Hello everyone!!~

[ten_ten]

Hello everyone!

My name is Allison and I have decided to own a tortoise once again!~ My first tortoise was a pair of california desert tortoises and their names were Clover and Daisy. We (my family and I) kept them until I was about 10 years old. Sadly, our pet dogs dug under the enclosure and killed them. We'd always have Clover and Daisy in our memories and treasured and loved pets. Now, ten years later I have decided to get a pet tortoise.
I've decided on the sulcata tortoise!~ Yes ,they grow very big @_@ , but I do have a huge yard and we don't have dogs anymore. so that is taken care of !

It's been a while since I've owned one and I have questions about torts and bonding!~ Do they bond with their owners? Can they recognize their owner?

~Allison

 

[Stazz]

Hello Allison and welcome to the forum!! This is a very friendly site, we're like one big family, and everyone is here to help you learn anything you need to know about being a sulcata owner and husbandry.

 

[Isa]

Welcome to the forum Allison

 

[jlyoncc1]

Welcome to the forum. I believe they bond. Not the way a dog does, but they know that I am usually the one that feeds them. So, they come to me usually over someone else. But I think it all has to do with the food! LOL!

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Allison!

to the forum!

Yvonne

 

[tortoisenerd]

Welcome to the forum! Yes I have heard of torts bonding with their owners such that they recognize them, feel comfortable around them, etc. My tort cranes his head up when I come to visit him and he knows I bring his food!

Glad you are doing your research on this Sulcata. Tortoises are life-long commitments, expensive, big, etc. How large is your yard? Are you going to try to adopt an adult or get a hatchling? I'd love to know about your enclosure and feeding plans. You are taking on quite a feat! I have a little russian tortoise. When are you thinking you will get one?

 

[egyptiandan]

Welcome to the forum Allison

Tortoises don't bond as such, but they will get used to you (the food god) bringing food and associate you with food.

Danny

 

[ten_ten]

Stazz- Thank you for the welcome!! I'm glad to hear that everyone gets along here ^_^ ! I've had some not so good experiances with other forums haha! I'm so excited to learn more about torts ^__^ !

Isa- Thanks Isa I'm happy to be here!

jlyoncc1- Oh hehe that is cute how they would recognize you. the food bringer haha!~

emysemys- Thank you Yvonne!! Its so good to be here !!

tortoisenerd- My yard is about 7,000 sq feet i think. I'm wanting a hatchling and I was possibly going to get him or her at the San Diego reptile show next week. As far as feeding I remember feeding my other tortoises lots of greens, hibuscus flowers, ect as well as monkey chow(when they were young). As far as enclosures go I'm still researching those but my parents gave me the ok for when the tort gets bigger, he can have the run of the yard. I'm looking into tortose tables, because i hear that aquariums aren't good? Ya still researching !

egyptiandan- Thanks Danny! haha yes the food god!~ I like the sound of that !~ haha!

 

[tortoisenerd]

At this point I vote next week is too soon for you, but that's my opinion. You need the enclosure built, set up with substrate, cage furnishings bought, vet visit made, diet planned out, etc. Is your lawn organic? Yes tort tables are good to start out in with a moist substrate, and then outdoor enclosures when larger, then as much space as you can give them when fully grown. Aquariums are best suited for fish, or with some modifications for a tort that needs a rainforest environment.

Please please do your research on hatchlings. They are so fragile and we have too many sad stories here of them taking a turn for the worse very quickly, even with expert care. If at all possible I would suggest one at least 6-12 months old.

Do your research on getting anything from a breeder at a show. You need to make sure they are reputable beforehand, and have their information for after.

Just greens are not good for Sulcatas for their entire diet. What is monkey chow? They needs grasses and weeds and such. Sulcata Station, Tortoise Trust, and professional organization websites are some good starts for research (make sure you look at reputable sites). San Diego should have a good tort society to join for firsthand information.

That's about 0.15 acres...anyone else know if that is enough for a full grown Sulcata to graze?

I'd love to hear more about your plans! Great to meet you and welcome again. Let us know when you have questions.

 

[Crazy1]

Allison, welcome to the forum. Perhaps to the tort we are the "Food God", perhaps they just get use to us and don't bond with us per say. But I for one sure do bond with them. Keep up the research there is always much to learn. Also I know hatchlings are cute. But there are so, so many Sullys that need homes that someone decided they just can't keep. Please if at all possible think of adopting one. If you decide to wait (I know the San Diego show is this coming weekend) but there is also one at the Anaheim Convention Center in September, which isn’t too far away or too long to wait. If by then you are sure you want a hatchling you will have a larger selection of breeders and torts there. I go to the SD show every year and it is small compared to Anaheim.
Here are a couple of sites to check out if you haven’t already. http://www.africantortoise.com/
http://www.sulcata-station.org/index.html
http://www.turtlecafe.com/sulcata_and_leopard_tortoise_care.htm

 

[spring pace]

Hello everyone!

My name is Allison and I have decided to own a tortoise once again!~ My first tortoise was a pair of california desert tortoises and their names were Clover and Daisy. We (my family and I) kept them until I was about 10 years old. Sadly, our pet dogs dug under the enclosure and killed them. We'd always have Clover and Daisy in our memories and treasured and loved pets. Now, ten years later I have decided to get a pet tortoise.
I've decided on the sulcata tortoise!~ Yes ,they grow very big @_@ , but I do have a huge yard and we don't have dogs anymore. so that is taken care of !

