Need guidance for indoor sulcata

[ReadyKay]

Hello, we recently adopted two sulcata tortoises, one is 2 years old with a 3.5” carapace, the second is a 3 year old with with a 4” carapace (measured length wise). We are extremely new to tortoises and are trying to very quickly catch up, we didn’t get them from a great breeder (a family friend who obvs doesn’t know what they’re doing) and are now realizing how much we need to do to make them thrive. We live in between Death Valley and the Sierra Nev Mtns in So. CA.
Question one - indoor or outdoor enclosure? I’ve been reading posts for 5 hours now and cannot understand if they are large enough to be outside or need to be indoors with outdoors sun time daily.
- if they do need to be indoors, how large should their separate enclosures be? We have space for large indoor enclosures, I’m under the impression that they’re considered juvenile tortoises?
- do they also need to be in a more closed off space that retains humidity at this age?

I’m panicking now because when we got them a month ago, they said they were hibernating. Now I know they’re not (it’s 72 F in their habitat), they’ve slowed down, not opening eyes, not eating. I’m going to fully wake them up and get them hydrated and eating if I can, any tips?. The larger one scratches around a little bit during the day. The smaller one hardly ever moves but is alive.

-They will also be separated today, another horrifying discovery I wish we knew before we got them. *facepalm*
Today I will be creating better enclosures for them, any help is appreciated!

 

[TechnoCheese]

Welcome to the forum!
You have at least one desert tortoise, probably two. That tortoise in the picture is not a sulcata. It has a nuchal scute. Someone will be here to answer more of your questions soon, but be sure to look into the legality of keeping them. Desert tortoises are highly protected, but I don’t know the laws around keeping them exactly.

 

[Tim Carlisle]

To add to TC's observation, since at least one if not both are desert torts, then they are a brumating species unlike sulcatas. They will burrow and sleep during the cold season.

 

[Tom]

Welcome to the forum!
You have at least one desert tortoise, probably two. That tortoise in the picture is not a sulcata. It has a nuchal scute. Someone will be here to answer more of your questions soon, but be sure to look into the legality of keeping them. Desert tortoises are highly protected, but I don’t know the laws around keeping them exactly.

Good catch! I took them at their word and didn't even look that closely.

 

[Tom]

View attachment 365445Hello, we recently adopted two sulcata tortoises, one is 2 years old with a 3.5” carapace, the second is a 3 year old with with a 4” carapace (measured length wise). We are extremely new to tortoises and are trying to very quickly catch up, we didn’t get them from a great breeder (a family friend who obvs doesn’t know what they’re doing) and are now realizing how much we need to do to make them thrive. We live in between Death Valley and the Sierra Nev Mtns in So. CA.
Question one - indoor or outdoor enclosure? I’ve been reading posts for 5 hours now and cannot understand if they are large enough to be outside or need to be indoors with outdoors sun time daily.
- if they do need to be indoors, how large should their separate enclosures be? We have space for large indoor enclosures, I’m under the impression that they’re considered juvenile tortoises?
- do they also need to be in a more closed off space that retains humidity at this age?

I’m panicking now because when we got them a month ago, they said they were hibernating. Now I know they’re not (it’s 72 F in their habitat), they’ve slowed down, not opening eyes, not eating. I’m going to fully wake them up and get them hydrated and eating if I can, any tips?. The larger one scratches around a little bit during the day. The smaller one hardly ever moves but is alive.

-They will also be separated today, another horrifying discovery I wish we knew before we got them. *facepalm*
Today I will be creating better enclosures for them, any help is appreciated!

Hello and welcome! Start here. Most of what you need will be found in this thread. There is a sulcata care sheet and also a temperate species care sheet for desert tortoises, near the bottom.

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

In addition to separating them ASAP, you have to get them properly warmed up. They cannot brumate at room temp. That is the "limbo" I speak of in this thread:

Tom's Brumation Thread

Every fall we get bombarded here on the forum with all sorts of questions and problems regarding hibernation and tortoises "slowing down" for winter. The purpose of this thread is to talk about all aspects of this subject, to dispel some of the myths and mysteries, and give a "how to" list of...

tortoiseforum.org

Questions are welcome!

