Hi I am more than likely going to be getting a Sulcata soon but I have a dilema when it gets big. I live in maryland so for a good portion of the year it gets below 70F. I'm talking like 6-7 months sometimes. So I'm wondering what a good size indoor enclosure would be for an adult. I was thinking like maybe a 4ft wide by 2ft tall by 8ft wide. Maybe 10ft if I can fit it. Would this be an OK size? I wanna try to provide as much space as possible for him/her in these terrible months.
Long Winter Housing
- Thread starter Kyle
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First, Welcome to the forum!
Now for the bad news: That's not going to be big enough. Sulcatas really should be kept outdoors as much as possible, because they don't do well indoors, and keeping a full-grown sulcata in an enclosure that size would be like putting a russian or a box turtle in a ten gallon tank and hoping that it does well. Heating is going to be expensive, and keeping up with the food intake of a full-grown sulcata is going to be more expensive and more difficult. I am not trying to be a downer or discourage tortoise ownership, but I really have to suggest that you look at a more manageable species of tortoise. It is the same decision I had to make since I live in upstate new york. I ended up going with a russian tortoise and fell in love with the species, so I eventually put together a nice breeding group, and since then I've kept a couple of the hatchlings (though I made it a point not to get in the habit of that... the last thing I need is a hundred extra tortoises!). I also have a red-foot, and honest I think that is the largest I could ever go in that climate.
No one can tell you what to do, so I don't intend to do that, but I want you to really think about the needs of the tortoise and realize that they grow to their full size in a very short amount of time. There are so many great options in smaller packages. If you can fit an 8'x4' enclosure, wouldn't you feel better about putting a 6-10" tortoise in that and know that you're giving it a nice amount of living space, as opposed to putting an 18-24" tortoise in it and watch it walk four steps to the next wall? Not to mention the fact that over time, even if you use thick, heavy duty plywood, the tortoise can and will either break through it or dig through it.
Just food for thought. Think about this too: my 12", 10 pound red footed tortoise can make a "mess" that is surprisingly large and unpleasant. I can't imagine what a 24" 120 pound sulcata is capable of.
I am glad that you found this forum. There is a wealth of resources here and a lot of people with decades of experience. We will do the best that we can to help you make a great decision picking a tortoise.
Now for the bad news: That's not going to be big enough. Sulcatas really should be kept outdoors as much as possible, because they don't do well indoors, and keeping a full-grown sulcata in an enclosure that size would be like putting a russian or a box turtle in a ten gallon tank and hoping that it does well. Heating is going to be expensive, and keeping up with the food intake of a full-grown sulcata is going to be more expensive and more difficult. I am not trying to be a downer or discourage tortoise ownership, but I really have to suggest that you look at a more manageable species of tortoise. It is the same decision I had to make since I live in upstate new york. I ended up going with a russian tortoise and fell in love with the species, so I eventually put together a nice breeding group, and since then I've kept a couple of the hatchlings (though I made it a point not to get in the habit of that... the last thing I need is a hundred extra tortoises!). I also have a red-foot, and honest I think that is the largest I could ever go in that climate.
No one can tell you what to do, so I don't intend to do that, but I want you to really think about the needs of the tortoise and realize that they grow to their full size in a very short amount of time. There are so many great options in smaller packages. If you can fit an 8'x4' enclosure, wouldn't you feel better about putting a 6-10" tortoise in that and know that you're giving it a nice amount of living space, as opposed to putting an 18-24" tortoise in it and watch it walk four steps to the next wall? Not to mention the fact that over time, even if you use thick, heavy duty plywood, the tortoise can and will either break through it or dig through it.
Just food for thought. Think about this too: my 12", 10 pound red footed tortoise can make a "mess" that is surprisingly large and unpleasant. I can't imagine what a 24" 120 pound sulcata is capable of.
I am glad that you found this forum. There is a wealth of resources here and a lot of people with decades of experience. We will do the best that we can to help you make a great decision picking a tortoise.
Hello Kyle, welcome to TFO! 
I am VERY glad you are looking into it first! Kudos to you for that! You will get alot of help here!!!
