Tortoise Rescue

[shellbert]

Oh where do I start???

A few months ago my friend kept spotting a tortoise in his backyard and eventually I found it one night. I decided to take him home and give him shelter and food as his backyard was quite barren aside for a nice patch of grass where the kids' playset was. I did a little research and discovered he was a sulcata. I set him up with a large footprint sterlite sweater tub, some Eco earth, random piles of orchard grass to munch on and a basking lamp with uv. I chop him up a fat salad everyday and sprinkle it with Repashy Crested Gecko diet( I have an abundance).

Shellbert(my tortoise) has grown quite well in the past few months. His shell looks amazing compared to it's drab, flat, and chipped up former self and seems to be filling out quite well. He seems stronger, more active and attentive to everything.

Now for the problems(which is mostly me not him). I get annoyed of his digging and pushing the corners incessantly. His basking spot gets up to 100 degrees and the cool side 77. He does this at random corners even at the hot side. From my experience with other reptiles this means he is not happy. So have started taking him and leaving him in the backyard for a few hours a day so he can explore and what not, then bring him as night falls. I live in Phoenix, Arizona and summer is nearing. My bedroom where his mainstay is gets to 82 degrees and I switch off all my other infra red lamps and heat pads used for the other critters but his because he needs that uv but with the temperature climbing his best lamp boosts my room temperature and his light gets too hot. It would be awesome if he could live in the backyard but Phoenix summer temps top out at 120 with a norm of 90s. I'm getting frustrated and don't think I can handle caring for him until I die as he will surely out live me. I love the little punk but I want him to be in a better situation and I want to free up some responsibility on my plate as he is the only one that needs daily care besides my fish. What do I do??

Almost forgot he is about 5" from vent to snout.

 

[mctlong]

Welcome to forum, shellbert!

Sulcatas like it hot. If you can provide lots of shady spots, plenty of water, and a secure enclosure in your backyard, then a sulcata can handle the hot Phoenix temps.

 

[shellbert]

Welcome to forum, shellbert!

Sulcatas like it hot. If you can provide lots of shady spots, plenty of water, and a secure enclosure in your backyard, then a sulcata can handle the hot Phoenix temps.

Thanks, and thank you for the quick reply!

If he can handle the backyard I can handle him. Would you say a fenced off corner with a water dish, some kind of shelter for shade and a pile of orchard grass plus the salad treats?

What about the winters? He'd have to come back inside or in a shed right?

 

[mainey34]

I would bet he was kept outside, that is why he is digging in the enclosure. You found him outside right? Have you checked to see if anyone is missing one? How big is he?

 

[wellington]

I would make sure someone isn't looking for their lost or they may think stolen sully. If no one claims him, and you think you can keep him if he lives outside, then take a look at our enclosure section. Also check out some of Toms threads. I don't know the name of them off hand, but he has some examples of sully hides and how he heats them for his winters in Cali.
BTW, Hello and Welcome

 

[shellbert]

Thank you all. I found this tortoise months ago. One of my other friends found one at the same friend's house I found mine. It's probably too late to ask his neighbors if they were missing some. Doesn't seem to care as nobody went asking the neighbors if they had found a tortoise, I know I would if mine came up missing. I've had mine for 3-5 months and my other friend found her's months before me.

Sulcatas are a burrowing species and I should have anticipated the incessant digging sounds at the bottom of the enclosure. I will take a look at the enclosures for outside. I mentioned the tortoise's size in my initial post(about 5").

 

[shellbert]

Ugh..I posted again thinking my last reply didn't get put up. The moderator filtration thing is a new to me coming from other types of forums, sorry.

 

[jaizei]

Ugh..I posted again thinking my last reply didn't get put up. The moderator filtration thing is a new to me coming from other types of forums, sorry.

It is only your first 5 posts, you're almost out of the woods.

 

[Yvonne G]

Welcome to the Forum!

There are quite a few sulcata keepers in Arizona. Your tortoise will do quite well outside. He just needs a few bushes or a nice shade tree in his habitat. And make sure the walls are sufficient that he can't climb them or dig under them to escape. He really needs to be outside, and that's why he's annoying you in the house. One of our sponsors, AZ Tortoise compound, is in Arizona and he has sulcatas. You can send him a PM and see how he takes care of the cooler weather.

Another member in Arizona is Eweezyfosheezy.

You live in a great area to raise sulcatas outside. I hope you can work it out and keep your tortoise.

 

[StudentoftheReptile]

Are you sure this is a sulcata and not a desert tortoise? If the latter, then perhaps he is not an escaped pet, but a natural part of the environment.

 

[shellbert]

Welcome to the Forum!

There are quite a few sulcata keepers in Arizona. Your tortoise will do quite well outside. He just needs a few bushes or a nice shade tree in his habitat. And make sure the walls are sufficient that he can't climb them or dig under them to escape. He really needs to be outside, and that's why he's annoying you in the house. One of our sponsors, AZ Tortoise compound, is in Arizona and he has sulcatas. You can send him a PM and see how he takes care of the cooler weather.

Another member in Arizona is Eweezyfosheezy.

You live in a great area to raise sulcatas outside. I hope you can work it out and keep your tortoise.

