EvanM
New Member
I live in Northern Virginia. I have a ~3 year old sulcata named Clover who is about 11" and 8.2lb (scale might be low). I bought him as a hatchling and I have got the idea in my head that I want to keep him for life. But right now I am a college student with no income, I live in a temperate climate (cold for half the year), and he cannot graze in my backyard as it is sprayed for weeds. Furthermore, my dad helped me build him a 4x8 enclosure last year and I fear that he has long outgrown it, or he will soon. The temperatures are about right according to the various guides, but there is no humidity whatsoever, being that the enclosure is open topped. As such, he seems to have developed a respiratory infection. I am overdue for a vet visit.
I can fix the enclosure, increase the humidity, and keep him on a good diet indefinitely. I buy store-bought dandelions and other dark leafy greens during winter, give him a cuttlebone, TNT, mazuri pellets, and vitamins + calcium powder, and he grazes at the local park during the warmer months. But I am stuck in college with low or no income for the next two years, and at the rate he is growing, it will be difficult to provide for him. I am nowhere close to owning a property on which I can build an outdoor enclosure, and even if I were to succeed in doing that, the climate tends to be cold and dry for a good portion of the year.
I never wanted to admit this, probably out of selfishness, but perhaps I should let him go. I love sulcatas, and I am devoted to animals in general, but ultimately, their right to a happy and healthy life supercedes my wants. In a few years I will likely have some income, much of which I will happily spend to ensure my tortoise's health, but I fear that these next few years will not be good for his development as I struggle to provide for his basic needs.
I have become very attached to this animal, but fortunately I think he is not attached to me (I'm not sure if reptiles can form bonds with humans). Should I let him go or hang on and try to fix everything I can until I have a stable income and a house/yard of my own? If so, how would I release him into better hands? Thank you for reading this.
I can fix the enclosure, increase the humidity, and keep him on a good diet indefinitely. I buy store-bought dandelions and other dark leafy greens during winter, give him a cuttlebone, TNT, mazuri pellets, and vitamins + calcium powder, and he grazes at the local park during the warmer months. But I am stuck in college with low or no income for the next two years, and at the rate he is growing, it will be difficult to provide for him. I am nowhere close to owning a property on which I can build an outdoor enclosure, and even if I were to succeed in doing that, the climate tends to be cold and dry for a good portion of the year.
I never wanted to admit this, probably out of selfishness, but perhaps I should let him go. I love sulcatas, and I am devoted to animals in general, but ultimately, their right to a happy and healthy life supercedes my wants. In a few years I will likely have some income, much of which I will happily spend to ensure my tortoise's health, but I fear that these next few years will not be good for his development as I struggle to provide for his basic needs.
I have become very attached to this animal, but fortunately I think he is not attached to me (I'm not sure if reptiles can form bonds with humans). Should I let him go or hang on and try to fix everything I can until I have a stable income and a house/yard of my own? If so, how would I release him into better hands? Thank you for reading this.