It's been a while since I've owned one and I have questions about torts and bonding!~ Do they bond with their owners? Can they recognize their owner?

~Allison

hi allison, welcome, absolutely your sulcata will bond w/ you. they know who feeds them, they are inquisitive and bold animals, but like w/ all new animals they have to get used to their new surroundings, change makes them cautious, but once they are used to their new home, they are funny creatures. do you have a size in mind already? will you be adopting? please beware that if you decide to go the pet store route, most pet stores give out the wrong information. sulcatas need high heat, high humidity, damp substrates, lots of leg room and they do drink water several times a week. they are grass/hay/weed eaters, not fruits and vegies, no legumes, they will need cuttlebones for calcium and a collapsable hide because they are climbers, they will fall over on their backs, they get lucky sometimes and right themselves, but in my experience, they are usually stuck and need help. upside down in 90 degrees is a death sentence and dehydration is a real possibility. i covered a lot of ground, but theres more because outside is a whole nother story, and given the right foods, etc., they grow fast. my guy put on 5-6 lbs a year and that was when i fed him 2x a day and he lived inside, now that galileo is outside full time w/ graze i expect him to more than double that per year. galileo is now 6 years old at 26lbs. smiles, spring

 

[ten_ten]

Tortoisenerd- Ya, actually waiting is the best idea for me. And I just started summer school so waiting until a more convenient time will be better. Plus I needs more research and once I wait until the next reptile show I’ll definitely have enough information and everything I need for a baby!~
Yes My lawn is organic!~

Would you be so kind as to give me an example of a moist substrate for a baby? I’ve seen in some places they use rabbit pellets for them to walk on is that ok? Has anyone ever used some kind of outdoor carpeting to line their cages with?

Oh and by greens I was just being too general haha! Grasses and weeds, check. Would timothy hay be ok for them also? Oh and monkey chow! (http://www.worldofbirds.com/images/uploaded/fs_1208294471.jpg ) They look like that. I asked my mother about it and she said that the breeder told us to soak it in water until its soft and the tortoises eat it for protein. My mother also told me that they used to sprinkle calcium supplements on it as well. Maybe it’s not necessary, but that’s what we used to feed our California desert tortoises once a month.

Hehe I’ll definitely share future plans with u!~ and ask if this and that is ok haha!

Crazy1- Oh I didn't know that there was one in anaheim! Ya it isn't too far away and that gives me more time for studying torts. Its closer to where I live too. Thank you so much for the links.

spring pace- I saw your pictures of Galileo! He's so cutee! and big! haha! I want to get a baby tort. We'll keep him inside until he is big enough to live outside. Our backyard is pretty big so I dont think space will be a problem ^_^ ! My parents are almost retired so by the time the tortoise gets big enough they'll watch and play with him.

 

[Yvonne G]

Oh and monkey chow! (http://www.worldofbirds.com/images/uploaded/fs_1208294471.jpg ) They look like that. I asked my mother about it and she said that the breeder told us to soak it in water until its soft and the tortoises eat it for protein. .

Forget the monkey chow, Allison. That's old school. If your breeder is still telling people to feed monkey chow, then he's not grown with the times. A sulcata is a grass eater, and should not be fed animal protein, which is in monkey chow. If you think you want to feed a pelleted food occasionally, then look in to buying Mazuri Tortoise Diet. Any feed store who carries Purina products can order it for you. Mazuri was made with grass-eating tortoises in mind and is pretty good to use in a pinch.

Yvonne

 

[ten_ten]

Oh and monkey chow! (http://www.worldofbirds.com/images/uploaded/fs_1208294471.jpg ) They look like that. I asked my mother about it and she said that the breeder told us to soak it in water until its soft and the tortoises eat it for protein. .

Forget the monkey chow, Allison. That's old school. If your breeder is still telling people to feed monkey chow, then he's not grown with the times. A sulcata is a grass eater, and should not be fed animal protein, which is in monkey chow. If you think you want to feed a pelleted food occasionally, then look in to buying Mazuri Tortoise Diet. Any feed store who carries Purina products can order it for you. Mazuri was made with grass-eating tortoises in mind and is pretty good to use in a pinch.

Yvonne

Thank you Yvonne! haha ya I told my mom that everyone on the forum didnt know what the monkey chow was for and I guessed that its old and no one uses it anymore and was right. thank you for the clearification! haha! Ya it was a while ago, but the breader isnt breeding anymore and hasn't been in a while. And I'll look into Mazuri tortoise diet!~

 

[Meg90]

As tempting as a hatchling is, I would suggest going with something alittle bigger. I know that I made mistakes as a first timer, with my adult greek. I fed him avocado once, without knowing that he couldn't stomach it and he had a horrible reaction to it. If it was a hatchling that I had made that mistake with, I have no doubts that it would have died. Nigel, was much more forgiving, with an added weeks worth of extra TLC after that incident.

Plus, look at this: http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=7471313

These are sullys near me, in MI. But there are tons more like them, especially in the warmer states. And they really need homes. In shelters and rescues, most don't have adequate room or specialized enough care. And with a bigger tortoise, you could make use of that giant yard of yours much sooner!

Hatchlings really are fragile. They come with lots of worry, about smooth growing shells and pyramiding, good hydration, proper nutrition etc.

Also, with a yard that large, you could potentially get a hatchling after you have your sea legs with an older animal.