# Park Ranger looking to adopt a sulcata in Louisiana



## tickfawint2

My name is Julia H Morris, and I am an Interpretive Park Ranger at Tickfaw State Park in Springfield Louisiana. I (along with three other interpretive rangers/naturalists) work at a nature center which is located inside Tickfaw State Park. and we would love to offer a great home to a sulcata that needs a new home. There is someone at the park seven days a week, and he/she would get lots of attention. He/she would be used in an educational animal show for the public about once a week for 30 mins but even during the program, only one of the four naturalists actually touch and/or handle the animals. We have been looking for a sulcata to adopt for some time but as we are a non-profit organization it has been difficult because everyone seems to be asking for very high adoption fees and or shipping fees. All four of us have lots of experience in turtles, tortoises, and exotic animals in general. Please consider us as a new home for your sulcata and if you ever come to louisiana for a trip you could always stop by our park for a visit. Thank you very much for your consideration. 

~Julia Morris~
Interpretive Ranger II
Tickfaw State Park


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## Yvonne G

Hi Julia:

It sounds like you would provide a great home for a sulcata. Does your habitat have lots a natural space and plenty of room? What are the winters like in LA? I'm sure you've done you homework and understand the needs of a large sulcata tortoise, and I hope someone who is looking to place their tortoise will contact you! Good Luck.

Yvonne


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## tortoisenerd

Hi there! Good luck finding one.


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## K9KidsLove

Julia...email [email protected]...they may be able to rehome one to you. Bill Watts is a member of the organization. He sent me a fairly nice Redfoot, as well as some turtles, via the veterinarian I used to work for. 
Good luck
Patsy


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## Yvonne G

K9KidsLove said:


> Julia...email [email protected]...they may be able to rehome one to you. Bill Watts is a member of the organization. He sent me a fairly nice Redfoot, as well as some turtles, via the veterinarian I used to work for.
> Good luck
> Patsy



She hasn't visited us back since the end of October. It might be a good idea to send her an email.


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## -EJ

First... where are all those unwanted Sulcatas???????

Second... she probably thinks we're all a bunch of nut cases.



emysemys said:


> K9KidsLove said:
> 
> 
> 
> Julia...email [email protected]...they may be able to rehome one to you. Bill Watts is a member of the organization. He sent me a fairly nice Redfoot, as well as some turtles, via the veterinarian I used to work for.
> Good luck
> Patsy
> 
> 
> 
> 
> She hasn't visited us back since the end of October. It might be a good idea to send her an email.
Click to expand...


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## TylerStewart

-EJ said:


> where are all those unwanted Sulcatas???????



Ha ha ha, we all know there's no unwanted sulcatas 

Too much money to be made on "adoption fees."


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## Yvonne G

I don't charge a fee, however, I only took in three sulcatas this year. Last year I had more than I had pens for and this year I got one at a time and was able to find homes for them right away. This year started out going great guns, but petered out after that first push. Very slow year.


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## TylerStewart

emysemys said:


> I don't charge a fee, however, I only took in three sulcatas this year. Last year I had more than I had pens for and this year I got one at a time and was able to find homes for them right away. This year started out going great guns, but petered out after that first push. Very slow year.



I wasn't referring to you, just thought it was funny after all the debates before that someone was looking for one and there's apparently none to be got in her area, or on here thus far.


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## Yvonne G

Julie of the Turtle Rescue of Long Island, recently took in this poor sulcata that lived on a diet of dry dog food:

http://turtlerescues.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=7049


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## Meg90

She's also looking for a "large" sulcata which could support the debate that most don't make it into adult hood and that they are all pyramided stunted things.

There is no shortage of babies, as we all know.


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## -EJ

Wrong assumption. Most of the animals that I've received were relatively nice. 



Meg90 said:


> She's also looking for a "large" sulcata which could support the debate that most don't make it into adult hood and that they are all pyramided stunted things.
> 
> There is no shortage of babies, as we all know.


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## Meg90

Yes, that YOU have received. She is obviously having a hard time adopting an adult. I'm guessing your animals are breeders? Display animals? 

Would you take a squashed pyramided sully if someone tried to sell you one?

Some keepers here are so argumentative. Its insulting to the entire species to say that they are all well cared for and appreciated. They are not. LOTS and lots of people buy them as throw away pets. Everyone who finds out I have torts ask me if they are "those really huge ones" because "they want one of those."

They don't think about the large appetites and large feces and the large enclosure that is needed. They just want a big tortoise for show.

This person is obviously having difficulties finding an adult sully, and that's not uncommon. IMO it is because most of them don't live long enough to make that size from lack of proper care.


