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Wfie still says no way. If we had laminate flooring, maybe. Thanks

David

wow, those guys are sweet, do all sulcatas look like that? Or what kind are those? How big can they get? Is that as big as they will get?

Great pics!! I let my wonder around also but I have to keep an eye on her because she's still small. She can't fit in and under everything!! Not to mention I have to watch the dog and two cats I have.
I wish I could take your male. I want another one. My husband says not right now (he's not an animal person)

UMDRunner Wrote:wow, those guys are sweet, do all sulcatas look like that? Or what kind are those? How big can they get? Is that as big as they will get?

As ColdLiz stated in another post: "Yes they do get big. Males grow up to 30" and reach weights of over 120 pounds. Females reach 20 to 24" and weigh from 65 to 75 pounds."
Some you see in Zoos are Galapagos tortoises (largest) or Aldabras (2nd largest) these get really big, but Sulcatas are considered the 3rd largest, I believe.

As far as I know there is only one kind of Sulcata. The third one Dee has pic of is has some pyramiding. That is when their shells don't develop properly either by their being kept in the wrong environment or eating the wrong foods or a combo of things. Once a tort is pyramided they stay that way for life. A smooth shell is what is desired. But a tort pyramided shell or not is still a love. The little Sulcata (squirt) I am fostering has some pyramiding before she came to me and hopefully now that she is living under better conditions and eating a better diet she will not continue to have any more pyramiding and will live a long happy life. At least about 100 years.

Great pictures Dee The largest male and female I ever heard of were a 235lb male and a 190lb female pair.

Danny

Thanks for the comments. Sadly, these guys were not fed properly before I got them (which was young) and when I first had them. I listened, like many here, to bad advice. They have been on a much better diet now and hopefully the pyramiding will cease. The male that I thought I would be getting rid of, now appears as though he will be staying. I had stated in another post (Robyn's) that I just can't part with him. And my hubby said " we will just have to build another enclosure and get him a girlfriend". So, I am hoping now to possibly get the female that Robyn is fostering once it warms up. They are sooo......sweet. I can't wait till the weather warms and I can take them out of their enclosure again. The floor is too cold now. But anyway, I love the way they follow you around. Now they make me guilty by standing on their back legs trying to climb up the sides saying "Take me out, take me out!" I love em!

Dee, I know what you mean. It will be hard to part with Squirt when the spring gets here. But my plan is to send her out to you. When it gets closer to spring we will make solid plans for her trip. She is doing great She hates her shots, Piddles on me when I flip her on her back to give it to her. But she has stopped pooing on me when I pick her up and she seems to enjoy her soaks more now, at least she isn’t afraid of them anymore. She is moving about more and wheezing less. I sit in the computer room where she is and work on the computer and talk to her-she is sooo shy. She used to keep herself tucked in tight when she saw me or heard my voice. But lately she seems to be looking at me and roaming more when I am around. I saw her eat some orchard hay today and her appetite for mixed greens has picked back up. She does have some pyramiding as think you could see in the pics. But she is so sweet how could anyone not just love her.

Robyn, I am really excited. I was down working in their room this morning and my hubby came in and I was talking about possibly getting her. The planning then commenced and we started talking about where we were building the outdoor enclosure and how big we could make it without taking trees down yet. I have 6 acres but most of it is wooded. So far where we are planning to make it, it will be 20' x 14'. Do you think if I divide that in half that it will be big enough for them for a couple of years? Juno, the one I would be putting in with her is approx. 3 1/2 years, 6.6 lbs. I figured we would put a center divider with a removeable panel in the middle for when they require the entire thing. I thought that was a pretty good size for as big as they are now. I am glad Squirt is feeling better. I hate giving shots too! I am almost done giving Juno his shots. I never flipped him over to do that though. I usually wedge a plastic spoon (looks like a wooden spoon) between his leg and shell so he can't pull it in while I do it. Their skin is so tough it makes me feel awful!

jlyoncc1 Wrote:Robyn, I am really excited. I was down working in their room this morning and my hubby came in and I was talking about possibly getting her. The planning then commenced and we started talking about where we were building the outdoor enclosure and how big we could make it without taking trees down yet. I have 6 acres but most of it is wooded. So far where we are planning to make it, it will be 20' x 14'. Do you think if I divide that in half that it will be big enough for them for a couple of years? Juno, the one I would be putting in with her is approx. 3 1/2 years, 6.6 lbs. I figured we would put a center divider with a removeable panel in the middle for when they require the entire thing. I thought that was a pretty good size for as big as they are now. I am glad Squirt is feeling better. I hate giving shots too! I am almost done giving Juno his shots. I never flipped him over to do that though. I usually wedge a plastic spoon (looks like a wooden spoon) between his leg and shell so he can't pull it in while I do it. Their skin is so tough it makes me feel awful!

The size sounds huge. I'm sure she will be so happy there with Juno. She is currently in a 52" X20"x14" Plastic Rubbermaid type box. She is only 4.5 inches (SCL) and her weight is 15.2 oz. or 432gr. I'm sure you will probably want to change her name and that is fine with me in fact if you do and let me know what it will be I will start calling her so that she knows it when you get her.. I normally don't name my fosters but well…. you know the story. Thanks for the spoon idea. She liked to take my finger off when I captured her leg last night and she decided to pull it in hard. My finger was caught between her nails and her shell. Boy are they strong for being so little. I don’t’ have half the trouble giving my adult Greeks shots as I do her.

I like the name Squirt. Even though you named her Squirt for a different reason, she will be the "squirt" in my crew of sulcatas. I figured the spoon trick out real fast when I was at the vet and Juno almost broke my finger while I was holding his leg. My finger was wedged real good between his leg and his shell while the vet gave him his first one. It was bruised for a couple of days!

Ok, then Squirt it will remain.