New here and sadly need to rehome adult male sulcata

A.Stout

New Member
Joined
Sep 28, 2017
Messages
6
Location (City and/or State)
Orange, CA
Hi all! I have two male sulcatas, Tank and Tiny, that are estimated to be almost 10 years old and easily 60 pounds, if not more. They have been together their entire life (I've had them since 2008), but just recently began showing signs of dominance/aggression. I will give more background information below to those who are interested, but Tiny was given that name because he started out smaller than Tank. He continued to be smaller until about two years ago. Once he was close to the same size as Tank, he began following him around, and eventually mounting him. If he mounts him from the front, Tank rams into him and flips him on his back. This was happening very rarely at first, and Tiny would only mount if he saw Tank. But now Tiny spends the entire day following Tank and trying to mount him. I feel terrible because I know that they are both stressed. My yard is too small to separate them. It kills me to have to give one of them up, but it would be selfish of me to keep them in a stressed environment. I wish I would have known that sulcatas should not be paired, but I was given incorrect information unfortunately. I am incredibly sad to give up Tiny, but he deserves a home where he will not need to try to prove his dominance. If you are interested, I live in Orange, CA. I have a two year old and a 6 month old so traveling is very hard right now, but if the right opportunity presents itself I will figure out a way to get Tiny a great new family. Tiny is in the first two attached pictures (the spot on his eye is from him being flipped right before taking this picture, it is not typically wet there) and Tank is the third picture. Below I will give probably too much information. I am learning through this site that I have not been a perfect owner, but I have been the best I could with the information I had. I am very open to suggestions and tips on how I can better care for my guy(s) from now on. Thank you!

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Background information:
My ex and I rescued Tank and Tiny in 2008 from a fish store. I knew nothing about sulcatas, but I was pretty sure that they at least needed some sort of heat lamp and water (which the glass container they were in did not have). I somehow convinced the store owner to let me take them to Prehistoric Pets in Huntington Beach, CA who are known for having Sulcatas in their store. A worker there told us that both tortoises had soft shells and would most likely not survive if kept in their current conditions. I went back to the fish store and got them to sell me the tortoises for half price and made it clear that they were harming those babies in hopes that they would not try to get any more in the future. The tortoises stayed at my ex's house and were cared for by him. From what I have learned over the years, they were not kept in the best conditions. Tank grew much faster than Tiny. They were kept in a glass aquarium, but taken outside and soaked at least every other day.

I'm pretty sure my ex planned this...two years after getting Tank and Tiny he went on vacation with his family and asked if I could watch them. He never asked for them back, and we broke up soon after that. My dad helped me build a much bigger inside enclosure, and I built a completely covered enclosure outside (we have hawks). Tank and Tiny spent all day outside and I would bring them in at night for heating purposes. Everything that I made or fed them came from information on the Sulcata Station website (no longer up and running), so I think I was doing pretty well. I moved in 2013, built a heat box, and they have been living outside year round since.

I would love to hear any suggestions on improvements I could make. I know that they both have some pyramiding. I believe I was misinformed that that is caused from diet. I have not been soaking them for years now, but spray them often with a hose. I know that there are areas to improve, and I'm looking forward to enhance my guys lives! Thank you for reading this novel if you actually made it all the way through! :)
 

Cowboy_Ken

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Nov 18, 2011
Messages
17,560
Location (City and/or State)
Suburban-life in Salem, Oregon
Greetings mom of Tank and Tiny,
It’s great to read a post by a new member. Go to the “specie specific section” and read the sulcata stickies as well as read threads just to take-in as much as you can. Big important things to remember are temperatures in the heated house and remember, at this age and in the future for the most part your tortoise is a grazer and should be eatin’ grasses for the most part and not so much supermarket greens. Wishin’ I was closer, I’d take him for you.
 

A.Stout

New Member
Joined
Sep 28, 2017
Messages
6
Location (City and/or State)
Orange, CA
Greetings mom of Tank and Tiny,
It’s great to read a post by a new member. Go to the “specie specific section” and read the sulcata stickies as well as read threads just to take-in as much as you can. Big important things to remember are temperatures in the heated house and remember, at this age and in the future for the most part your tortoise is a grazer and should be eatin’ grasses for the most part and not so much supermarket greens. Wishin’ I was closer, I’d take him for you.
Thank you! I have been reading as much as I can and have definitely realized how much incorrect information is out there (not on this site). My guys have only had grass from my yard plus sulcata-friendly plants since they moved outside permanently. I will look into the correct temperature of their heat box as well as putting in water buckets that I saw on a post from Tom. I look forward to enhancing their space! Thank you for the input, and I wish you were closer as well!
 

Tidgy's Dad

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Feb 11, 2015
Messages
48,236
Location (City and/or State)
Fes, Morocco
Hello, and a very warm welcome to Tortoise Forum. :)
I am very sorry to hear you may have to part with Tiny but it may be for the best.
Good luck with finding him a new happy home.
 

A.Stout

New Member
Joined
Sep 28, 2017
Messages
6
Location (City and/or State)
Orange, CA
Hello, and a very warm welcome to Tortoise Forum. :)
I am very sorry to hear you may have to part with Tiny but it may be for the best.
Good luck with finding him a new happy home.
Thank you very much! It will not be easy to let him go, but part of responsible pet ownership is doing what is best for the animal, right? And I can't think of a better person to take him than someone on this forum! :)
 

TammyJ

Well-Known Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 21, 2016
Messages
7,120
Location (City and/or State)
Jamaica
Hello and welcome. I wish you the best of good luck finding a great new home for Tiny. Thanks for caring so much!
 

Henrym1111

Member
Joined
Aug 14, 2017
Messages
64
Location (City and/or State)
Florida
My 5 month old sulcata’s name is tank lol. Best of luck finding Tiny a home!
 

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