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## Nay

Meg, It's funny, I had some people over to my house the other day because I had a TV on Craigs List. They happened to see my tort tables and said "oh what's in there? and walked over. You can't help but see my large RF Jack and Petey. They had NEVER seen anything like them and immediately wanted one, in fact offered to buy him!!!!!Right there on the spot, never seeing one before. My Leopard Pinkly is in my bottom table and because my other pets find their food so much better, I have hung a piece of lattice across the front, side) Good Luck they didn't see her, they probably would've offered double!!
So yes I agree, some folks just want a disposable show piece. I have no doubt these people would've gladly handed me money for something they had absolutely!!!!!!NO CLUE as to what to do with. (HEY wait a minute, isn't that what a pet shop(SOME) do????? And a month or two down the road, then what??? Hopefully find a site such as this to post>>>>
Can't comment on the original topic,it seems I just try and not look at any classified for torts..because everythime I do there are too many.
Na


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## -EJ

You are very wrong. I have not met one person who purchased their pet Sulcata casually.

Life situations change. All of the people I know of who needed to get rid of their tortoise fell under that catagory.

Your arrogance is seriously breathtaking. I've gotten some really deformed tortoises... all of those keepers had the best intentions.

I'm amazed at your negativity... but I do have to than you for an idea. I have an adult male I'm looking for the right home. I do not need to get rid of it but I do see problems down the road... anyway thanks.




Meg90 said:


> Yes, that YOU have received. She is obviously having a hard time adopting an adult. I'm guessing your animals are breeders? Display animals?
> 
> Would you take a squashed pyramided sully if someone tried to sell you one?
> 
> Some keepers here are so argumentative. Its insulting to the entire species to say that they are all well cared for and appreciated. They are not. LOTS and lots of people buy them as throw away pets. Everyone who finds out I have torts ask me if they are "those really huge ones" because "they want one of those."
> 
> They don't think about the large appetites and large feces and the large enclosure that is needed. They just want a big tortoise for show.
> 
> This person is obviously having difficulties finding an adult sully, and that's not uncommon. IMO it is because most of them don't live long enough to make that size from lack of proper care.


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## Yvonne G

-EJ said:


> You are very wrong. I have not met one person who purchased their pet Sulcata casually.



Ed: You are seeing a very small portion of the sulcata problem. Most of the people who had to give up their sulcatas to me had been casual purchasers or impulse buyers. You can speak from your experience, but you really can't argue the point effectively because you just plain old don't have a good over-all handle of the problem. Subscribe to Julie's YAHOO group and just lurk for a bit. Look through her "rescue" photo album. [email protected] I think you'll have a better picture of what's going on around you in the sulcata world.


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## -EJ

you know better. 



emysemys said:


> -EJ said:
> 
> 
> 
> You are very wrong. I have not met one person who purchased their pet Sulcata casually.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Ed: You are seeing a very small portion of the sulcata problem. Most of the people who had to give up their sulcatas to me had been casual purchasers or impulse buyers. You can speak from your experience, but you really can't argue the point effectively because you just plain old don't have a good over-all handle of the problem. Subscribe to Julie's YAHOO group and just lurk for a bit. Look through her "rescue" photo album. [email protected] I think you'll have a better picture of what's going on around you in the sulcata world.
Click to expand...


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## Meg90

Someone just wants to argue.

If you have a bad day, take the stick poking somewhere else.

It sickens me what people do to tortoises and turtles, and the animals can make no noise to even complain. Its sick that "the best intentions" are an excuse for deforming an animal for life, and ruining its chances of behaving as it naturally would. 

Again, it goes back to the excess amount of breeders with shite info that sell their babies dirt cheap just so people will buy them.

I think your posts are missing something....that good old IMO. Your opinion is no more correct than is mine. And to say "you are incorrect" and "you know better" is crass, and arrogant _IMO_


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## TylerStewart

Not to be intentionally argumentive myself, but you've got to show more than one side to this story in the attempts to, again, attack sulcatas. To refer someone to a photo gallery that's purpose is to show mistreated/rescued animals is not relevant. It's like asking PETA to prove that an animal has ever been miskept. Of course there's animals out there that have been miskept. There's children that have been miskept. There's everything that's been miskept. 

This has been pointed out before, but somehow gets forgotten - but there are THOUSANDS of sulcatas produced in the US every year. Sure, many of them die in their first year, but I guarantee that more of them survive their first year in captivity than survive their first year in the wild. Does this mean anything positive to anyone? Or is man still the bad guy for being in charge of the fate? If an elephant tramples a baby sulcata, should we get rid of elephants? The natural cycle of live destines some animals to die, even when kept under perfect conditions. 

Nobody denies that _some_ sulcatas get mistreated, impulse purchased, neglected. It just sickens me that you guys keep showing the bad while hiding the good. Show both sides of the story. Many many people every year buy baby sulcatas and keep them happy successfully for years and years.


