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They are growing fast!! My bigger 2 are gaining over 400g a week...
My Sulcata Tortoises
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What are you feeding?
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They always have a pile of grass and hay available at all times and they get mazuri once a week
Aldabras are difficult to keep here. Most of them don't do well because its just too dry. They do much better in Florida.
Please find a larger enclosure for your animals. The Sudanese will be too large for the setup you currently have. When you see how big they get in short order, you may regret having so many without suitable space to raise them. If you lived on a farm or have a couple of acres of land, I'd say that is a good start til you go to California. But, since that won't be for a while, what are you gonna do when they grow to 25+ lbs in a years time?
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They fit perfectly in their enclosure and when they grow out of them they will get a new one, I know many people with full grown sulcatas in NY it's not a big deal the house is plenty big enough to house them until I move, and we live in the country so there is lots of land, space is not the problem here, Maybe next time I won't post where I live if it's that much of an issue, and they don't get that big heavy yes big no, I've seen many tortoises sulcatas aldabra "full grown" so I think I know how big they get I'm not retarded and I would do anything for these tortoises I love them more that anything and I wouldn't put them in something that wasn't suitable for them
Don't be so defensive. I'm a New Yorker who lived all over the city and suburbs of Jersey. I've since moved to Florida years ago. So, I know the climate, and what's being said here is that these animals thrive in a warmer, humid environment. New York is neither. I do believe you think the torts have enough space now. What I'm saying is that they'll grow real fast and will outgrow their current space. And, now you've explained that you live in the country, which is a good thing cause they're gonna need more space in a short time. There are many threads here that you can review on how their enclosures can be constructed so that their space is warm and humid all the time. There's tons of information on what's best for these animals. You and your babies benefit from being an active member, and if you're really serious about doing what's best for your animals, I wouldn't regret saying where you lived. Knowing what environment these animals thrive in, not just survive in, only benefits your and your animals. This forum can help you provide that environment, both inside and outside enclosures. I converted two shed into an insulted enclosure where my sulcatas have constant heat of about 82 degrees and humidity of about 80% all year long. Florida does have cold spells during the winter, so I've had to do this for them.
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That is what I have observed here many times. The Galops fare much better here if you want a giant.
Sulcatas do better in the hot humid south too, but they also do well here. I think they are more adaptable to a wider range of climates than the Aldabra.
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I'm going think about it I think 8 Sulcatas might be good enough for me for many years because I also have 7 dogs (4 saint Bernards and other large breed) 4 mini pigs 3 cats 2 bunnies, so I think I'll wait a little bit longer on the Aldabra
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Thank you for all of the information and sorry for being rude, I understand you were just trying to help... I hope to be moved somewhere warmer by next summer but we will see, I was hoping to move sooner but NY has always been where I lived and I'm always afraid of Tornadoes, floods, or hurricanes so that's why I haven't been searching as much as I should...
I think living in most places in the U.S. can be dangerous. I mean, in California, there's earthquakes. In Florida there's hurricanes. In the Midwest, there's tornados. You just take your chances and find the best place for your animals.
You don't wanna move to Oklahoma then. We get tornado's, Floods and Earthquakes. We just had an Earthquake a few hours ago that did some serious damage. I'm ready to move somewhere out East.
Probably a wise choice...
I really doubt that. I was told the same thing many years ago and Charlie is 17 now. There is one theory that they will pyramid if they grow too fast but I don't believe it. Healthy torts grow. As long as you are feeding them the right things, there is no reason to try to slow down their growth.
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Only 2 of mine grow fast Pumpkin and Mystery they were about 1700g at 1 year old
One thing to keep in mind is exercise. A large tortoise that is confined to a small space soon becomes constipated. They need to walk - a lot! - in order to stay healthy.
Not sayin' anything bad about you or your tortoise-keeping, just an FYI for you to keep in the back of your mind.
Not sayin' anything bad about you or your tortoise-keeping, just an FYI for you to keep in the back of your mind.
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I did not know that Thanks for the information!!
If they are getting proper nutrition, good UV, adequate calcium, good hydration, proper temps and lots of exercise, then no, I don't think they are growing too fast.
If any of the above are lacking, then you might start to see issues. A 3500 gram tortoise in a 4x4 enclosure cannot get "enough" exercise, so that is the main issue I see for you. How are you going to exercise 8 giants for months at a time in the frozen North? When mine are below 2000 grams or so, they have 4x8' indoor closed chamber for night and cold days in winter, but they spend the vast majority of their days in large outdoor enclosures that are 30-40 feet long and wide. They literally walk every inch of those enclosures all day long. At 3500 grams, they live outside full time in their large enclosures and have a heated box for night time and our occasional cooler winter days. I can't imagine what I would do if my sulcatas had to live inside full time once they were that size. A whole room isn't big enough. I'd need a large warehouse or barn, but it would have to be insulated, heated and kept up at tropical temperatures all winter long.
