Need advice

[Katie11]

I just rescue/purchased a 60ish lb sulcata...he's a big boy and we got a vet appointment Tuesday. We are right on the FL and Alabama line so I'm not sure about how I should winter him or the appropriate lighting I should use...he's got his own room in my house for the weekend bc we are having a cold snap..he has a 32 ft x32 ft outside enclosure with a 3x5 ft off the ground house that has a heat lamp in it...we will be insulating it this weekend...I'm a new mom so any information would help...if all goes well with tank we have enough land to adopt more rescues in the future..I want them to be healthy and happy

 

[Tom]

I just rescue/purchased a 60ish lb sulcata...he's a big boy and we got a vet appointment Tuesday. We are right on the FL and Alabama line so I'm not sure about how I should winter him or the appropriate lighting I should use...he's got his own room in my house for the weekend bc we are having a cold snap..he has a 32 ft x32 ft outside enclosure with a 3x5 ft off the ground house that has a heat lamp in it...we will be insulating it this weekend...I'm a new mom so any information would help...if all goes well with tank we have enough land to adopt more rescues in the future..I want them to be healthy and happy

Here are two examples of the types of houses that work:

Double Door Night Box

As the years have gone by and I build more of these boxes, I learn more and more each time. This one is the latest and I incorporated everything I've learned over the years. I also tried to take lots of pics so I can explain in more detail some of what is going on. It will take multiple posts to...

tortoiseforum.org

Single Tortoise Night Box

I like my larger tortoises to live outside full time. My climate permits this year round with a little help. For people who live where it snows all winter, this type of box is still good for warmer weather, getting them out earlier in Spring, and keeping them out a bit later into fall. You'll...

tortoiseforum.org

Heat lamps are not only ineffective for larger tortoises, they are dangerous and will burn the carapace, while not effectively warming the whole tortoise.

Loose in your house is not good and the floor is too cold for them.

32x32 is a good size for a juvenile, but too small for a 60 pound adult. 50x50 is the usually minimum I recommend, but bigger than that is better. They need room to walk.

At that size, orchard grass hay should be the bulk of the diet. Add in other weeds, leaves, flowers and succulents for variety. It will take some time to get him eating hay if he's not used to it already.

 

[Katie11]

Here are two examples of the types of houses that work:

Double Door Night Box

As the years have gone by and I build more of these boxes, I learn more and more each time. This one is the latest and I incorporated everything I've learned over the years. I also tried to take lots of pics so I can explain in more detail some of what is going on. It will take multiple posts to...

tortoiseforum.org

Single Tortoise Night Box

I like my larger tortoises to live outside full time. My climate permits this year round with a little help. For people who live where it snows all winter, this type of box is still good for warmer weather, getting them out earlier in Spring, and keeping them out a bit later into fall. You'll...

tortoiseforum.org

Heat lamps are not only ineffective for larger tortoises, they are dangerous and will burn the carapace, while not effectively warming the whole tortoise.

Loose in your house is not good and the floor is too cold for them.

32x32 is a good size for a juvenile, but too small for a 60 pound adult. 50x50 is the usually minimum I recommend, but bigger than that is better. They need room to walk.

At that size, orchard grass hay should be the bulk of the diet. Add in other weeds, leaves, flowers and succulents for variety. It will take some time to get him eating hay if he's not used to it already.

Definitely helpful on so many levels...I will be ordering alot online tonight and purchasing alot from Lowe's tomorrow...we have a 55 acre pasture that borders us so he gets to have excursions every other day weather permitting..I'm mixing up fine cut Timothy hay with his food that usually consists of turnip tops, romaine, squash, sweet potatoes the occasional collards...we own a produce farm so he is set on greens and next year he will have his own row over other different varieties of greens...he doesn't like pumpkin...I will be extending his enclosure another 60 ft back...even though we are in the country we have city water, is it safe for his soaks in the bath tub? And he does have a nice soaking pond for summer in the make...thank u so much for all you've already informed me on...

 

[Maro2Bear]

Definitely helpful on so many levels...I will be ordering alot online tonight and purchasing alot from Lowe's tomorrow...we have a 55 acre pasture that borders us so he gets to have excursions every other day weather permitting..I'm mixing up fine cut Timothy hay with his food that usually consists of turnip tops, romaine, squash, sweet potatoes the occasional collards...we own a produce farm so he is set on greens and next year he will have his own row over other different varieties of greens...he doesn't like pumpkin...I will be extending his enclosure another 60 ft back...even though we are in the country we have city water, is it safe for his soaks in the bath tub? And he does have a nice soaking pond for summer in the make...thank u so much for all you've already informed me on...

Wow! Lots of land & space. Yes, your drinking water is perfectly fine to soak your Sully in. The more often, the better.

 

[Katie11]

Wow! Lots of land & space. Yes, your drinking water is perfectly fine to soak your Sully in. The more often, the better.

Ok thank u because I really been stressing over it...I found him with a lady that kept him in 2 pallets propped up and a tarp over it with moist mud as his house....she needed money and I fell in love with him...I just want to spoil him in a healthy way so he's happy