# Looking For a Tortoise



## Khadji (Apr 6, 2010)

Hi my name is Geoff, Im 17 and recently i suffered the loss of a pet. so after spending a few weeks trying to bring myself to look at a new pet, I brought myself to a pet store a before me on the floor was the owners Large adult male Sulcata, I instantly fell in love with the species and after doing my research have decided a tortoise is what I need something that I can love and care for but will last as long or LONGER then me and maybe even my KIDS! I live In Richland Washington, and would like to find a tortoise whom is close to me, but if there is a sulcata I would travel anywhere up here in the northwest, my current set up is designed for a Larger Tortoise, but I have a Large tank, for either a baby or a smaller species. I can probably scrape together a rehoming fee too if need be, being as my parent are Fans of Salads I already have a good deal of food and can easily support and care for even a LARGE tortoise. If you cant take care of your tortoise or have one to sell Please contact me at 509-420-4095 or [email protected] I can supply pictures of set ups, or anything else you need! =)

-Hope to hear from you soon!
-Geoff

Also...I see that I posted this in the wrong spot....for some reason I read WANTED as Waiting, and I thought It was an area to post about waiting for your tortoise so...ummm...face palm on my part sorry


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## Josh (Apr 6, 2010)

Welcome Geoff. I moved your thread for you


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## Khadji (Apr 6, 2010)

Josh said:


> Welcome Geoff. I moved your thread for you



Thank ya Kindly =)
Thanks for the welcome too! =)


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## Yvonne G (Apr 6, 2010)

Hi Geoff:





to the forum!!


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## TrevO (Apr 6, 2010)

A "welcome to the forum" from a fellow newbie. 

i PM'ed you about a couple sulcatas.


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## Khadji (Apr 6, 2010)

Thank ya


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## spikethebest (Apr 6, 2010)

Welcome to the forum!! Make sure you can handle a sulcata. Please read up on them.


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## Tortuga_terrestre (Apr 6, 2010)

Welcome to the forum, So your interested in a Sulcata huh? You do know that a Sulcata is the 4th largest tortoise in the world; it can reach to be 200lbs+. It is not meant to stay in a tank. I see you also live in washington state; these tortoises do not hibernate and I know how cold its gets there. Maybe you should reconsider the species of tortoise. I suggest you start small such as: Russian,Greeks, Hermans,Marginated tortoises. Dont invest into something you might not be able to handle one day.


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## Khadji (Apr 6, 2010)

spikethebest said:


> Welcome to the forum!! Make sure you can handle a sulcata. Please read up on them.



-nods- I know and I think I can handle it =) Ive done everything I can think of, Ive talked to the owner of the sulcata at the pet shop ALOT...hes been VERY helpful, helped me Make an out door, roofed pen, tought me a couple of things and gave me a list of the handful of a reptile Vets in the area, and have a stack of turtle and tortoise books of which Ive read about half =)...this isnt a think Im half hearted about  thank you though



Tortuga_terrestre said:


> Welcome to the forum, So your interested in a Sulcata huh? You do know that a Sulcata is the 4th largest tortoise in the world; it can reach to be 200lbs+. It is not meant to stay in a tank. I see you also live in washington state; these tortoises do not hibernate and I know how cold its gets there. Maybe you should reconsider the species of tortoise. I suggest you start small such as: Russian,Greeks, Hermans,Marginated tortoises. Dont invest into something you might not be able to handle one day.



Ive thought about that alot and I know they get big, but thats part of why i like them, im 17 and Im 6 ft 3 in and about 240 lbs myself hehe, about the cold I live in the south eastern part..We're lucky if it snows plus I have a BIG area set up in the living room for the outdoor cage I have (Ill just need to replace the flooring in that area with hardwood.) so Im not worried to much about that, I just hope he/she doesnt mind being inside during the winter . I know there are challenges...But ive done my homework and Im not worried about it...to much...=) again thank you...it makes me feel good knowing that people arent just throwing me links for these tortoises, that WOULD worry me


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## Tortuga_terrestre (Apr 6, 2010)

Good Luck....Keep reading and doing your research.


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## Kristina (Apr 6, 2010)

Have you visited www.africantortoise.com yet?

Welcome to the forum!!! 

