Large Deceased Sulcata - What Would You Do?

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aka2tal

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This is a topic that nobody wants to bring up, but everyone could have to face someday. Don't get me wrong, our three Sulcatas are healthy and happy, but you always think in the back of your mind, what will I do when the day comes when I have to dispose one of them.

Before Sulcatas, we adopted sick and injured California Desert Tortoises. Because they were sick, we lost a few over the years and have buried the tortoises in the side yard. When it comes to a full grown sulcata, I am interested to know what others have done or would do. Have you dug a pit to bury it, or what is the suggestion in terms of disposing a larger Sulcata?

I think this is a discussion that nobody wants to discuss, but that we can also learn from. Just think........What would you do with a large deceased Sulcata?
 

kevantheman35

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i would probably burry mine, maybe dig it up at a later date and keep the shell as memory :(
 

Laura

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There are companys that take large dead animals. but its costs a pretty penny... Keeping the shell of a loved one...lots of people do that.. but might be hard for me.. and even harder... putting the loved one in a far back corner of the property and letting nature take its course..
Burying might damage the shell... ??
I know of a few people who have buried a skull of a goat and the horns stayed in tact and nature took care of the cleaning of the head.. i think he put something in the ground with it to make it go faster.. and then there is the guy who hung his cow head in a tree and the meat bees cleaned it well.. not to mention 'baby flies' and there is now a nice skull with massive horns...
 

purpod

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Greetings ~

Years ago, when I made the move from So. Cal to NC, my first leopard tortie did not make the transition, and I was devastated. It is very common in NC to send your dead critters {or your prize from a 'hunt'} to the taxidermy and as was customary in NC, I sent Shelly Belly off to a taxidermist ~ and so it made his passing {& yet 'keeping'} much easier to handle.. {the colouring on his forearms & face is a bit off, but that is something only a Mama would notice..}

If I had a large tortie that passed, I would 'prolly bury him/her, as taxidermy would be very costly the larger the animal. For me, just keeping the shell would be a heartbreak, and so I would not dig it back up ~ again, this is just my POV.

Wishing all a great day!
Purpod
 

pebbles mom

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I don't think I would personally try to keep the shell or use taxidermy ... maybe this is why I take SO many pictures :)
 

Crazy1

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I would probably keep the shell as a learning tool. There are Taxadermy schools that could do the job and cut the cost. And many info sites online that tells how to clean a shell. (which would be the most difficult part, for me I think, thus taxadermy schools).
 

chelonologist

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When I need a skeleton cleaned, I wrap the carcass in window screening, then bury it for about six months. When I take it out of the ground, I soak it in Biz solution for a day or two, then dry it. This method of cleaning skeletons works really well, though it would likely lead to disarticulation of a large tortoise shell.
 

drgnfly2265

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kevantheman35 said:
i would probably burry mine, maybe dig it up at a later date and keep the shell as memory :(

That is what I would probably do. Very difficult subject :(

____________________________________________________________

Jamie

1 Sulcata (Bowser)

www.myspace.com/bowsertortoise

:rolleyes:
 

terryo

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Not me! I would rather look at my pictures. I don't dig anything up. The side of my house is like a cemetery. Through the years....RES (2), 1 duck, 1 hamster, 1 YBS, 2 boxies, 1 goose and loads of baby birds that fell from nests. (My tomatoes are huge. Yuk!!) Any dogs that we had died of old age and were cremated and are in my son's room on a shelf.
 

Yvonne G

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terryo said:
The side of my house is like a cemetery.

My son-in-law actually carves headstones for his deceased pets. The side of their barn really does look like a cemetery.

Yvonne
 

glendab63

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I don't know what I'd do if I lost one of my sulcata's,but for the people who would want to keep the shell for the memory,I do have a suggestion.I did this one time with a long horn skull.everyone in texas must have a longhorn skull.so when I came a cross this one it really stank,it had been dead for a few days.so I put it in the back of the truck.took it home and put it in the middle of a large fire ant mound,and in about 10 days it was picked clean and it's still a very nice skull that I've had for 20 years,I know it sound gross but if you want the shell ,they want hurt the shell they just clean it sorry guys
 

kevantheman35

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my paleobiology professor keeps a colony of beetles and throws road kill in with them to get picked clean
 

Madortoise

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My husband works at the LA county Natural History Museum and would be happy to take any of your dead torts to add to his collection. He loves them and takes care of them well, really.
 
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