Free Male Sulcata In Southern CA

Tony5

New Member
Joined
Oct 7, 2017
Messages
7
Location (City and/or State)
GA
Hi, Do you shipping this pet, My ZIP code is 30068.Thank you..
 

Wolfen

Member
5 Year Member
Joined
May 17, 2018
Messages
92
Location (City and/or State)
Los Angeles
My backyard is 550 square feet and in south of Los Angeles with weeds and grass

How much would I have to spend on this fella until he's a grown man.
I'm talking about recurring costs, like vet visits, food, medication.

Not one time costs like lights, heater, bowls or housing
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
TFO Admin
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,388
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
My backyard is 550 square feet and in south of Los Angeles with weeds and grass

How much would I have to spend on this fella until he's a grown man.
I'm talking about recurring costs, like vet visits, food, medication.

Not one time costs like lights, heater, bowls or housing
If he's being kept in an ideal situation, probably nothing.
 

Wolfen

Member
5 Year Member
Joined
May 17, 2018
Messages
92
Location (City and/or State)
Los Angeles
If he's being kept in an ideal situation, probably nothing.
I see how to care for young tortoises and hatchlings everywhere but not many information regarding adult ones.

I'm more worried about feeding it. If I have enough grass and weeds. How much green vegetables and how often etc.
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
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10 Year Member!
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Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,388
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
I see how to care for young tortoises and hatchlings everywhere but not many information regarding adult ones.

I'm more worried about feeding it. If I have enough grass and weeds. How much green vegetables and how often etc.
My 100+lb sulcata, Dudley, lives in a large yard planted in Bermuda grass and weeds. I haven't spent a penny on him in years. Every so often I cut a branch off the mulberry tree and toss it in his yard, but he lives off the grass growing in his yard. If I have anything left in the bucket after feeding the other tortoises I toss it in his yard. I don't feed him green vegetables other than that, and he can live without it.
 

Wolfen

Member
5 Year Member
Joined
May 17, 2018
Messages
92
Location (City and/or State)
Los Angeles
My 100+lb sulcata, Dudley, lives in a large yard planted in Bermuda grass and weeds. I haven't spent a penny on him in years. Every so often I cut a branch off the mulberry tree and toss it in his yard, but he lives off the grass growing in his yard. If I have anything left in the bucket after feeding the other tortoises I toss it in his yard. I don't feed him green vegetables other than that, and he can live without it.
No heating? Vitamins or medications?
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
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Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,264
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
My backyard is 550 square feet and in south of Los Angeles with weeds and grass

How much would I have to spend on this fella until he's a grown man.
I'm talking about recurring costs, like vet visits, food, medication.

Not one time costs like lights, heater, bowls or housing
There are usually no vet visits or medications required for tortoises. Food is cheap or free. I grow or scrounge all my food, so I spend very little on food. A bale of hay costs $16 and this will last a tortoise his size 3-4 months in warm weather when appetite is highest. If you also grow or find spineless opuntia pads, mulberry leaves, grapevine leaves, certain weeds, lavatera, hibiscus leaves and flowers, and so many more things, you won't need to spend a dime. Veggies and grocery store foods aren't very good for them anyway without amendments added to them.

Here is the type of night box you'd need, and heating this is pennies per day on average. You'll spend a few cents per day more heating it in winter, and nothing to heat it if you unplug in during hot summer weather.
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
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10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,388
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
No heating? Vitamins or medications?
He has an insulated, heated shed for winter, but I have four other sheds and it's impossible to figure out the winter cost for one sulcata.
 

Wolfen

Member
5 Year Member
Joined
May 17, 2018
Messages
92
Location (City and/or State)
Los Angeles
My backyard is 550 square feet. Is that enough for it?
How do you move him in case of emergencies? Pallet jacks? Wheelbarrow? Movers dolly?

My family's main concern is the big poops, smells and flies it might produce. Is this a problem? How do you guys deal with it?
 

Yvonne G

Old Timer
TFO Admin
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
Messages
93,388
Location (City and/or State)
Clovis, CA
My backyard is 550 square feet. Is that enough for it?
How do you move him in case of emergencies? Pallet jacks? Wheelbarrow? Movers dolly?

My family's main concern is the big poops, smells and flies it might produce. Is this a problem? How do you guys deal with it?
I pick up the poop daily. Even if I left it laying there, it doesn't attract flies, as it's only a capsule of dried grass - nothing like horse or cow poop. It only smells in a concentrated area. If I let it build up in his shed for a week, then you can smell it, but if you clean it up daily, not a problem.

Dudley has his own wheel barrow, with his name painted on the side. I bought it about 15 years ago and only used it once.
 
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