While opinions on this site will vary, the sulfate tortoise has evolved to thrive and live in and around the Sahara desert in the south which is dry and arid. As adults they will be fine in New Mexico as long as you aren’t in a high elevation where it is cold outside! But yes, I wouldn’t worry at all if they are sub adults or adults.
Thank you Randy, they are less than a year. So I should keep them inside and a closed high humidity vivarium until they are older? Right?
Yes, that is correct.
For sure. I would keep them inside for another year at least and certainly until they can’t be attacked by a coyote or raccoon
How many do you have? What size are they?
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Thank you Tom, that's a tremendous amount of great info. They are about 6 inches now. I need to build a large chamber for them over the next week. I have two. They sure grow fast.How many do you have? What size are they?
Keep them in a 4x8 foot indoor closed chamber until they get to about 10 inches. Have a large outdoor enclosure too, and give them some outside time as they grow. I recommend about an hour of access to sunshine in an outdoor enclosure per inch of tortoise. Make sure there is always shade available. Once they are about 6 inches or so, they can stay outside most of every day in suitable weather. Soak them for 30-40 minutes in warm water on the way back in after sunning out in the dry conditions.
You will need to build an insulated temperature controlled night box for them. They can start getting used to this before they are moved outside full time. Just put them inside the box when you take them outside, and let them walk out of it when they want. You can also put them inside when the weather is hot, so they learn it is cooler in there, or put them in it when the weather is a little cool, so they learn that it is warmer in there. Your winters get cold, so I don't know what you will do with a giant tropical reptile when it is freezing outside. They can't stay in the boxes for weeks or months on end, so will will have to figure out some sort of large heated winter area. Here are two examples of the night boxes:
Single Tortoise Night Box
I like my larger tortoises to live outside full time. My climate permits this year round with a little help. For people who live where it snows all winter, this type of box is still good for warmer weather, getting them out earlier in Spring, and keeping them out a bit later into fall. You'll...
Double Door Night Box
As the years have gone by and I build more of these boxes, I learn more and more each time. This one is the latest and I incorporated everything I've learned over the years. I also tried to take lots of pics so I can explain in more detail some of what is going on. It will take multiple posts to...
In your scorching hot summers, and once they are large enough to live outside full time, it is best to let them burrow. Start a burrow where you want it with a shovel. Make a sloped entrance, and hopefully the tortoise will take it over. Put them in the hole to encourage them. They can sleep underground in the hot summer weather, and avoid the terrible surface heat during the day. In fall, when the weather starts cooling again, catch the tortoise above ground and cover the burrow entrance with a sheet of ply wood or something like that. I put blocks around the edges. Make the tortoise start using its heating night box and that night and every night until the summer heat returns.
Good luck! Questions are welcome.
In case anyone has not told you, they should never live in pairs. Groups can work, but not pairs. The double door night box I linked will allow you to have two separate enclosures, but only have to heat and maintain one night box.
No. Noone told me that. Why is that?
It's a common mistake. The sexes don't matter.
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