I am VERY glad you are looking into it first! Kudos to you for that! You will get alot of help here!!!
i keep my adult in an 8 X 8 heated and insulated shed. i wouldn't put an adult in anything smaller for any extended period of time. if you were going to keep it indoors (like some friends of mine), you would probably need an entire bedroom dedicated to them. it's a lot of space to give up, not to mention the mess and smell....
-ryan- said:
Very well said.
The amount of roaming and pacing a sulcata does in comparison to most species is staggering. Our adults must cover miles every week.
Wow thanks for all the replies and so fast too! Well I guess I can change that "most likely" to a "probably not" lol. So yeah I'm not trying to say that smaller torts aren't fun by I would greatly perfer to get a largish one (obviously smaller than the sulcata because of my situation) and so what species do you recommend I get that would be able to fit into those above ^^ situations but still be a largish one? And if it is impossible to get the larger ones than I will accept fate and get a smaller one. I just want to be a good provider/caretaker for whatever i get
Hi Kyle:
Welcome to the forum!!
It would be cruel to keep a full grown sulcata indoors. Most folks who have them in cold country, have them in heated outdoor sheds where the tortoise makes his own decision to go out or not. My sister lives in Oregon where its cold and rainy with some snow during the winter. Her sulcata, Bob, goes outside on his own and grazes around a little bit, then realizes he's not comfortable wading through a cold, flooded grazing area and goes back inside on his own. If my sister thinks its too cold for him and doesn't open his door, he stomps around the shed, banging and ramming until she finally gives in and opens the door. Once he realizes its too cold, he's perfectly happy to stay inside.
Welcome to the forum!!
It would be cruel to keep a full grown sulcata indoors. Most folks who have them in cold country, have them in heated outdoor sheds where the tortoise makes his own decision to go out or not. My sister lives in Oregon where its cold and rainy with some snow during the winter. Her sulcata, Bob, goes outside on his own and grazes around a little bit, then realizes he's not comfortable wading through a cold, flooded grazing area and goes back inside on his own. If my sister thinks its too cold for him and doesn't open his door, he stomps around the shed, banging and ramming until she finally gives in and opens the door. Once he realizes its too cold, he's perfectly happy to stay inside.
Hi and welcome to the forum.
I live in New York, and have two Cherry Heads. My oldest one is 3 years old now and a little over 7 in. When he was a hatchling I had him in a 55 gal. vivarium. I kept it in my living room, and planted it with lots of plants to hold in the humidity. It looked like a big terrarium, and was really pretty. Now that he's bigger, I'm making him a 125 gal vivarium, but he's still in a 75. gal. viv. Being that RF's need a lot of humidity, a planted vivarium is the way to go IMHO. Now if you're looking to get a herd of them, that's a different story. I wouldn't know where to put them inside. But having one or two, which is all I'm going to have, I think they do fine inside for the long winter months. In the Summer, they go outside in a tortoise garden.
I live in New York, and have two Cherry Heads. My oldest one is 3 years old now and a little over 7 in. When he was a hatchling I had him in a 55 gal. vivarium. I kept it in my living room, and planted it with lots of plants to hold in the humidity. It looked like a big terrarium, and was really pretty. Now that he's bigger, I'm making him a 125 gal vivarium, but he's still in a 75. gal. viv. Being that RF's need a lot of humidity, a planted vivarium is the way to go IMHO. Now if you're looking to get a herd of them, that's a different story. I wouldn't know where to put them inside. But having one or two, which is all I'm going to have, I think they do fine inside for the long winter months. In the Summer, they go outside in a tortoise garden.
Check out some of JD's posts, his torties always seem to be having a blast and TONS of personality, here is one link for ya!
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-UP-N-OVER-For-Melon
Mary Anne
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-UP-N-OVER-For-Melon
Mary Anne
I'm sorry, But I have to disagree with most of you I have a 24 in sulcata that I got as a hatchling and he is housed in either in Maryland, or in Virginia just across the Potomac from Southern Maryland. It can be done if you really want a sulcata. He stays outside most of the year weather permitting, I brought him in last monday because of the cold days and I knew he wouldn't come out of his heated house.If temps get to the upper 30s he will spend a couple hours grazing till he starts getting cold,then he goes back to his house. If he isn't going to come out of his house he is better off spending time in garage that is converted so he is warm and has some room to move around.(cant say he's happy he would rather be outside)I grow most of his food so that cuts the food cost.As for being destructive, There are some things that need to be protected, but he has never tried to bust through wood or anything else not even the chain link fence around the back yard. With that said I believe the best tortoise for I live (Kyle not sure what part of MD you're in) are the MT Tortoises blk or brown. And the blacks do get big. Len
Thanks I live near DC in Baltimore so yeah its gettin pretty chilly. I've have to check out those tortoises you mentioned. I've gotta couple months til' i make a final decision so I'll probably change decisions a couple times. I'll keep you guys posted on what happens though?
