Charlie is a 16 year old sulcata. I've had him since he was a baby. 
New member from California
- Thread starter Big Charlie
- Start date
DreReyes
Member
- Joined
- Jun 20, 2015
- Messages
- 54
Looks awesome!!
- Joined
- Apr 3, 2013
- Messages
- 10,876
Hello
Wow, Charlie was, and is, a very beautiful fellow.
Hello to you both and a very warm welcome to Tortoise Forum.
Hello to you both and a very warm welcome to Tortoise Forum.
Hello and welcome. Charlie looks great.
I'd love to know where you are and how you raised him. He looks great!
I'd love to know where you are and how you raised him. He looks great!
What a beautiful tort you have!!!
Well, you've done a damn fine job of raising Charlie. He's a beaut!!
Welcome to the Forum!
Welcome to the Forum!
Thank you all very much for your warm welcome!
We're in central California so the weather is ideal for Charlie most of the year. We had a ranch when until Charlie was around 5 or 6. At first he had an aquarium indoors. I used to take him outside and let him roam around. Once I got distracted and lost sight of him. He was gone for 3 days, then showed up right outside the door. I was amazed he knew how to find his way home!
When we moved to our current home in the suburbs, we put Charlie out in a small fenced-in garden while we were deciding what kind of shelter to build for him. It was summer. He dug himself a burrow. Then we decided to leave the gate open and let him roam the entire yard. During the winter I set up a place with a heat lamp on the porch. When it rains hard or gets very cold, he goes there.
After awhile, the original burrow collapsed. He likes to dig his burrows against some kind of barrier. The next place he chose for a burrow went under the fence under our neighbors yard. I don't know how the neighbor realized it but he was mad. We had to fill in the burrow and the neighbor build a wall that extends underground 3 feet to keep him out. Sadly, it was winter so he couldn't dig another burrow, so he spent most of the winter on the patio in his shelter.
Then he built another burrow back in the same fenced-in garden he had used before. He's been in this burrow for years, but it has caused a major problem. It is so huge that it goes under the patio and under our house, so we have hired a contractor to fill it in before the house collapses.
We're in central California so the weather is ideal for Charlie most of the year. We had a ranch when until Charlie was around 5 or 6. At first he had an aquarium indoors. I used to take him outside and let him roam around. Once I got distracted and lost sight of him. He was gone for 3 days, then showed up right outside the door. I was amazed he knew how to find his way home!
When we moved to our current home in the suburbs, we put Charlie out in a small fenced-in garden while we were deciding what kind of shelter to build for him. It was summer. He dug himself a burrow. Then we decided to leave the gate open and let him roam the entire yard. During the winter I set up a place with a heat lamp on the porch. When it rains hard or gets very cold, he goes there.
After awhile, the original burrow collapsed. He likes to dig his burrows against some kind of barrier. The next place he chose for a burrow went under the fence under our neighbors yard. I don't know how the neighbor realized it but he was mad. We had to fill in the burrow and the neighbor build a wall that extends underground 3 feet to keep him out. Sadly, it was winter so he couldn't dig another burrow, so he spent most of the winter on the patio in his shelter.
Then he built another burrow back in the same fenced-in garden he had used before. He's been in this burrow for years, but it has caused a major problem. It is so huge that it goes under the patio and under our house, so we have hired a contractor to fill it in before the house collapses.
Welcome to the forum!!
Charlie looks fantastic!!
Charlie looks fantastic!!
- Joined
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- 29,068
- Location (City and/or State)
- South Eastern Florida (U.S.A.)/Rock Hill S.C.
Welcome from Florida
It looks like you've done a really great job.
It looks like you've done a really great job.
Alaskamike
Well-Known Member
Wow. I have seen very few Sulcata raised from babies that old that look that good. The burrowing might be why his shell is in such good smooth condition. I understand the burrowing issue, and they do seem to want to dig right up against something else. Several Sulcata keepers have tried to stop this by building their Sully's a burrow where the people want it.
This way you control where it goes, and how long/ deep it is. Lots of work, but could be a solution. Since after you fill in the under house one, He will eventually just dig another, to self regulate temps/humidity and for a nice comfy sleeping place.
I built a small once for my 8lb sully... here http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/tiny-tales.100944/page-7
@Tom built a much better one, for a large Sulcata, maybe he can point you to the link.
Welcome
This way you control where it goes, and how long/ deep it is. Lots of work, but could be a solution. Since after you fill in the under house one, He will eventually just dig another, to self regulate temps/humidity and for a nice comfy sleeping place.
I built a small once for my 8lb sully... here http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/tiny-tales.100944/page-7
@Tom built a much better one, for a large Sulcata, maybe he can point you to the link.
Welcome
Wow, sounds like his burrowing days need to come to an end. :-( He is a gorgeous trouble maker though!
Speedy-1
Well-Known Member
Charlie is very cool , sure makes Speedy look like a shrimp ! 
Oh well , he has 15 more years to get there I guess !
Oh well , he has 15 more years to get there I guess !
Thank you for the link! Your built burrow looks wonderful. We should do something like that. We need to find the ideal spot for it.
We've noticed that Charlie never stops digging. Another thing that is very interesting is that there is a lower part in his burrow, like a basement. Someone suggested that it might be a water collection spot, so if the burrow floods, the water won't reach the end. It looks something like this:
Alaskamike
Well-Known Member
That's interesting. Mine has been digging and rearranging down in his. I should try and get a camera down there to see what he's done with the place.
He come out of there covered in dirt.
Since my box has an open floor he could be making it deeper.
We've had monsoon rains here the last 4 days. I could see the tunnel was filling with water. He just came out and waited till the water soaked in and went back down in the mud. He must be having a great old time in there.
He come out of there covered in dirt.
Since my box has an open floor he could be making it deeper.
We've had monsoon rains here the last 4 days. I could see the tunnel was filling with water. He just came out and waited till the water soaked in and went back down in the mud. He must be having a great old time in there.
Very interesting. It's too bad we can't just let these boogers do their thing. Welcome to the forum! By the looks of your sulcata, it looks like you're goi g to be a great contribution to the forum.
Welcome to the Forum. Charlie is a very handsome sulcata. He is so tiny in the one picture with the Lego people.
Thank you! I love having that picture to remind how tiny he once was. That's one of the most amazing things about sulcatas - that they start so small and get so big!