I spent a good part of my day make shifting a little habit for him in my backyard. I had a fence that was used for an old garden and zip tied the gaps. He kept getting out but I found the escape route. I put a milk crate turned on it's side in there and tossed a bunch of hay, put an old nearly opaque aquarium lid on top of that for a little shade, and put a children's chair for extra shade as well as a few of his old hiding spots and a little dish of water. The walls are pretty sturdy yet he probably could dig out of them if he spent the time(I'm sure he will). Even then there really is no exit from my backyard as we safeguarded it for our Chihuahua puppy awhile ago.

Him being outside makes everything so much easier(and cooler in my bedroom). I'll be adding some plants back there if anyone has suggestions, some he can eat and natural shrubbery that would do well in the Az sun.

I'll be digging around and will start questioning those mentioned users sometime in the near future. Taking care of the little bigger doesn't seem so arduous anymore.

---

Are you sure this is a sulcata and not a desert tortoise? If the latter, then perhaps he is not an escaped pet, but a natural part of the environment.

I'm pretty sure he is a sulcata. The area is a pretty established area with nothing but concrete for miles and miles. I'll attach a picture or two for peace of mind.

---

And another.

 

[sibi]

That's a sully for sure. He is probably around 4-6 months old. BTW, welcome.

 

[Yvonne G]

Aw...he's just a baby. He's very cute with such a sweet face.

You need to do a better job with his pen outside. They are very good escape artists...you wouldn't have him if they weren't.

Can you get some cinder blocks? Or even nail together some boards. If I were closer, I would be glad to help you build him a safe and escape proof habitat outside.

 

[kjr153]

Aww so cute. Nice looking shell. AZ must be the perfect place for a Tort to live

 

[shellbert]

Aw...he's just a baby. He's very cute with such a sweet face.

You need to do a better job with his pen outside. They are very good escape artists...you wouldn't have him if they weren't.

Can you get some cinder blocks? Or even nail together some boards. If I were closer, I would be glad to help you build him a safe and escape proof habitat outside.

I definitely intend to do a better job. What is set up is only temporarily as he is a houdini. I have no idea how he got out again and he didn't even dig.
The cinder blocks is a great idea.

That is so true, I wouldn't have him if he wasn't.

I felt so bad leaving him outside. I went and checked on him in the middle of the night and he was still burrowed away in his pile of hay. Kind of feels like I kicked a dog out of the house to be an outside dog.

 

[mainey34]

Again, he has been raised outside, that is why he was digging to get out of the enclosure you had him in. I'd bet someone nearby has sulcatas. Nevertheless, im guessing he is anywhere from 6-8 months. They do very well here in arizona. I. Would just make sure that you have block walls. If you dont, im afraid he will escape. He has done it before. They love to dig. Make sure you keep water available for him, and shade. i would soak him every 3 days to a week. Do you have a grassy yard for him? Make sure he gets lots of good greens also.

 

[wiccan_chicken]

Welcome to the Forum!

There are quite a few sulcata keepers in Arizona. Your tortoise will do quite well outside. He just needs a few bushes or a nice shade tree in his habitat. And make sure the walls are sufficient that he can't climb them or dig under them to escape. He really needs to be outside, and that's why he's annoying you in the house. One of our sponsors, AZ Tortoise compound, is in Arizona and he has sulcatas. You can send him a PM and see how he takes care of the cooler weather.

Another member in Arizona is Eweezyfosheezy.

You live in a great area to raise sulcatas outside. I hope you can work it out and keep your tortoise.

I spent a good part of my day make shifting a little habit for him in my backyard. I had a fence that was used for an old garden and zip tied the gaps. He kept getting out but I found the escape route. I put a milk crate turned on it's side in there and tossed a bunch of hay, put an old nearly opaque aquarium lid on top of that for a little shade, and put a children's chair for extra shade as well as a few of his old hiding spots and a little dish of water. The walls are pretty sturdy yet he probably could dig out of them if he spent the time(I'm sure he will). Even then there really is no exit from my backyard as we safeguarded it for our Chihuahua puppy awhile ago.

Him being outside makes everything so much easier(and cooler in my bedroom). I'll be adding some plants back there if anyone has suggestions, some he can eat and natural shrubbery that would do well in the Az sun.

I'll be digging around and will start questioning those mentioned users sometime in the near future. Taking care of the little bigger doesn't seem so arduous anymore.

---

Are you sure this is a sulcata and not a desert tortoise? If the latter, then perhaps he is not an escaped pet, but a natural part of the environment.

I'm pretty sure he is a sulcata. The area is a pretty established area with nothing but concrete for miles and miles. I'll attach a picture or two for peace of mind.

---

And another.

---

---

Aw he's just a baby So cute

 

[AZtortMom]

He's adorable! Welcome! We have an escape artist too and we ended up burying steel chicken wire 3 feet down along the perimeter of our fence and patio to stop our escape artist from wandering off. We also have bricks piled up along the gate too. It was a lot of work, but it was worth it since the last hair raising escape


Life is good

 

[rideburton87]

I would stop sprinkling the rapashy on his food; sulcatas arn't supposed to eat fruits. And as far as asking the neighbors if they lost a tort.. I would, my Eastern Box Turtle ran away two years ago and if someone were to ask me today if I lost him I'd take him back in a heart beat I miss that little guy a lot..

I just built an outdoor pen for my sulcata out of bricks and its definitely escape proof and predator proof. Not to mention looks better than some tacked up boards or cinder blocks but it took me like 3 days to level out the ground and lay down the bricks (like an idiot I built it on a hill lol).