 

[TammyJ]

Hello and welcome to the forum. Can we see some more pictures and some of the other tortoise? Anyway, a good first thing to do would be to soak them in warm water for at least half an hour to make sure they are hydrated. Keep the water warm and at a level where the top and bottom shells meet. Others here will continue to help you more than I can with my limited knowledge of either Desert or Sulcata tortoises.

 

[ReadyKay]

Hello and welcome to the forum. Can we see some more pictures and some of the other tortoise? Anyway, a good first thing to do would be to soak them in warm water for at least half an hour to make sure they are hydrated. Keep the water warm and at a level where the top and bottom shells meet. Others here will continue to help you more than I can with my limited knowledge of either Desert or Sulcata tortoises.

Welcome to the forum!
You have at least one desert tortoise, probably two. That tortoise in the picture is not a sulcata. It has a nuchal scute. Someone will be here to answer more of your questions soon, but be sure to look into the legality of keeping them. Desert tortoises are highly protected, but I don’t know the laws around keeping them exactly.

Hello and welcome to the forum. Can we see some more pictures and some of the other tortoise? Anyway, a good first thing to do would be to soak them in warm water for at least half an hour to make sure they are hydrated. Keep the water warm and at a level where the top and bottom shells meet. Others here will continue to help you more than I can with my limited knowledge of either Desert or Sulcata tortoises.

Hello and welcome to the forum. Can we see some more pictures and some of the other tortoise? Anyway, a good first thing to do would be to soak them in warm water for at least half an hour to make sure they are hydrated. Keep the water warm and at a level where the top and bottom shells meet. Others here will continue to help you more than I can with my limited knowledge of either Desert or Sulcata tortoises.

 

[Tim Carlisle]

Yep. Desert tort

 

[ReadyKay]

Hello and welcome! Start here. Most of what you need will be found in this thread. There is a sulcata care sheet and also a temperate species care sheet for desert tortoises, near the bottom.

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

In addition to separating them ASAP, you have to get them properly warmed up. They cannot brumate at room temp. That is the "limbo" I speak of in this thread:

Tom's Brumation Thread

Every fall we get bombarded here on the forum with all sorts of questions and problems regarding hibernation and tortoises "slowing down" for winter. The purpose of this thread is to talk about all aspects of this subject, to dispel some of the myths and mysteries, and give a "how to" list of...

tortoiseforum.org

Questions are welcome!

Thank you so much for the replies! My one question i wasn’t able to ascertain from the articles, do they remain indoors for the majority of time (each inch= hr of sunlight outside), until what age or size? Indoor enclosure at their age/length? I’ve seen conflicting info now, 8-10 inches to go outside vs. 2 years old. Sorry for the questions!

I am also going to double check all of the legality, I believe they’re legal, I need to register them asap.

 

[Tom]

Thank you so much for the replies! My one question i wasn’t able to ascertain from the articles, do they remain indoors for the majority of time (each inch= hr of sunlight outside), until what age or size? Indoor enclosure at their age/length? I’ve seen conflicting info now, 8-10 inches to go outside vs. 2 years old. Sorry for the questions!

I am also going to double check all of the legality, I believe they’re legal, I need to register them asap.

They grow at wildly different rates and for a lot of different reasons, so don't go by age. Go by size. There is no set time or size. Being outside full time is great for full size adults with the correct set up. Being outside full time for babies can be deadly and is not good for them. So where is the line? There really isn't one. Keep them sleeping inside until they get too big to be inside and it is better for them to be outside. They can survive if you put them outside full time at 2 inches, though it isn't good for them. Keeping a 12 inch adult inside full time is unnecessary and not so good for them due to space constraints. This is where I made up the general guideline of an hour of access to sun per inch of tortoise. Little babies do best when they spend most of their time inside in stable controlled correct conditions. As they grow, its good for them to get used to being outside more and more, but still sleep inside in their controlled conditions. At some point, maybe around 6-8 inches for a DT, it just begins to make more sense to keep them outside full time and have them sleep safely closed up in a temperature controlled night box or in a burrow in summer.