New thread for Tom

[TylerStewart]

Sorry but I have to go off-topic for a minute. TYLER! That is a remarkable looking sulcata! Is it female? (smallish head and gulars) The growth rings are somewhat pronounced, so it doesn't appear w/c. Is it? What's the story? PLEASE start a thread just to show beauty shots like that one and of any others you have like that.

Glad you like her (it is a her). I believe she is CB, and was raised in So Cal (with these big tortoises, it's often pretty hard to track down perfect information on them since they have often switched hands a few times). I have 2 more from the same source that look exactly the same - one with slightly more pyramiding (you can see her in the next pic). I have others like these (smooth), and usually try to get rid of the "bumpy" ones I come across and stick with the smoother ones I have. Most of my torts haven't been photographed much. Here's a few more:

My boy doing what he does best (about 2 weeks ago):

Another female (with gravel on her back) from yesterday:

That last photo is the same tortoise as the one closest to me in this shot from last year:

Two of the 4 on this last photo have been sold (the 2 that show slight pyramiding). The big smooth one (male) in front of my neice is still here.

 

[Tom]

Thank you.

Love the pics and your torts look fantastic, even though you can't take the credit for making them that way. I'd sure like to track down the original owners and ask them how they were raised.

Your tortoise yard looks like my dream yard. Is that painted plywood? Is it mounted to posts in the ground?

BTW, I don't remember how we left it. Am I invited to come see your place, or did I still need to bring some hot chicks or something...? If I'm still going to have to wait in the car, its just not worth the drive...

 

[TylerStewart]

It is painted 3/4" plywood, and I have 2x4 redwood stakes on the backside (I just cut them to a point and pound them in about every 36"). I also have a horizontal 2x4 running the top lip on the backside which helps keep the whole wall nice and straight - you can kinda see it in the next enclosure over on the top left. The redwood stakes holds up nicely in the ground, where other woods rot with time and moisture.

I have been taking photos of them lately trying to get an insurance policy to cover my tortoises, and some of them want individual photos (been a nightmare). I am and will always be paranoid about theft, and still put anything over about a $500 value inside when we aren't here to watch it.

About the visit, give me 6-8 months; there'll be better stuff to see by then. Right now, it's all split between 2 places and is getting congested in both places. We'll be moving most of the smaller stuff (Testudo) to the new place probably late this fall and space will be opened up everywhere else. Still wouldn't hurt to bring hot chicks, though.

 

[spikethebest]

I have been taking photos of them lately trying to get an insurance policy to cover my tortoises, and some of them want individual photos (been a nightmare). I am and will always be paranoid about theft, and still put anything over about a $500 value inside when we aren't here to watch it.

thats why i have a camera system. i can monitor at work, at a friend's house, or on my cell phone while I'm driving!

which pet insurance company are you working with? I have been trying to get Littlefoot insured, but no one will do it, unless I put it unless an umbrella policy on the house, which i cant do.

 

[TylerStewart]

I'm not dealing with the pet insurance places, because they keep wanting to cover vet costs and checkups which I'm not interested in getting coverage for. I'm going through a friend who is looking around but was having a hard time getting me what I'm after (basically, just theft insurance, or catastrophic loss - flood, fire, etc). Apparently, we're getting close to having it all figured out. Homeowners I think would cover a "pet" but not in the quantity that I have.

Cameras only work if you have time to watch them constantly, which I don't. They also don't do much good if you're more than 5 minutes away (or out of town). You wouldn't likely be able to ID a person on any camera. I don't really want to watch someone pack up my tortoises from my cell phone, so it's not something I want to do right now. I have more faith in my dogs as a deterrent than I would a camera system. I think there are better security solutions like sensors that text message you when movement happens between certain points, like a driveway. without the person knowing he had been caught - then maybe jump to a camera once you've been alerted to something going on.

 

[spikethebest]

All your points are valid. But my neighbors are close enough, where I can call them, and alert them, and I have 11 cameras, so I think at least one of them could ID a car/person.

I have also looked into very small GPS tracking devices you can put on the tortoise. I think the best location is under the carapace where the back legs go in.

 

[Laura]

MORE pictures please!! I also like to see other people enclosures and hear how they built it..
Beautiful!!!!

 

[TortieGal]

Thanks, great pictures! Awesome tortoise's and cute kids. They're so lucky to have big Sulcata's to play with, I bet they love it.
I really like your yard two. I live on five acres and a couple of it is weeds but I'm pretty sure he could get through the no climb horse fence pretty easy plus there's lots of coons around here I have to worry about. I'm not looking forward to moving him outside.

 

[TortieLuver]

Good idea Tyler for your enclosures. I would love to see more pictures too. It's unfortunate that these days we have to be so careful about having our torts taken.

 

[TylerStewart]

Got another photo today - they seemed to all be throwing mud on their backs. You can kinda see the shade cloth shadow I have over them in the summer - it helps significantly with temperatures.

 

[Laura]

Do you see them 'thowing ' the mudd? Mine end up muddy sometimes and Im not sure how it happens!

 

[DeanS]

Sorry but I have to go off-topic for a minute. TYLER! That is a remarkable looking sulcata! Is it female? (smallish head and gulars) The growth rings are somewhat pronounced, so it doesn't appear w/c. Is it? What's the story? PLEASE start a thread just to show beauty shots like that one and of any others you have like that.

Glad you like her (it is a her). I believe she is CB, and was raised in So Cal (with these big tortoises, it's often pretty hard to track down perfect information on them since they have often switched hands a few times). I have 2 more from the same source that look exactly the same - one with slightly more pyramiding (you can see her in the next pic). I have others like these (smooth), and usually try to get rid of the "bumpy" ones I come across and stick with the smoother ones I have. Most of my torts haven't been photographed much. Here's a few more:

My boy doing what he does best (about 2 weeks ago):

Another female (with gravel on her back) from yesterday:

That last photo is the same tortoise as the one closest to me in this shot from last year:

Two of the 4 on this last photo have been sold (the 2 that show slight pyramiding). The big smooth one (male) in front of my neice is still here.

How big is the male in front of your niece and is he for sale?

 

[TylerStewart]

He's probably about 70-75 pounds, and isn't for sale. I don't really sell bigger adults at all unless there's some reason I need to. He's a beauty, and a nice light tan color with absolutely zero pyramiding. We've taken him to a show or two as display (I think Candy and a few other TFO members have seen him at Anaheim last year). I also had him at the Salt Lake show once or twice. This is him from probably 3 years ago.

 

[Jacqui]

Do you see them 'thowing ' the mudd? Mine end up muddy sometimes and Im not sure how it happens!

With mine, it kinda looks like they are doing the dog paddle. They get into their mudwallow and using one front foot at a time, they slide the foot a little forward/outward and then slide it around to their side. It traps a bit of mud/muddy water on the foot/leg and then they sling it onto their sides and back. It's rather interesting, not to mention funny to watch them doing it.

 

[Annieski]

I was always fascinated watching Mortimer splash water and mud up onto his shell, kind of like a "portable hide" if you think about it. I've seen other animals with "tougher skin" do this same thing to give some "cover" from the sun. Instinct and survival --- Thank You Mother Nature.

 

[You Me and Mr T]

Got another photo today - they seemed to all be throwing mud on their backs. You can kinda see the shade cloth shadow I have over them in the summer - it helps significantly with temperatures.

I love when they're covered in mud!

-Jason