Kristina


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## tortoisenerd (Apr 6, 2010)

Welcome to the group! I would highly not recommend getting a Sulcata in Washington. I don't think its fair to have the tort have to live indoors for 6+ months of the year (I live here, and that is what I think you would need to be doing). Torts aren't happy being penned up inside. If I were you, I would find someone who you can visit who lives in your area who has a Sulcata so you can talk to them about the challenges and see first hand how tough it is. I would not feed a Sulcata "salad". They need acres of graze like weeds, and in winter, that is going to be very tough, so then you would have to resort to hays and other good foods. Lettuces, and then only the better ones like a hearty spring mix, are a last resort. Its not just the cold but the rain and dampness. Sulcatas need areas in the 80s and 90s daily. How big is this outdoor enclosure, and how much of it is insulated/heated? What is the tort in your user name picture? Honestly I want to know more about what info you've received from the pet store because I haven't yet been to a pet store which I agreed with the advice--many times they are ill-advised or giving outdated advice, as good of intentions as they have. Russians, Hermanns, Greeks, and other smaller species can be relatively happily housed indoors and they have tons of personality! I think of my Russian as my child, not just a pet.


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## Maggie Cummings (Apr 7, 2010)

Hi Geoff and welcome to the forum. I don't think you understand what it is like to own a large Sulcata. I keep Bob in Corvallis Oregon... right now he's around 80 pounds. He lives in a storage shed in my yard. I paid $800 for a contractor to insulate and finish off his shed. All day long if he can't go outside I can hear him ramming the walls and the doors of his shed. My next door neighbor complains about Bob's noise. Her deck where she relaxes is about 50 yards from Bob's shed and still his noises bother her. Bob is set up pretty good and Yes he minds being inside for 7 months out of 12.
In the wild they walk for miles eating and just walking. You think you are ready for a "large" Sulcata but I can tell that you are NOT ready. How do I know that? Because you use the word large and tank. You are planning on keeping a Sulcata in your living room? Do you know that when Bob pees he projects close to 2 gallons of fluid. It comes out in a rush of fluid that shoots out sideways about 2 feet. Where is that going to go in your living room? All day long as he is ramming the walls and the doors he is squirting out a black noxious fluid then plop there's some sort of turdish solid thing with strands of hay holding it together then fluid in squirts about a gallon or so. He is outside today and that means he is walking Sulcata trails making mud and digging up the grass. Because he escaped a couple of months ago that is imprinted on his brain and he wants to do it again so he spends all day trying to escape. He walks along the cinderblock wall trying to find a weak spot. He gets in the corners and stands on his back feet and pushes hard to knock them over, but what happens is HE get knocked over on his back. And he is so big that it is hard for me to flip him back over as he is flailing his legs and fighting me trying to help him. 
You are listening to a pet shop guy who is working you trying to make a sale. He is going to tell you anything you want to hear so he can sell you a Sulcata. He's working you hard. 
You are welcome to come and meet Bob and see what it takes to keep a Sulcata and I am telling you flat out you cannot keep a Sulcata who weighs more then 10 pounds in your house. Bob weighed about 30 pounds when we moved here that was 4 years ago. They smell, they expend lots of nasty fluid and nasty not fluid stuff. Please take it from the voice of experience you can't keep a Sulcata in your living room. And the most important thing is it's not fair to keep a Sulcata in the PNW...it's simply not fair to the tortoise. There just isn't enough sun here...


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## Khadji (Apr 7, 2010)

So...After reading what you all posted I think that I will go with a smaller Speicies...though I would Like to make a few things clear a: I never had any intention of KEEPING a sulcata Tortoise in my living...I was simply stating I have a space for if and durring his time as a baby, B YES the area in my back yard in insulated, it was used for Bunnies I believe in the past, I Understand Sulcatas are ALOT of work and was willing to put in that work...the Only reason for me changing my mind is that I will soon be moving (soon being in a year or two) to a MUCH bigger house, (we have to Renovate it, and my dad wants to do it all himself) with a MUCH larger backyard so my 6ft long by 10 ft wide by 8 tall can become EVEN larger...I am going to make a new post after I do some research into a few breeds...Thank you all for the help and support and even the Critism also I posted what I did above not as a retort but as proof that this wasnt some half hearted scheme or something to that affect

-Thank all again
-Geoff


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## Kristina (Apr 7, 2010)

I think you are making a wise decision. Sulcatas are just too difficult to keep in areas where they have to be inside part of the year. I know, I have done it too. It wasn't easy.

I would suggest looking at Redfoots, or Marginateds, Russians, Hermans, or Greeks? In fact I think one of our members here has a Golden Greek and an Eastern Hermans for sale.

Kristina


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## KQ6AR (Apr 11, 2010)

Welcome,
Where you live, the large tortoise species would have to be kept inside in the winter. You would have to dedicate a whole room of you're house to the tortoise. This is why people are advising against it. 
Good luck in deciding what you want, take you're time its a long term commitment.


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