I went to the reptile show in san diego and came back with a sulcate tortise. He is older and not a baby I was told 20 but really if he is 20 he is under weight and small I think but I am new to keeping them so I do not know. I live in reno nevada and plan on keeping him outside in the summer. I will get a picture up and weight later. Just wanted to say hi and see what article I must read to start an adventure of learning and keeping my new family member.
New owner of a sulcata
- Thread starter AaaRr
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RE: New owner of a sulcat.
Hi! Welcome to TFO!
Hi! Welcome to TFO!
RE: New owner of a sulcat.
Hello and welcome to the forum..
Hello and welcome to the forum..
RE: New owner of a sulcat.
Hi AaaRr:
Welcome to the forum!!
May we know your name?
A 20 year old sulcata would be probably close to 100lbs. My Dudley is 20 and he's 105lbs.
Any sulcata over 10lbs should be considered an outside tortoise. He can be outside day and night in Reno. Make sure he has plenty of shade, lots of grass and weeds to eat, and a waterer he can climb into.
Its a good idea to place his hiding place (dog house or whatever) in the shade. A dog house in the sun is like an oven.
Hi AaaRr:
Welcome to the forum!!
May we know your name?
A 20 year old sulcata would be probably close to 100lbs. My Dudley is 20 and he's 105lbs.
Any sulcata over 10lbs should be considered an outside tortoise. He can be outside day and night in Reno. Make sure he has plenty of shade, lots of grass and weeds to eat, and a waterer he can climb into.
Its a good idea to place his hiding place (dog house or whatever) in the shade. A dog house in the sun is like an oven.
RE: New owner of a sulcat.
Yes sorry my name is Deven the turtle is unnamed. I planed on him living outside day and night and a home inside the garage in the winter. Currently working on his home right now its going to be about 32 x 26 feet 2 feet high. I am making him a cave and not a dog house mainly because I figured a dog house would get to hot and a cave typically stays around 63 degree and I can always heat it and it would be more insulated. I will take pictures of his soon to be enclosure. I know they can not eat any rhubarb or beans. That is all I have found any other things not to feed besides the obvious toxic plants.
emysemys said:
Yes sorry my name is Deven the turtle is unnamed. I planed on him living outside day and night and a home inside the garage in the winter. Currently working on his home right now its going to be about 32 x 26 feet 2 feet high. I am making him a cave and not a dog house mainly because I figured a dog house would get to hot and a cave typically stays around 63 degree and I can always heat it and it would be more insulated. I will take pictures of his soon to be enclosure. I know they can not eat any rhubarb or beans. That is all I have found any other things not to feed besides the obvious toxic plants.
RE: New owner of a sulcat.
Hello Deven, the link below has a lot of good info on food and it has helped me a lot with my Sulcata..
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread...ed-Greeks-Russians-Sulcatas-etc#axzz1PvyYyRB6
Hello Deven, the link below has a lot of good info on food and it has helped me a lot with my Sulcata..
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread...ed-Greeks-Russians-Sulcatas-etc#axzz1PvyYyRB6
RE: New owner of a sulcat.
Hello and Welcome, im Excited to See Pictures Soon!
Hello and Welcome, im Excited to See Pictures Soon!
RE: New owner of a sulcat.
Congrats on getting a sulcata! Mine is only 3 months or so, still very little. I am looking forward to him being able to be outside when he gets a little bigger. Welcome to TFO! You will get a lot of wonderful info on here and lots of tort lovers
Congrats on getting a sulcata! Mine is only 3 months or so, still very little. I am looking forward to him being able to be outside when he gets a little bigger. Welcome to TFO! You will get a lot of wonderful info on here and lots of tort lovers
RE: New owner of a sulcat.
Welcome to the forum!
Welcome to the forum!
RE: New owner of a sulcat.
Welcome to the forum!
Here is some advice on what and how to feed - http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread...ises-The-Balanced-Diet-Revealed#axzz1PwhL3tO4
Welcome to the forum!
Here is some advice on what and how to feed - http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread...ises-The-Balanced-Diet-Revealed#axzz1PwhL3tO4
RE: New owner of a sulcat.
Welcome
Welcome
RE: New owner of a sulcat.
Welcome I hope you enjoy your visits
I will tell you what my sulcata loves to eat grape leaves, hibiscus flowers and leaves, dandelions plant and flowers, those would be a good start.
Welcome I hope you enjoy your visits
I will tell you what my sulcata loves to eat grape leaves, hibiscus flowers and leaves, dandelions plant and flowers, those would be a good start.
RE: New owner of a sulcat.
