Hi! We are about to *hopefully* purchase a baby Sulcata. I have scoured books and the internet to make sure this is something we undoubtedly want to commit to due to their size and life expectancy, and we (myself, husband, and children) are all in. We have the space for an outdoor enclosure when the time comes as well as plenty of land and zero restrictions. I am basically asking for the best advice from experienced Sulcata owners on what you would have done differently or what you wish you knew when you got your first Sulcata.
The_Four_Toed_Edward
Well-Known Member
Welcome to the forum, you are in the right place. I am sure plenty of sulcata owners will chime in soon.
What is the weather like there?
What is the weather like there?
Littleredfootbigredheart
Well-Known Member
How exciting!! I do want to start off by saying that unfortunately a lot of the information out there is very outdated, I know firsthand how confusing and contradictory care information can feel when first researching, trust me when I say you can’t go wrong using this forum as your only source whilst everything is so new, it’ll save you SO much confusion, other sources are often repeating the same old outdated stuff, everything on this forum is up to date and you can always challenge members on their answers to get to the nitty gritty of all the information you need
@Tom is definitely the go to guy on everything you’ll need to know here!
In the meantime feel free to check this thread out, I created it using the recommended care information on this forum
this thread covers correct equipment(uvb, heating bulbs, lighting etc, stores tend to sell the wrong bulbs so I’d double check), correct levels, importance of a closed chamber for younger tortoises(only way to maintain the humidity you need), appropriately maintaining the humidity, safe substrates, there’s lots of visual examples for everything, and a really handy diet link to check out! If ever going with a greenhouse, the lower the ceiling height, whilst still allowing for recommended bulb height, the better! But I’ll include some more ideas below for closed chambers
tortoiseforum.org
This includes different closed chamber options, some work better than others
tortoiseforum.org
Lastly, this one here is probably most important to go over and keep on hand, it’ll help you avoid the wrong bulbs, substrates, housing etc, I always encourage double checking purchases on the forum too before buying
tortoiseforum.org
Hope they come in handy! Welcome to the forum
@Tom is definitely the go to guy on everything you’ll need to know here!
In the meantime feel free to check this thread out, I created it using the recommended care information on this forum
this thread covers correct equipment(uvb, heating bulbs, lighting etc, stores tend to sell the wrong bulbs so I’d double check), correct levels, importance of a closed chamber for younger tortoises(only way to maintain the humidity you need), appropriately maintaining the humidity, safe substrates, there’s lots of visual examples for everything, and a really handy diet link to check out! If ever going with a greenhouse, the lower the ceiling height, whilst still allowing for recommended bulb height, the better! But I’ll include some more ideas below for closed chambers Leopard/sulcata starter
Hello there! In this thread I’m going to include some information below on how I’d personally tackle an indoor starter set up for a leopard/sulcata until they’re bigger. Hopefully it helps give people some ideas!” I know it looks like a lot to go over, I like to make sure all bases are covered...
tortoiseforum.org
This includes different closed chamber options, some work better than others
Visual inspiration
Hi guys! I’ve had some lovely messages complimenting me on my care sheets I made for all the visuals they include! That makes me so happy because as a visual learner myself, that was my goal🥰 I’ve recently had some requests for some more visual inspiration for set ups that can house babies/...
tortoiseforum.org
Lastly, this one here is probably most important to go over and keep on hand, it’ll help you avoid the wrong bulbs, substrates, housing etc, I always encourage double checking purchases on the forum too before buying
Common keeping errors
Hello everyone! I’d been a long time lurker on this site long before joining just under a year ago now, over that time I’ve seen these husbandry issues come up time and time again, sometimes with dire consequences☹️ I thought this thread might serve as a good visual guide for these common...
tortoiseforum.org
Hope they come in handy! Welcome to the forum
Welcome and best of luck as you venture into the wild blue yonder of Sulcata ownership!
Please be aware that many baby Sulcata tortoises being sold now have, or have been exposed to, a deadly disease of reptiles called Austwickia Chelonae.
We hope you can post pictures of the tortoise you are thinking of getting before you go ahead and get it, also please let us know where you are going to get it from? Just to lessen the possibility of your getting a sick tortoise.
Please be aware that many baby Sulcata tortoises being sold now have, or have been exposed to, a deadly disease of reptiles called Austwickia Chelonae.
We hope you can post pictures of the tortoise you are thinking of getting before you go ahead and get it, also please let us know where you are going to get it from? Just to lessen the possibility of your getting a sick tortoise.
You made a very smart choice coming here and posting ahead of time. I'd like to help you make another smart choice: Pick a different species.
Sulcatas are the wrong species for almost everyone. They simply get too large and destructive and if you can't house them outdoors in a huge outdoor enclosure year round, there is no practical way to do it indoors. I just looked at the weather in Nashville. Looks like mostly highs in the 40s and 50s and overcast most the time. It's just too cold too much of the time. You'll be fine in summer, but do you have 2500 square feet of 80+ degree heated indoor space for winter? Do you really want to build an insulated 50x50 foot barn with heated floors and spend $1000+ a month on heating and lighting all winter long?
Another reason to reconsider: Almost no one anywhere in the world starts babies correctly. A large percentage of the ones bought at reptile expos or from pet shops or from many of the online sellers die within a few weeks or months because of this sad fact. If you really want a sulcata, we will help you find a good breeder, but most "reputable" sellers are not doing it right, and YOU and the baby tortoise will pay the price for their ignorance and laziness. This reason can be overcome if you just buy from the right source, but it doesn't solve the huge size or destructiveness problems.
Also, many people get a baby and figure they have 5-10 years to figure out how to solve these housing problems. They don't. They are too big to live indoors in about a year. Maybe two years if you have a slow grower that wasn't started right or raised correctly. You can look right here on this forum and see dozens of posters from all over the country that were very active and thrilled with their baby sulcata, and then they go quiet after a year or two. 6-12 months after that, they are posting about re-homing their beloved tortoise because they've realized that there is no practical way to house this species in most of the country. You can make it work in southern portions of CA, FL, AZ, TX and LA. Outside of those areas, it is just too cold too much of the time. Even in those areas, there are winter cold spells that bring huge challenges to match this huge tropical heat loving species.
I recommend you pick a species that can be brumated over winter, or that can be housed indoors reasonably easy over winter. Any of the Testudo species fit this bill. Russians, hermanni, marginated, or the wide variety of greeks. Box turtles are awesome. Burmese stars are hardy, personable and beautiful. Pancakes are fascinating and gorgeous. Cherry headed red foots can work in your area, but they will need large indoor housing in the colder months. Room sized enclosures, or a large insulted outdoor shed.
I'd stay away from leopard tortoises. Many people have trouble keeping them healthy in your climate. South African type leopards might do well in your area, and they do tolerate cold to a degree, but they also get huge. If you want a large tortoise, Manouria would be a better choice than a sulcata. They get big, but no so big the one person can't lift them. They are also a montane species, and tolerate cold better than most other species, but this will still be a big challenge in winter for you and they still need a large heated space.
Your questions are welcome. Most of the care info found from most sources is old, outdated, and just plain wrong. This thread will help a lot:
Info For New People. Please Read This First.
Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...
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