Keeping a giant tortoise in Canada/Northern US

[Redari]

I am looking at buying a decent sized farm out near Halifax, and may soon be able to realize my dream and get a giant tortoise.

The weather is nicer than many parts of Canada, but would still be below zero about 5 months a year. However I would have tons of space to build a large winter building (probably an Earthship) just for a tortoise, which would eventually be attached to our house that we will build.

What are the minimum space requirements for a cold climate? The tortoise would be inside for a good six months a year. Also, Sulcata or Aldabra? Any other suggestions? Anyone have experience keeping large tortoises through a Canadian winter?

I won't be purchasing anything until we have the farm and the funds/space set up to build the winter enclosure.

Thanks!

 

[wellington]

I have a leopard. Live in Illinois. Not as many cold months as you or as cold. However, in my opinion, if you can afford to build a good size enclosure and afford to heat it, then go for what you want. There are lots of people in the Northern states that have Sulcatas, not sure about the Aldabras.

 

[Tom]

Anything is possible with enough time, money and effort. I think a sulcata would handle the extremes better than an Aldabra, but the Aldabra won't dig or be as destructive.

50x50' would be an absolute minimum space in my opinion, but I'd rather see it bigger if the animal will spend THAT much time indoors.

 

[Redari]

Thanks for your feedback. 50 x 50 is pretty big, I am pretty sure we won't be able to go that big. Might think more about a Leopard then, as they are a bit smaller and less destructive, so we could use the space for other purposes as well. Maybe have them in a floor of our house or something.

I love the personalities of the Sulcata's, but Tom didn't you say somewhere there is a species of Leopard that is almost as friendly? I just found out there are people here in Calgary with a Sulcata, I am going to see them this weekend as they are bringing it to the Pet Expo. I think it's 7 or 8 years old and living in a tortoise table. I hope he's not in too bad a shape, from what I've learned here that sounds like bad living conditions.

Thanks

 

[wellington]

A member of the forum has a herd of Aldabras. Eleven adults and are housed on one acre. Not sure if you split that up among the number of torts and their size if you could figure out a good size for one adult Aldabra or sulcata even. Keeping in mind, it's one acre for all of them, not split up into smaller enclosures.

 

[AZtortMom]

An 8 year old sully in a tortoise table?? That must be a huge table!


Life is good

 

[wellington]

If a 7-8 year old sully is living in a table, it's not having a good life. That is sad actually
For you question about leopards, their are two kinds. The babcocki, which is the smaller of the two, less expensive of the two and more available and more shy. The other, the parradelis (spelling might be wrong) is the larger, less shy one and more expensive one. Now, that said, Tom raises the larger ones and if there was any way you could buy one in the states, he is your guy.

 

[AZtortMom]

I was being hopeful


Life is good

 

[Redari]

Thank you Wellington. I really love the Leopards shells, but we wanted a bigger tort with lots of personality. The paradelis might be a good option. I love my star to bits, but I don't expect he will ever come asking for pets or scratches.

We were thinking a 15 x 15 up to 20 x 20 inside enclosure, but I would try to double the space by building some waist-height second levels.

I know, the Sulcata in the table is really sad. I haven't seen him yet, I just heard about him from the owners at a local reptile event. I'm going to the Expo just to get a look at him because I fear he is in bad shape. I will let them know about the TFO and that he should have more space. At least that way if they aren't prepared to house it properly maybe they can find someone on here to re-home it too. I really am looking forward to meeting a Sulcata because they sound like such wonderful animals.

 

[AZtortMom]

I absolutely love my sulllies even at their young age their personalities are starting to come out. I can't wait until they are older. My boyfriend is going to have his hands full with house repairs and yard work


Life is good

 

[Kapidolo Farms]

Hi,

We had a mixed herd of Galops and Aldabras at the Philly Zoo. They were completely inside for a few month each year, not 5 or 6, but the key issue was not so much the space, and they should get alot, but rather ease to clean.

50 x 50 would be a good amount of space, but expensive to build, but 25 x 100 might be much less expensive to build, and give as much floor space as well as a chance to shift animals from one end to the other daily to assist in cleaning. I shallow walkin pool, sky light with glass that allows UV transmission, and a low ceiling all help reduce cost and increase utility. See if some of the more northern Zoos will let you see their winter 'holding areas' those places built for utility, not so much pretty.

The public display at Philly was a good compromise for pretty and utility, the Galops there bred and laid eggs in the indoor enclosure.

If your animals will be inside that much, you should consider some area for egg laying too.

Will

 

[DeanS]

Why not build an oversized greenhouse?!? I don't like the idea of any large tortoises in Canada...of course, I'm not a fan of tortoises anywhere that sub-zero temps are the norm for any perios of time...but, that's just me! I know most homes in Canada have basements...why not convert the basement into your charge's habitat?

 

[Jacqui]

An 8 year old sully in a tortoise table?? That must be a huge table!

Or a very small tortoise due most likely improper care.

 

[Redari]

The farm actually has 8 greenhouses, but they are not four season greenhouses, so not heated through the winter. We would probably build an Earthship (we are going to build an Earthship house eventually) which is kind of like a greenhouse. Lots of windows, and almost self-heating through the winter (they cost about $500/year to run, compared to $500/month for a regular house). They don't have basements though.

Here is the basics: http://earthship.com/simple-survival. My friend that we would be buying the property with builds them for a living.

Still don't know if we are getting the farm yet so this is all kind of hypothetical, I was just SO excited at the possibility of being able to get a giant tortoise. I would almost pick up and move to the States just for that

 

[AZtortMom]

An 8 year old sully in a tortoise table?? That must be a huge table!

Or a very small tortoise due most likely improper care.

Very sad either way


Life is good

 

[Tortoise]

Have you considered red foot tortoises or yellow foots too.They are personable as well and get quite large(yellow foots are larger) but not impossible to house.(need humidity though throughout their room/enclosure)
Leopards would be much better here than sulcatas and they don't do the extensive burrowing etc.
I am intrigued by the earth ship idea will read about that.
I think a large tortoise here is possible for sure but very few people take the time to research enough and provide anywhere close to the space needed for their happiness.
Great you are working this all through before deciding on species.
Good luck-will look forward to photos of the building in future.

 

[Kapidolo Farms]

On the basement - if you do get a giant species, you probably don't want to have to haul it up and down stairs, even only once up and once down each year, think about that, no basement = no problem.

If you can arrange a away for the tortoises to walk from the indoor area to an outdoor area, that is best. Over time you will see they can be herded to go inside.

Will

 

[Steve_McQueen]

Have you looked at the Manouria emys ssp? The black variety get to be large, and they're fairly cold tolerant.

 

[Len B]

I have a heated house that my sulcata has access to in the winter and the yard is bigger than 50x50,we get cold,maybe not as cold as as you might, and not for as long as you, but temps do get below 32 F quite often which I believe is your zero during winter, there are not many days that go by that he doesn't venture out and roam around to eat and drink if I remember to replace the ice with fresh water. I am amazed at how long he retains body heat when the temps are in the 20s and the sun is shining, with no direct sun rays he cools down quicker and heads back to his house with less time wandering around. So I believe it is possible to have a large tortoise in cold climate areas, just takes a little more effort ( and good insulation) to keep them happy all year. My sulcata is 17 years old and I have had him since a hatchling, so we know each other pretty well.

 

[yagyujubei]

If you made a dumbwaiter, carrying up and down the stairs wouldn't be a huge problem. South African leopards will get in the 40 to 60 pound range, big, but not overtly so. Much less problems for you than Sulcata's. A big heated bldg will cost a fortune to heat ---- and build.