Possible new Sulcata owner!

Outatime

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Feb 21, 2014
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Hello All

2nd post here and still learning thanks you all of you, I just made a post in the intro forum but wanted to continue here as my current plan is to be an owner of a Sulcata tortoise in the near future.

Just to recap, we are a family of five (inc a very friendly dog) and two kids age 13 weeks and nearly 3 years, we live in the warm climates of Central Florida in a 4 bed 2 story home with space in the garage.

A few questions please, first we live on the edge of a retention pond so see quite a lot of turtles in and around the pond edge, is this a issue, would a Sulcata head for the water and possibly drown? We also have a small pond in our garden too.

Our grass is a mix of Bahia, Zoyzia and St Augustine, are any of these a problem grass?

We have a few really cold nights in Central Florida maybe 35 degrees but am I right in thinking a Sulcata could live in an enclosure nearly year round in Central Florida? We have a high humidity level in the summer and highs of maybe 100 maybe a little more!

Would I be best to look for a Sulcata that's older than a hatching? Or are we missing the experience of raising our companion from young? Just thinking I don't want the kids too old before they can spend time in the yard with him.

We go on vacation once a year for a couple of weeks and have a good neighbor and also family who could take care of our Sulcata but would feeding and looking after a Sulcata for a short time be big burden on friends or too much work, could I stock food for them to feed our friend for a short time till we arrived home? I am thinking a camera in his enclosure to keep an eye on him too.

Hope you don't mind all the questions.

Thanks very much

Stuart
 

Barista5261

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Hello Stuart!

I am your neighbor (I live by UCF) [SMILING FACE WITH OPEN MOUTH]

I have 2 10 month old sulcatas [SMILING FACE WITH OPEN MOUTH][TURTLE][TURTLE]


Does your back yard have any kind of fencing? If not, you are gonna want to section off a part of your backyard as a designated tortoise area. You'd be surprised how quickly they can disappear. You want to keep your tortoise in, and everyone else out.

Once you get your tortoise, it is HIGHLY recommended you do not let your dog see your tortoise. There are members whose dogs have made off with the tortoise and have severely injured them. There is a thread around here somewhere called "Why dogs and tortoises do not mix."

Your grass sounds like a good mix, do you use any kind of fertilizer or pesticide on it?

As far as raising a hatchling or starting out with an older sulcata-- hatchlings in their first year need to stay in a closed chamber (a completely closed environment with temps no lower than 80 degrees and the humidity not dropping below 80%). This is to ensure they do not pyramid and they grow healthy [SMILING FACE WITH OPEN MOUTH] as adorable as they are when they are teeny tiny little guys, it is generally recommended that for first time tortoise owners, you start out with an older tortoise. But of course, that is completely up to you [SMILING FACE WITH OPEN MOUTH]

Sulcatas rock! Glad you have seen the Dark Side and come over. Haha. They will be your lifelong companion for you and your kids! They can live as long as humans do.
 

Cowboy_Ken

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Tiffany, my granny lived to be 103. She smoked, drank, ate what she wanted and never exercised. I'm trying to follow her foot steps, at least for how she lived. At 100, when she had to move to assisted living, you know, joints stop working as well so you need alittle help getting up, the doctors said she needed to quit smoking. When we asked why, they said “well, smoking is bad" we all looked at each other, and were like, if she wants opium, you hook her up! She's 100 for cryin out loud!
 

Barista5261

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Cowboy_Ken said:
Tiffany, my granny lived to be 103. She smoked, drank, ate what she wanted and never exercised. I'm trying to follow her foot steps, at least for how she lived. At 100, when she had to move to assisted living, you know, joints stop working as well so you need alittle help getting up, the doctors said she needed to quit smoking. When we asked why, they said “well, smoking is bad" we all looked at each other, and were like, if she wants opium, you hook her up! She's 100 for cryin out loud!

SuperGranny!
 

Tom

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Hi Stuart. Welcome to TFO. I'll hit your questions one at a time:
1. Usually a pond with sloping sides will be fine. They live in areas that turn into a marsh in the African rainy season. Its the abrupt edges of swimming pools that leave them no way to climb out. Frankly, I'm curious to see if your new tortoise will "use" the pond as it gets older.
2. Your grass sounds like sulcata heaven. Here is a diet sheet for you: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-76744.html
3. Once your baby is old enough to live outside full time (I usually move them out when they are 8-10"), you will need a heated hide box for them to sleep in at night or on cold rainy days. Like this: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-86632.html
Or this: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-66867.html
In the summer, I like to let them dig and live in their own burrows. If your soil is suitable, I think this is a good way to go, but you will have to catch them above ground each fall and close off the burrow for winter. The ground gets too cold in North America.
4. Its your choice what size and age you get. If you buy a baby from the RIGHT source and set it up reasonably well, it will be simple and easy. Buy one started the old dry way and set it up in an open table, and you will have nothing but problems. Click the first link in my signature for tips. And here is a care sheet too: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-79895.html
5. Your vacation plan sounds perfect.

A few other notes:
1. Never leave your dog and tortoise together unsupervised. If you are there directly watching and your dog is under good voice control, it is fine. If not, don't risk it.
2. Tortoises prefer to live alone. They don't consider another tortoise a "friend". They consider them intruders and combatants. They can live in groups sometimes, but pairs are usually a problem.
3. In most cases pet store advice is bad advice. There are some exceptions, but do be cautious. They often recommend the wrong water bowls, the wrong lighting, the wrong UV sources, the wrong food, the wrong temps and conditions, the wrong substrate, the wrong size enclosure, etc... Just refer to the care sheet above. Following that has proven successful for people literally all over the world. China, Africa, Europe, Mexico, and all over our country too. Please read this one before you buy or get a tortoise from anywhere: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-23493.html It will help you avoid unecessary heartbreak and pointless vet bills.
 

Tom

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I feel bad for "health nuts". They are all going to die anyway, and when they die, they will die of nothin'. When I die, I will die of somethin'. They will say about me, "He ate candy, donuts, bacon cheeseburgers with jalapeños, french fries, pizza with extra cheese, and ice cream his WHOLE life." And I will die happy and fulfilled.

My grandpa, who everybody says I am a carbon copy of, was just like your grandma Ken. He "only" lived to 86, but on his death bed in the hospital, he was trying to talk the nurses into bed with him for one more time.
 

Outatime

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Feb 21, 2014
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Hi guys

Thanks for the messages and advice, I have been doing a lot of research and reading so I am a bit more educated than when I last posted. I have also now found someone who has a 15" Sulcata for $300 near me. Seems like a fair price for a more established tortoise, what do you think?, is there anything I should be aware or look for before parting with my money? I have seen photos and they look healthy.

Thanks

Stuart
 

wellington

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Tom said:
I feel bad for "health nuts". They are all going to die anyway, and when they die, they will die of nothin'. When I die, I will die of somethin'. They will say about me, "He ate candy, donuts, bacon cheeseburgers with jalapeños, french fries, pizza with extra cheese, and ice cream his WHOLE life." And I will die happy and fulfilled.

My grandpa, who everybody says I am a carbon copy of, was just like your grandma Ken. He "only" lived to 86, but on his death bed in the hospital, he was trying to talk the nurses into bed with him for one more time.

Tom, the 86 year old "dirty old tortoise man". :p :D. Too funny
 
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