Sulcata coloring

I notice as I look at all the pics through out the threads that adult sulcata have many different colors. I notice a lot of the adults are a sandy color. (Not the ivory ones)And then I noticed some that we're darker. Their skin was darker and the dark outlines on their shell was still there. Is there a method of predicting these adult colors/patterns when selecting a hatchling? I notice (when there are multiple ones in pic together) that some are really light and some are really dark. I also notice that some have real thin dark outlines and others will have real thick ones. Can you predict from this or is it all random, as they grow it changes?

I am by no means an expert, but as I understand, there coloring does fade with age. Most likely from the sun. An example would be desert tortoises has color on their scutes as babies and juveniles but fades as they grow. As far as ivories, I don't know. I would suggest that whatever "color" you want you could request it from the breeder (lighter or darker.)

I want a purple one. Can I request a purple??

Haha, that's why I said lighter or darker.

As they get bigger and start living outside, the new growth still comes in dark, but it all tends to fade to that sandy color as they age.

My big ones are all living in a burrow underground right now so I can't see what color they are under all the dirt on their shells when they come up! Letting sulcatas be burrow dwellers in summer ROCKS!!!

<<<<My Tank is 17 and light with dark lines….

Tank'sMom said:

<<<<My Tank is 17 and light with dark lines….

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I love that pattern/color, how ever u say it. I was looking at some photos of Richard Fife sulcata last night and they r beautiful. He has quiet a few marked up just like I want. Don't get me wrong I will be so happy with whatever mine end up looking like but I think the wide dark lines are eye catching. I ended up sticking with my theory that 2 is better then one so I redone the plans for my outdoor enclosure (for when their larger) and plan one getting 2. I read when their little 2 is usually better, because of the competition factor. I had ruled 2 out because the last thing I want to b is a sad owner having to relocate one years down the road but the new home I just bought has more property then I originally thought I would purchase so now I have plenty of room for them. So since their is 2 I figured I would get 1 that's really really dark and 1 real light. 1 with perfect scutes and 1 without. Now I just need names.

How about this? A friend of mine bought this baby sully one and a half years ago (left picture), and now it becomes very light in color (right picture), it's the exact same sully, you can trace the line if you don't believe, and I witness it with my own eyes. When I asked him how, he said "maybe" it was because of tortoise stick he always gave, but I really can't believe that because another friend of mine also keeps a sully and he gives his sully the same tortoise stick but now it becomes so dark and the line is so bold, the only difference is that my first friend keeps his sully mostly outdoors and my second friend keeps his mostly indoors. So, I think what experts here are saying that sully coloration depends on the amount of the sun it received is true, but my only question is, can it really have that huge of effect on the coloration (as the shown pictures above)? Or is there anything else like maybe genetics also plays a role?

interesting development of the colour , what tortoise sticks your friend been feeding ?

leopard777 said:

interesting development of the colour , what tortoise sticks your friend been feeding ?

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It's JKK tortoise stick and I think it's only available in Indonesia. But seriously, I prefer to believe that it is genetics or the amount of sun that do this.

Here is the link to the product just in case if you are curious:
http://jinkuraku.blogspot.com/2014/05/jkk-tortoise-stick_12.html

hard to tell , you mention got two friends keeping one each , are they both from the same batch ?

if i am not wrong , uvb does do some indoor tanning as well , also do update this with pics , interested to know how he turn out.

leopard777 said:

hard to tell , you mention got two friends keeping one each , are they both from the same batch ?

if i am not wrong , uvb does do some indoor tanning as well , also do update this with pics , interested to know how he turn out.

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Love the profile pic!!!

I think u should just love them for their adorb lil personalities. Not their colors.
Mine has VERY thin lines, when we first got him now his lines are huge and DARK. I think it just goes with age. I dont think you can really predict it.

My understanding it has to do with the climate. Colder climates the darker their carapce. The warmer the lighter their carapce. But I really don't know if that is very reliable.

I don't know if there's a rhyme or reason to their coloration. I've noticed a wide variety of colors here on the forums as well. My Sulcata Archimedes had dark tints when he was a hatchling and continues to be dark-ish as he gets older (he's 2 years old now).