Thank you for both articles I have read them both and am learning a lot. Okay now time for the pictures I promised. He does have some pyramiding I just got him and knew very little about them but he will now be served a good fresh diet and live out side where he can get some rays if he chooses. Also he is crying I just searched it in the forums and says can be cause from low humidity or not enough and to spray the tortoise does this seem about right?
And I cant edit the change to the title should be Sulcata.
Thank you for both articles I have read them both and am learning a lot. Okay now time for the pictures I promised. He does have some pyramiding I just got him and knew very little about them but he will now be served a good fresh diet and live out side where he can get some rays if he chooses. Also he is crying I just searched it in the forums and says can be cause from low humidity or not enough and to spray the tortoise does this seem about right?
And I cant edit the change to the title should be Sulcata.
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I fixed the title for you
Yes, watering/bubbly eyes is a sign of dehydration, and also over heating. Rather than just spraying, I would get a tub of some sort. Put enough water in it that the tortoise can submerge his whole head, but also lift it out of the water without difficulty. The water should be warm, not hot. Leave the tortoise for 10-20 minutes or until he stops drinking.
Yes, watering/bubbly eyes is a sign of dehydration, and also over heating. Rather than just spraying, I would get a tub of some sort. Put enough water in it that the tortoise can submerge his whole head, but also lift it out of the water without difficulty. The water should be warm, not hot. Leave the tortoise for 10-20 minutes or until he stops drinking.
i use a large plastic garbage can lid and bury it into the ground just a bit. the water can ge very hot, so change it or place in the shade. if you take pics of the underside and tail, we can tell you if its a male or female.
Who was selling this? i got all four of mine thru rescues. im glad you are doing your research. You may find housing in the garage in the winter may be difficult. check out maggies post about BOB the sulcata..
Who was selling this? i got all four of mine thru rescues. im glad you are doing your research. You may find housing in the garage in the winter may be difficult. check out maggies post about BOB the sulcata..
M
Maggie Cummings
Guest
That poor tortoise. I am so glad you got him and will now give him a better life. His pyramiding is not too terrible. But you can look at his legs and face and see that he's had a hard life. They do cry for no reason at times that's why they're called the crying tortoise. Spray him and give him a warm soak. My Bob is about 100 pounds and 13 years old. And my sister's Dudley is 20 years and over 100 pounds so you can see that your guy is small. You've been given some great links, please ask any questions you have. I'd say for now diet is what you need to fix right away. Does your yard have grass and weeds?
Hi Deven:
I'd say your tortoise is around 12 to 15 years old. Congrats on your new tortoise. I'm sure you are really going to enjoy having him in your back yard. Sulcata is a great tortoise and becomes very humanized in just a short while.
I'd say your tortoise is around 12 to 15 years old. Congrats on your new tortoise. I'm sure you are really going to enjoy having him in your back yard. Sulcata is a great tortoise and becomes very humanized in just a short while.
Laura said:
I read a ton about bob and I do not think I could find the right post went back about 5 or 6 pages of posts that Maggie posted about bob they where all funny he seems like a rebel! Well I weighed and measured my guy today, shell length not really sure what the correct way of measuring a tortoise is but I did length of shell it was 14 1/2 inches long. He weighed 18 pounds exactly used a medical scale. I am almost sure it is a male but will take some of his underside. The lid I have covered it is a bottom of a very large planting pot and works great. He already got a soak and a spray today and is now passed out in his temporary home while we finish up his enclosure. Bought the bricks for the wall today and the delivered them today which was very fast but helpful and should be done tomorrow or the day after. I got Mr. Unnamed from the San Diego Zoo Reptile Show from a company call The Reptile Den I have really no other information about them and plan on calling them tomorrow to find out more about Mr. Unnamed hopefully age.
the bricks will need to be filled with dirt of held in place some how..
if you saw Bobs Pool thread.. you will see how they bulldoze thru them..
if you saw Bobs Pool thread.. you will see how they bulldoze thru them..
M
Maggie Cummings
Guest
I'm thinking that this might be what Laura meant for you to read. Housing him in the garage may not work. I know about Reno's winter's as a matter of fact I was an over the road truck driver for a number of years and the very first time I had to chain up my trailer was in Reno so I could get over the mountain to be home for Christmas. Then after I was all chained up I had to wait for them to open the road.
I have spent some time in Reno, going way back in the day I was a Keno runner living in a motel with 4 other Keno runners and I was sleeping on the floor for quite a few months. Sure made the money tho......but I think that story is for another book...
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Bob-s-shed--20710#axzz1PyggpP3t
I have spent some time in Reno, going way back in the day I was a Keno runner living in a motel with 4 other Keno runners and I was sleeping on the floor for quite a few months. Sure made the money tho......but I think that story is for another book...
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Bob-s-shed--20710#axzz1PyggpP3t
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