That looks female to me. I can't really judge how big she is, but my 7 year old male is over 80 lbs.
Need to know what size your sulcata is. Looks like about 8"-9"? IF that's correct, it is quite small for its age. It also looks like an immature sulcata - too small to sex.
We need some sort of size reference, or weight, or a length. If all is good, they normally gain about 10 pounds a year and are in the neighborhood of 70 pounds at 7 years.
We need to see the tail to sex it.
Put a ruler or tape measure against a wall. Set the tortoise on top of it with its front shell against the wall. Look straight down over the butt onto the tape measure to get a reading.
Tortoise weighs 10lbs and is 12inches
Tortoise weighs 10lbs and is 12inches
That is very undersized for its age. Does it live outside? Does it have an insulated temperature controlled night box?
Sammy!!!!
So what you're saying is the tortoise weighs 10lbs and is 12"?
CorrectSo what you're saying is the tortoise weighs 10lbs and is 12"?
Is it 80+ degrees inside at night? If not, it's too cold. Where they come from daytime highs are around 100 every day all year long. There is no winter. They live 95% of their lives underground to avoid this scorching heat. Ground temps in that region are 80-85 all the time. Each morning they come to the mouth of their burrow to warm up in the sunshine, and then retreat underground to avoid the heat of the day. They should not drop below 80 degrees.
When they do drop below 80 degrees at night or on colder days, it kills of some of the flora and fauna in the GI tract. The usual result of this is a tortoise that is greatly undersized for its age.
Here is the easy solution for any warm climate like ours:
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...
tortoiseforum.org
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...
tortoiseforum.org
Your tortoise needs an insulated, temperature controlled night box to sleep in outside. Every night you close the door and latch it shut to keep the tootsie and the heat in, and the nocturnal predators and pests out. Every morning you open the door and give him the option to come out when he wants. It works beautifully.
Unlike your climate, we have cold nights here year round. Even in summer when day time highs top 110, it cools to 65 at night. Winter nights are usually in the 30s. Summer day time highs are usually around 100, and winter day time highs are typically 65-75 and almost always sunny. We have occasional cold or warm spells in winter too ranging from 50 to 90 some days. The tortoises can come out and walk around and eat on colder days, but then go back in the warmed box before their core temp drops too low. They do this instinctively and it keeps them mentally and physically healthy.
Considering my tortoise size and weight do you think it's safe for him to roam my backyard freely? Or should I keep it in its enclosure? I live in FL and sometimes there's hawks.Is it 80+ degrees inside at night? If not, it's too cold. Where they come from daytime highs are around 100 every day all year long. There is no winter. They live 95% of their lives underground to avoid this scorching heat. Ground temps in that region are 80-85 all the time. Each morning they come to the mouth of their burrow to warm up in the sunshine, and then retreat underground to avoid the heat of the day. They should not drop below 80 degrees.
When they do drop below 80 degrees at night or on colder days, it kills of some of the flora and fauna in the GI tract. The usual result of this is a tortoise that is greatly undersized for its age.
Here is the easy solution for any warm climate like ours:
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...
Your tortoise needs an insulated, temperature controlled night box to sleep in outside. Every night you close the door and latch it shut to keep the tootsie and the heat in, and the nocturnal predators and pests out. Every morning you open the door and give him the option to come out when he wants. It works beautifully.
Unlike your climate, we have cold nights here year round. Even in summer when day time highs top 110, it cools to 65 at night. Winter nights are usually in the 30s. Summer day time highs are usually around 100, and winter day time highs are typically 65-75 and almost always sunny. We have occasional cold or warm spells in winter too ranging from 50 to 90 some days. The tortoises can come out and walk around and eat on colder days, but then go back in the warmed box before their core temp drops too low. They do this instinctively and it keeps them mentally and physically healthy.
If the backyard has been thoughtfully turned into a large tortoise enclosure, then yes. If the back yard is used by people and dogs and guests like a regular backyard, then no. Many people convert the whole yard into a tortoise enclosure, and that is great. Be sure there is no see through fencing, like chain link, and nothing dangerous that the tortoise can eat or hurt itself on.
You definitely need the temperature controlled shelter, but your tortoise can be living outside, in a safe tortoise enclosure, full time at this size for sure.
I set my thermostats in my sulcata boxes to 80 in spring and fall, I turn it off in summer when daytime highs are 100+ every day, and I set it to 86 in winter when we have cooler days sometimes, although its going to be 85 here today... In your climate with the humidity there, I would just leave it set to 80 most of the year. If it's warmer than that and additional heat isn't needed, it will just stay off. I'd bump it up to 86 when you get your occasional winter cold spells that don't last long there.
My tortoise has been living full time in an outdoor enclosure for almost 2yrs. 4ft wide 8ft long. With hideout etc. I put hardware cloth over it to avoid hawks trying to kill him. I'm paranoid to let it roam freely with no cover over it. My fence is pvc cant see through. My yard is huge no dogs cats or people.
