Not yet owners of Sulcatas

Always pondering

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Hi everyone, we are not owners of a tortoise yet but have the opportunity to adopt two adult Sulcata's. My husband and I have been trying to figure out how to build an outdoor area where they will be happy and secure. We have 5 acres in Central California, where summers are hot and winters do get cold, with the occasional snowy day. We have access to a plastic 3'x6' shed to use as a shelter. Looking for help with a way to fence them in that is practical and won't break the bank.

Thank you in advance for all the help, and also all the great info on the site!
 

Tim Carlisle

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All due respect, my sully is going to break the bank with me. lol

But seriously, how large of an area you plan to use for your sully? Just remember: They like to dig. They are very powerful. If they see hole in the fence, they will try to squeeze through it to get to that vast wonderful world on the other side. I am considering a more "rustic" look for my fencing. I am contemplating getting some old barn wood to build mine. Can't beat the cost: Free!
 

Always pondering

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Hi Mizcreant, thanks for the reply.
We are trying to come up with a "starter space" and would plan on adding on to it later on. Thinking of 32' x 32' using corral boards on 4x4 posts. The two in question are 36 yrs old and over 100lbs and the other is about half that. The person that is getting rid of them has recently moved to a house with a small concrete back yard. I'm worried about them digging out. Not much growing out here this time of year. We've started watering the area trying to get something started growing.
 

TriciaStringer

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Hi Mizcreant, thanks for the reply.
We are trying to come up with a "starter space" and would plan on adding on to it later on. Thinking of 32' x 32' using corral boards on 4x4 posts. The two in question are 36 yrs old and over 100lbs and the other is about half that. The person that is getting rid of them has recently moved to a house with a small concrete back yard. I'm worried about them digging out. Not much growing out here this time of year. We've started watering the area trying to get something started growing.
Are they male or female or both?
 

TechnoCheese

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Keep in mind that the tortoises will need to be separated. Tortoises are solitary animals that should never be kept in pairs regardless of sex or how long they’ve been together. It causes them immense stress, and they don’t really benefit from it.

Good luck!
 

Yvonne G

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The two tortoises may be living together peacefully now, in their home/familiar territory, but when they get moved into a new territory (at your house) they probably WILL fight, trying to establish dominance over whose territory the new one is. Three or more sulcatas living together sometimes works, but two hardly ever does.

Here's where my 110lb Dudley lives:
Dudley and Little Brother 10-13-16.jpg Dudley's Rebuild 01-31-15 a.jpg Dudley's Rebuild 01-31-15 e.jpg Dudley's rebuild 2-1-15 e.jpg Dudley's up in arms a.jpg
 

Always pondering

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Keep in mind that the tortoises will need to be separated. Tortoises are solitary animals that should never be kept in pairs regardless of sex or how long they’ve been together. It causes them immense stress, and they don’t really benefit from it.

Good luck!
Greetings TechnoCheese! This is another thing we have learned from this site. We will be trying to split them up as soon as possible. Thanks for the information.
 

Always pondering

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Messages
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Location (City and/or State)
Central California
The two tortoises may be living together peacefully now, in their home/familiar territory, but when they get moved into a new territory (at your house) they probably WILL fight, trying to establish dominance over whose territory the new one is. Three or more sulcatas living together sometimes works, but two hardly ever does.

Here's where my 110lb Dudley lives:
View attachment 252116 View attachment 252117 View attachment 252118 View attachment 252119 View attachment 252120
Hi Yvonne, That makes sense. They have recently moved to where they currently are and of course would have to be moved here. This has been a very tough decision whether to go forward with this or not. Its getting late in the year and trying to build 2 enclosures secure enough and safe enough for two adult tortoises along with shelters that would be heated properly seems like a huge task. My wife and I would love to be able to help these guys out but I would not be able rest if we had to worry all the time about their well being.
Did you bury wire under your fence rails to keep Dudley from digging out? Also, how do you heat his shelter? We can get one of those plastic sheds that are 3'x6' by 4' high inside to use, but I'm thinking I would have to insulate that. If we split them up I'll have to come up with some other plan. I was thinking of putting a small radiant heater in there. Would we need heat mats too? There is so much to consider.
Thanks for the pictures, Dudley has a great space.
Looking at your profile we noticed you're in Clovis. We're just up the road from you in Auberry.
 

TriciaStringer

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Hi Yvonne, That makes sense. They have recently moved to where they currently are and of course would have to be moved here. This has been a very tough decision whether to go forward with this or not. Its getting late in the year and trying to build 2 enclosures secure enough and safe enough for two adult tortoises along with shelters that would be heated properly seems like a huge task. My wife and I would love to be able to help these guys out but I would not be able rest if we had to worry all the time about their well being.
Did you bury wire under your fence rails to keep Dudley from digging out? Also, how do you heat his shelter? We can get one of those plastic sheds that are 3'x6' by 4' high inside to use, but I'm thinking I would have to insulate that. If we split them up I'll have to come up with some other plan. I was thinking of putting a small radiant heater in there. Would we need heat mats too? There is so much to consider.
Thanks for the pictures, Dudley has a great space.
Looking at your profile we noticed you're in Clovis. We're just up the road from you in Auberry.
Toms double door night box may work. You put up a divider wall and the fence would go to the middle of it. They may still try to get to each other.
I agree that you do need two seperate enclosures. I’m sure one has been stressed more than the other all these years. They would be much happier in seperate enclosures.
 

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