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## Candy

TylerStewart said:


> emysemys said:
> 
> 
> 
> I don't charge a fee, however, I only took in three sulcatas this year. Last year I had more than I had pens for and this year I got one at a time and was able to find homes for them right away. This year started out going great guns, but petered out after that first push. Very slow year.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I wasn't referring to you, just thought it was funny after all the debates before that someone was looking for one and there's apparently none to be got in her area, or on here thus far.
Click to expand...


I can't believe that you haven't seen all of the Sulcata's that people have been trying to get rid of or that have died on this site since I started the thread "Why do people breed Sulcata's?" There have been so many I couldn't believe it.



TylerStewart said:


> Not to be intentionally argumentive myself, but you've got to show more than one side to this story in the attempts to, again, attack sulcatas. To refer someone to a photo gallery that's purpose is to show mistreated/rescued animals is not relevant. It's like asking PETA to prove that an animal has ever been miskept. Of course there's animals out there that have been miskept. There's children that have been miskept. There's everything that's been miskept.
> 
> This has been pointed out before, but somehow gets forgotten - but there are THOUSANDS of sulcatas produced in the US every year. Sure, many of them die in their first year, but I guarantee that more of them survive their first year in captivity than survive their first year in the wild. Does this mean anything positive to anyone? Or is man still the bad guy for being in charge of the fate? If an elephant tramples a baby sulcata, should we get rid of elephants? The natural cycle of live destines some animals to die, even when kept under perfect conditions.
> 
> Nobody denies that _some_ sulcatas get mistreated, impulse purchased, neglected. It just sickens me that you guys keep showing the bad while hiding the good. Show both sides of the story. Many many people every year buy baby sulcatas and keep them happy successfully for years and years.



Of course there's animals out there that have been miskept. There's children that have been miskept. There's everything that's been miskept. 

That argument doesn't make it right by any means. You are a breeder not a rescue are you? I understand there are two sides to a story, but to me what happens in nature is natural, but bring man into it and the whole story changes. Money, money and more money.


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## TylerStewart

Candy said:


> I can't believe that you haven't seen all of the Sulcata's that people have been trying to get rid of or that have died on this site since I started the thread "Why do people buy Sulcata's". There have been so many I couldn't believe it.
> 
> That argument doesn't make it right by any means. You are a breeder not a rescue are you? I understand there are two sides to a story, but to me what happens in nature is natural, but bring man into it and the whole story changes. Money, money and more money.



And for every one that dies on a forum, there's 1,000 out there that are doing well, making many people happy. People come to forums when they're having problems or needing help with questions. They don't come to forums to tell everyone that they have a sulcata that is making their lives better. 

I'm not a rescue, but I have no problem taking in any tortoises in my area that need me. I've looked before and I'll look again, but there's never anything in Southern NV that needs a home. 

The "money money" argument is a lame argument. It's an argument that is used against people when no better argument can be made. I'd love for you to name me some people that are making big bucks by breeding sulcatas.


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## Candy

TylerStewart said:


> Candy said:
> 
> 
> 
> I can't believe that you haven't seen all of the Sulcata's that people have been trying to get rid of or that have died on this site since I started the thread "Why do people buy Sulcata's". There have been so many I couldn't believe it.
> 
> That argument doesn't make it right by any means. You are a breeder not a rescue are you? I understand there are two sides to a story, but to me what happens in nature is natural, but bring man into it and the whole story changes. Money, money and more money.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> And for every one that dies on a forum, there's 1,000 out there that are doing well, making many people happy. People come to forums when they're having problems or needing help with questions. They don't come to forums to tell everyone that they have a sulcata that is making their lives better.
> 
> I'm not a rescue, but I have no problem taking in any tortoises in my area that need me. I've looked before and I'll look again, but there's never anything in Southern NV that needs a home.
> 
> The "money money" argument is a lame argument. It's an argument that is used against people when no better argument can be made. I'd love for you to name me some people that are making big bucks by breeding sulcatas.
Click to expand...


I disagree on the making money "lame argument". I did not say anything about how much money is to be made. The thing about it is that anyone can do it that's why they are being sold at 50 to 70 dollars a shot and that's why there are so many of them at the expo's and at petstores. They're an easy sell. It's how they are being breed and who are breeding them that bothers me. There was one recently on here selling them that's why I started the thread that I started. I am still having a hard time believing that here in California after all of the ones that I've seen as little babies being sold that it's a good thing to be doing.


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## Meg90

Sulcata are the only tortoise I have ever seen being offered at an even lower price when you take lots of "ten or more".


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## -EJ

As you say... you're entitled to your opinion.

...and Yvonne does know better. I've given a few presentations to the Inland Empire CTTC chapter and have met Yvonne on all those occasions.