First of all, I am very glad that you have taken the time to take our suggestions into consideration. it shows a lot of intelligence and maturity that, frankly, a lot of people that drift through do not have.
I have six russians (ten right now, but four are hatchlings that will be up for sale in a month or two), and a full grown adult red foot, as I stated above. I enjoy working with the russians in a group setting, and I am convinced that they are the best quality pet tortoise you can get (so much personality in a small, extremely tough package). That being said, if I were just going to have one tortoise, I would lean toward the red foot. A single adult red foot would do well in an enclosure the size you are talking about (mine spends the vast majority of his time in a 6'x3' enclosure), and they are packed with personality. You need to work a little harder to keep them humid enough, but if you use a closed-top enclosure it is not as difficult.
Good luck in your decision, and I am happy to hear that you are willing to make the decision that will be best for your future tortoise! Don't underestimate how impressive a full-grown red foot can be!
I have six russians (ten right now, but four are hatchlings that will be up for sale in a month or two), and a full grown adult red foot, as I stated above. I enjoy working with the russians in a group setting, and I am convinced that they are the best quality pet tortoise you can get (so much personality in a small, extremely tough package). That being said, if I were just going to have one tortoise, I would lean toward the red foot. A single adult red foot would do well in an enclosure the size you are talking about (mine spends the vast majority of his time in a 6'x3' enclosure), and they are packed with personality. You need to work a little harder to keep them humid enough, but if you use a closed-top enclosure it is not as difficult.
Good luck in your decision, and I am happy to hear that you are willing to make the decision that will be best for your future tortoise! Don't underestimate how impressive a full-grown red foot can be!
Red Foots do seem tempting but as I keep giving this more thought I was wondering if there are some tortoisees that do well in groups. I think that it'd be pretty sweet to see how multiple tortoises interact and perhaps try to breed eventually. I've been reading on Russian tortoises and from what I've read they dont get too big. Does anyone here know if they get along well? And also would I be able to keep like 2-3 in the above slated conditions? Agasin I can't thank you all anough from keeping me from making that big mistake. I only hope that that sulcata that I would have bought does go to a good home.
Well, normally tortoises are solitary creatures, not liking to have competition for the best hiding place or for the food, however, redfoot tortoises seem to be the exception to that rule. Some of our members here have multiple redfoot tortoises that live in harmony together.
Kyle said:
I keep a 1.3 group of russians (one male and three females), and that is a good group. There is some food competition, but believe it or not that actually increases their food intake and makes them stronger creatures. I putt he food in this morning and they were all feasting away rather quickly, trying to get their share before the other tortoises. What you need to watch out for is if you end up with a submissive tort. They usually start out submissive as you add them to the group, but after a month or so they begin to get to know the other tortoises and stand up for themselves. My male is literally half the size of my largest female (she is by far the largest I've seen in captivity), and he was staking his claim on the food pile just like everyone else.
However, you have to decide what your goal is. If you want to breed tortoises then you need a group. If you don't intend on breeding, they generally tend to do best kept individually. I will say that in groups they seem to sometimes enjoy the stimulation of being around other tortoises, and I have even witnessed complicated head bobbing gestures that seem like some sort of primitive communication, but I wouldn't keep my russians together if I wasn't intending to breed them.
This will require some thought, and believe me when I say that I went back and forth for months before I got my first tortoise, and that was just when I was trying to decide between a russian and red foot!
You can't tell if they're male or female till they're older, I'm not sure what age but if your a first time owner I wouldn't recommend a younger tort anyways because they could die without proper care. And I am too I've been into them for almost a month and I've learned so much from all of my research
I've been into them for almost a month and I've learned so much from all of my research - Status
