 inches on the entire fence perimeter, put galvanized hardware cloth in there and extend it up onto the existing fence 18inches. Then add some boards or maybe roll of shade cloth to the bottom of the fence so he can’t see out. And don’t keep him anywhere there is a gate/door, access to another area.
Good luck.
 

shellcior

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Also, if you have potted plants, you better only use the giant heavy ones or they will become "bowling pins". Tank has gotten really good at getting mostly strikes when he really tries.
 

Maggie3fan

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I wish I could attach videos because I have a video where I prop the front gate open and he was just pacing the fence line and I wanted to catch him escaping- we’ll go figure he walked right up to the gate turned and looked me dead in the eye once he saw me watching and then proceeded to walkaway from the gate and stayed in the fence line....crazy guy
lol I love Sulcata! They are the funniest, most untrustworthy, goofiest, most loving, AND so freakin intelligent, sometimes mine are smarter than me, and you just saw yours being smarter than you. I'm so laughing, he's gonna test you at everything. Be prepared! lol
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Livinlavitaboca

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Hello
First let me say I have sulcutas, redfoots and I volunteered with gophers ( also not to mention two wild gophers live in my yard) and nothing beats a gopher for the ability to burrow out of enclosures. They are tenacious and I’ve seen them burrow under a sidewalk overnight. The wild ones go under my fence all the time to leave the yard. I find redfoots have more personality and come to me when they see me outside but my sulcutas could care less. They just want to be fed and do their own thing. I live in FL and also can keep mine out for the majority of the year. So don’t take it personally that he doesn’t want to hang out with you. My two don’t either.
 

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