I'll leave it at that. You might want to look into that burr under the saddle.



Meg90 said:


> Someone just wants to argue.
> 
> If you have a bad day, take the stick poking somewhere else.
> 
> It sickens me what people do to tortoises and turtles, and the animals can make no noise to even complain. Its sick that "the best intentions" are an excuse for deforming an animal for life, and ruining its chances of behaving as it naturally would.
> 
> Again, it goes back to the excess amount of breeders with shite info that sell their babies dirt cheap just so people will buy them.
> 
> I think your posts are missing something....that good old IMO. Your opinion is no more correct than is mine. And to say "you are incorrect" and "you know better" is crass, and arrogant _IMO_


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## Yvonne G

TylerStewart said:


> Nobody denies that _some_ sulcatas get mistreated, impulse purchased, neglected. It just sickens me that you guys keep showing the bad while hiding the good. Show both sides of the story. Many many people every year buy baby sulcatas and keep them happy successfully for years and years.



That's because I can only speak from my own experience. The only sulcatas that I get in are the mistreated ones. I don't visit other tortoise keepers, and they don't bring their pretty, well-kept tortoises to visit me. So I speak from what I personally know about.



-EJ said:


> As you say... you're entitled to your opinion.
> 
> ...and Yvonne does know better. I've given a few presentations to the Inland Empire CTTC chapter and have met Yvonne on all those occasions.
> 
> I'll leave it at that. You might want to look into that burr under the saddle.



Now I understand some of your comments on other threads. Ed, you are seriously mixing me up with someone else. I've never been to an Inland Empire meeting. The only meetings I've ever attended in SoCal were a few board meetings in Arcadia.

You did come and speak at *one* of our meetings here in Fresno, but that was Cen-Val. And you came to my house on that occasion. So I thought that you were remembering me. But I think you have me mixed up with someone else.


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## reptylefreek

Why does it seem that alot of the sulcatas that people are referring to in rescues are in california? I'm just asking, not trying to say CA is bad but there aren't a lot here in Washingon that I see. And when people hear I have torts they mostly want to give me RES. I've been offered DOZENS!


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## -EJ

Sorry... wrong name for the CTTC chapter.

It was actually 2 or more meetings. The first one a projector could not be found... and yall had to be tortured by my speaking for an hour. It could have not been that bad because I was invited back (I do understand the despiration for speakers at such meetings.)

I do remember your house and the setup you recently posted photos of.

To put this in place... you took me to a womans house who had a fantastic collection (I'll not say more)... is that a nonrecollection

Oh... I also remember the fantastic hospitality.



emysemys said:


> Now I understand some of your comments on other threads. Ed, you are seriously mixing me up with someone else. I've never been to an Inland Empire meeting. The only meetings I've ever attended in SoCal were a few board meetings in Arcadia.
> 
> You did come and speak at *one* of our meetings here in Fresno, but that was Cen-Val. And you came to my house on that occasion. So I thought that you were remembering me. But I think you have me mixed up with someone else.




It is nation wide. Those in cooler climates do realize that they can become a problem.



reptylefreek said:


> Why does it seem that alot of the sulcatas that people are referring to in rescues are in california? I'm just asking, not trying to say CA is bad but there aren't a lot here in Washingon that I see. And when people hear I have torts they mostly want to give me RES. I've been offered DOZENS!


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## Yvonne G

-EJ said:


> To put this in place... you took me to a womans house who had a fantastic collection (I'll not say more)... is that a nonrecollection
> Oh... I also remember the fantastic hospitality.



It is a non-recollection on my part. I remember picking you up at the airport and bringing you to my house, then to the meeting, but I don't remember taking you someplace else. Did I take you to Ella's house? Enough said about that! But that's old age creeping up on me. And I hope the last comment wasn't sarcasm, because I really do try to be hospitable.


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## -EJ

I'm guessing Ella was the older woman who had that nice collection... inside and out.

It totally was not. I was treated like royalty and so remember it. What saddens me is the second trip... and the political split. I drove that time. 



emysemys said:


> -EJ said:
> 
> 
> 
> To put this in place... you took me to a womans house who had a fantastic collection (I'll not say more)... is that a nonrecollection
> Oh... I also remember the fantastic hospitality.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> It is a non-recollection on my part. I remember picking you up at the airport and bringing you to my house, then to the meeting, but I don't remember taking you someplace else. Did I take you to Ella's house? Enough said about that! But that's old age creeping up on me. And I hope the last comment wasn't sarcasm, because I really do try to be hospitable.
Click to expand...


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## Shelly

By now the original poster has probably decided a tortoise is a really, really bad idea.


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## -EJ

I mentioned that a while... but not in the same words.



Shelly said:


> By now the original poster has probably decided a tortoise is a really, really bad idea.


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