Looking for help making a new tortoise home for my baby

[melissah]

Hello I'm looking for someone in the southern California inland empire the can help me build a new home for my sulcata tortoise, he's 1yr old now and in need of a mucg bigger space. Imy not the craftest person and I want something that will meet his needs. Helppppp....

 

[Gillian M]

Hi @melissah and a very warm welcome to the forum.

Please read the "Beginners Mistakes" Thread and the care sheet on sulcatas.

Any pics of your tort?

 

[melissah]

Hi @melissah and a very warm welcome to the forum.

Please read the "Beginners Mistakes" Thread and the care sheet on sulcatas.

Any pics of your tort?

Thanks Gillian, I will look up the beginners sheet as I'm finding I've made many mistakes over the past year :/ Armstrong was bought as a pet for my daughter but over the year we've had him I've claimed him lol I can't get enough of him and EVERYONE teases me about it lol I'll try to add more pictures (I've taken tons).

 

[Gillian M]

Thanks Gillian, I will look up the beginners sheet as I'm finding I've made many mistakes over the past year :/ Armstrong was bought as a pet for my daughter but over the year we've had him I've claimed him lol I can't get enough of him and EVERYONE teases me about it lol I'll try to add more pictures (I've taken tons).View attachment 191047

He/she is cute.

Where do you live and what's the weather like back there?

 

[melissah]

Thanks, I tell him (not sure but thinking he is a male) he's handsome all the time lol. We live in southern California, inland empire area. It's generally warm here we get very little winter. For now, due to living in a condo community, Armstrong lives inside. That's why I'm wanting to get him a bigger space. He lives in a 25x25 cube terrarium that my local pet store told me was perfect size, I've now learned it way too small. I want Armstrong to be happy and healthy and be with me for many many years!

 

[melissah]

Gillian I'm admittedly not the most computer savy, for some reason I'm not having any luck finding the beginners mistakes thread you mentioned :/

 

[saginawhxc]

Here is that link, plus two others. These are the best thing I've ever come across for raising a young sulcata.

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/45180/

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/79895/

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/76744/

 

[Tom]

Thanks, I tell him (not sure but thinking he is a male) he's handsome all the time lol. We live in southern California, inland empire area. It's generally warm here we get very little winter. For now, due to living in a condo community, Armstrong lives inside. That's why I'm wanting to get him a bigger space. He lives in a 25x25 cube terrarium that my local pet store told me was perfect size, I've now learned it way too small. I want Armstrong to be happy and healthy and be with me for many many years!

What is his length? He looks like just about ready to move outside full time. I don't know how you will do that in a condo, but we'll help you figure something out. Can you dedicate a room to him?

I'm a little too far to help. I'm up in Santa Clarita.

 

[melissah]

Thank you saginawhxc, I'm gonna check those threads out.
Tom unfortunately I can't dedicate a whole room to my Armstrong and best measurement I could get he's 7 in side to side, 9 in top to bottom and 10 in in height. You really think outside is ok for him? He seems so little to me and we have raccoons and opossums around here even an occasional coyote. I would be devastated if something happened to him.

 

[Tom]

Thank you saginawhxc, I'm gonna check those threads out.
Tom unfortunately I can't dedicate a whole room to my Armstrong and best measurement I could get he's 7 in side to side, 9 in top to bottom and 10 in in height. You really think outside is ok for him? He seems so little to me and we have raccoons and opossums around here even an occasional coyote. I would be devastated if something happened to him.

Outside in a safe enclosure with a heated night box is the way to go.

I live out in the wilderness on the edge of the national forest too. We have all those critters. They don't mess with my tortoises during the day and I lock them all in their boxes at night. Been doing it this way without a problem since the 90s.

Here's an example of the night boxes:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/another-night-box-thread.88966/

 

[melissah]

That night box and the space around it seem like tortoise haven I need to figure out a suitable indoor alternative to get us through till summer when we will be moving into a home with better outdoor space for Armstrong. I've seen several different types I prefer something closed off but visible and easily accessible for cleaning and such. Any suggestions?