Need help - Soaking a GIANT Sulcata Tort

Cali27

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Hello All!

I’m excited to have recently found this forum. I’ve read a bit and poked around some of the FAQ and saw that soaking is still recommended 2x/week for adults.

We recently rescued a very large African (?) Sulcata (?) Tortoise. We’ve previous had permits to rehab California Desert Tortoises and I spent many many years as a Veterinary Technician where I was lucky to have some exotic exposure and took on a few injured torts that were brought in hit by car and such, with shell damage, etc.

But… this is the first time I’ve had such a GIANT and this particular type. I can not pick this guy up without help from another person. I don’t have experience with these big guys. Do adults this large still need to soak? Do I need to be considering installing a backyard shallow pond?

I don’t have a formal weight or measurement on him but I can provide those later if that helps. Suffice it to say he’s large, previous owners gave him up because he was eating plastic kid toys in their yard and they couldn’t seem to keep him out of the stuff and the kids constantly left unsafe stuff out in his yard.

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Next to a large pig to show size.



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Yvonne G

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Once my sulcata got big enough to live outdoors I quit soaking him. I provided a waterer big enough that he could fit comfortably inside and he drank and soaked on his own.

I'd like to address other things I see in your pictures:

The tortoise is going to eat pig feces and what the pig eats is probably not good for the tortoise. And if you feed your pig dewormer you'll poison your tortoise. In my opinion they should not live together.

The sulcata has evolved to live in a very hot environment - day and NIGHT, so a blanket covered night box isn't appropriate. He needs a heater that keeps his night box in the 80's, especially when the night time temperature drops.

Please go to the sulcata section and read our sulcata care sheet.
 

Cali27

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Hi Yvonne,

Thank you so much for your reply. A waterer big enough for him to fit comfortably inside would basically be a small pond at this point. Maybe I need to work on that for his future, I saw a few photos on another thread where someone dug a hole, poured some rough cement and kept it shallow enough you could sweep it and hose it out.

The pig photo was just shown for size comparison - he's no longer with that pig that was a very temporary setup the night he arrived here so hopefully no long term damage was done there. That said there is a horse, a different pig and sheep and chickens nearby so I'll try to be more aware of the feces eating idea. Hmmm not sure how I could keep the chickens away!

The blanketed cover box was also a short term thing. He's on a Kane heating mate inside a barn now. We're in Southern California so our winters are pretty mild, but even still the Kane heating mat is available all day if he wants it.

Any suggestions for low water pans that a guy this size won't just constantly dump while I work on the whole small-pond idea?
 
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Cali27

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Funny that you posted this today. I was paging through some of my photos & up popped an old pix (4 years ago or so) when we were soaking our Sully.

They can be a handful & stubborn 😀🐢

View attachment 353886
How ever did you get him IN there though? Lift with two people?
 

Yvonne G

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My sulcata waterer is the lid from a garbage dumpster, sunk into the ground. He walks right in and I just lift a side and dump daly.
 

Tom

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The blanketed cover box was also a short term thing. He's on a Kane heating mate inside a barn now. We're in Southern California so our winters are pretty mild, but even still the Kane heating mat is available all day if he wants it.
Hello and welcome! Congrats on the new adventure!

Soaking isn't "necessary" for large ones IF IF IF you are sure they are drinking enough and staying hydrated on their own. The pond would be a very good idea. More hydration is better. I also recommend at least two large water sources sunk into the ground. It is common for large sulcatas, and DTs too, to get bladder stones and die. Dehydration is a big component of those stones, with protein intake and lack of walking being two other major contributing factors.

The Kane mat alone is not nearly enough, unless the whole barn is also heated to 80+ degrees day and night. The tortoise needs a heated shelter for night and the cold rainy days we've been having. Here are two examples:

This heated shelter can be inside the barn too, if that is convenient.

Where in SoCal are you? Very different advice for Palm Springs vs. Redondo Beach. Or Big Bear vs. Pasadena. I keep the box thermostats set to 80 in spring and fall when days are warm and sunny and the tortoises can come out and bask to warm up. I keep the boxes set to 86 in winter when they can't get warm enough outside. I'm up in SCV, so I let the sulcatas and DTs burrow in summer to escape the heat, and I leave the boxes unplugged at that time.
 

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