Greetings from Joker in Texas!

LaceDawg9

New Member
Joined
Jul 6, 2022
Messages
12
Location (City and/or State)
Texas
Hi everyone!

I am glad to finally be a member of this forum! I have been reading your care tips for years so I could be as prepared as possible for when I was able to get a tortoise! The day finally arrived last month! After admiring and wanting a shell-baby for years, I finally had the means to get my new friend! I’d like to introduce everyone to Joker the sulcata! I got him from a local reptile expo and the ladies told me that he was 3 months old! I have always said I wanted to have a tortoise that outlived me and that I could put in my will! ;) my heirloom-tortoise if you will.

I did want to see if anyone knows anything about his beautifully light shell color! He was the lightest colored sulcata there and I was wondering if anyone knew if he is a specific morph or if he is just a unique fella! He is already unique due to the extra vertebral scute he has! Some may think this makes him a B class tortoise, but to me it makes him more special! I have always been a root for the underdog type person and was no different in choosing my new forever friend!

Joker is happy and healthy! He loves his head scratches and making triangle shaped bite marks in his food! He often comes to where my hand is so I can give him more scratches! As you can see in the photo, he is also a big fan of Frank Sinatra! ;)

So glad to join the forum! (Joker’s sex has not been determined, so until that is able to be found out for sure, I will be referring to Joker as a He for simplicity)
 

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MenagerieGrl

Well-Known Member
Tortoise Club
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Nov 11, 2020
Messages
1,163
Location (City and/or State)
El Sobrante, CA.
Well, welcome, welcome, welcome to TFO (Tortoise Forum) @LaceDawg9. Glad your here!
Hope fully you'll learn some more about the care for your Joker.
If you haven't already read a care sheet for Sulcata's, here's a link
And welcome again.
 

wellington

Well-Known Member
Moderator
10 Year Member!
Tortoise Club
Joined
Sep 6, 2011
Messages
49,658
Location (City and/or State)
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Hello and welcome. The light color will likely darken over time. We actually love the odd scute tortoises around here.
 

Maro2Bear

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
May 29, 2014
Messages
14,712
Location (City and/or State)
Glenn Dale, Maryland, USA
Welcome to the Forum. Like brand new white sneakers, over time, with exposure to sunlight, grass, dirt, mulch, etc your tort will darken up. 😀

Im sure you found @Tom ’s Sulcata Care guide. Follow this info & all will be good.

Good luck.
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,264
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
Hi everyone!

I am glad to finally be a member of this forum! I have been reading your care tips for years so I could be as prepared as possible for when I was able to get a tortoise! The day finally arrived last month! After admiring and wanting a shell-baby for years, I finally had the means to get my new friend! I’d like to introduce everyone to Joker the sulcata! I got him from a local reptile expo and the ladies told me that he was 3 months old! I have always said I wanted to have a tortoise that outlived me and that I could put in my will! ;) my heirloom-tortoise if you will.

I did want to see if anyone knows anything about his beautifully light shell color! He was the lightest colored sulcata there and I was wondering if anyone knew if he is a specific morph or if he is just a unique fella! He is already unique due to the extra vertebral scute he has! Some may think this makes him a B class tortoise, but to me it makes him more special! I have always been a root for the underdog type person and was no different in choosing my new forever friend!

Joker is happy and healthy! He loves his head scratches and making triangle shaped bite marks in his food! He often comes to where my hand is so I can give him more scratches! As you can see in the photo, he is also a big fan of Frank Sinatra! ;)

So glad to join the forum! (Joker’s sex has not been determined, so until that is able to be found out for sure, I will be referring to Joker as a He for simplicity)
Hello and welcome. Joker is a handsome one for sure. The split scute is a pretty good indicator that Joker is a female, but certainly not 100%. Its rare to see a male with that sort of scute configuration. We will know in 3 or 4 years.

I tell every new tortoise owner: Be aware that most of the care info found online, from breeders and vets, and even in books is all wrong. We've been doing it wrong for decades and most people still don't know it. Follow that care sheet that @MenagerieGrl left for you, and feel free to ask all your questions. We are here to talk tortoises. :)
 

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