Sulcata- 250 lb + male specimens

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Laura

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I would LOVE to see pics of your enclosures and fences, housing.. I have room.. would love to expand, just have issues with the heating.. mine are tiny compared to yours.. but half the age as well. .. all rescues..
how were yours raised? diets all that info.. we are all dying to know!!
 

DeanS

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My God! I'm addicted and they aren't even mine!
 

Weldd

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Incredible!!!

I have seen what I thought were big sulcata in the past but these tortoises dwarf those. They look great.

BF have you followed any of your babies with other keepers? I'd be interested to see how they are doing.

Thanks for posting and I think I speak for everyone when I say we'd LOVE to see any more pics you'd like to show us...
 

FADE2BLACK_1973

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Weldd said:
Thanks for posting and I think I speak for everyone when I say we'd LOVE to see any more pics you'd like to show us...

Yeah and dont forget to post a highlighted map to your place :D
 

bfmorris

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Laura said:
I would LOVE to see pics of your enclosures and fences, housing.. I have room.. would love to expand, just have issues with the heating.. mine are tiny compared to yours.. but half the age as well. .. all rescues..
how were yours raised? diets all that info.. we are all dying to know!!

Hi,

I feed them varied grass hays and some alfalfa hay. Also vitamin supplements a few times per week. Pumpkins are a treat, rind and all.

As far as fencing type, that's a pretty important subject. As I said, they need special fencing not regular yard fencing, unless it happens to be a masonry wall.

Building from scratch, I'd suggest old railroad ties, horizontal in a running bond or buried vertically into the ground.
 

cemmons12

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A-FREAKING-MAZING!! I'm late to this thread but wow is all I am left with to say! :D
 

bfmorris

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Weldd said:
Incredible!!!

I have seen what I thought were big sulcata in the past but these tortoises dwarf those. They look great.

BF have you followed any of your babies with other keepers? I'd be interested to see how they are doing.

Thanks for posting and I think I speak for everyone when I say we'd LOVE to see any more pics you'd like to show us...

Thanks everyone.

The babies that I have kept the best track of are specimens that I have held back and raised myself. These are turning into giants also. The oldest holdbacks, off the top of my head, are about 16-17 years old. I'll make sure and get some photos of these.
 

DesertGrandma

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WOW, thanks so much for posting pics of these giants. What a treat to see.
 

DeanS

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bfmorris said:
Thanks everyone.

The babies that I have kept the best track of are specimens that I have held back and raised myself. These are turning into giants also. The oldest holdbacks, off the top of my head, are about 16-17 years old. I'll make sure and get some photos of these.

Always a pleasure to see you post...and of course a chance to see more pics of your AMAZING collection!
 

yagyujubei

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Sorry that you're being inundated with questions, but since no one has asked, what are the scl measurements on your largest?
 

mary t

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Forgive my ignorance but are those spur thighs? I remember a lot of guys/ gals like those from my youth. Exactly like those, except the big gal that laid a lot of eggs under the chicken coop- had bigger spurs on her back legs, just ask the dogs! They burrowed under the fences and walked freely around the area I grew up in south Africa. There was a very large wild life filled gorge about 1/4 of a mile from our neighborhood.
 

bfmorris

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yagyujubei said:
Sorry that you're being inundated with questions, but since no one has asked, what are the scl measurements on your largest?

Hi, I haven't measured in the last several years, but a conservative guess is in the 37-39 inch range. Thing is, some of them as so wide, also, and high domed.



mary t said:
Forgive my ignorance but are those spur thighs? I remember a lot of guys/ gals like those from my youth. Exactly like those, except the big gal that laid a lot of eggs under the chicken coop- had bigger spurs on her back legs, just ask the dogs! They burrowed under the fences and walked freely around the area I grew up in south Africa. There was a very large wild life filled gorge about 1/4 of a mile from our neighborhood.

Hi, how interesting! Any photos of these would sure be interesting.
 

ch4r13s

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Is this not a cross-breed between Aldabra? :D jok! It is a magnificent and so large!!
 

mary t

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bfmorris said:
Hi, how interesting! Any photos of these would sure be interesting.

[unfortunately I'm waiting for pictures from family in south Africa via snail mail. My aunts have all the family photos and I'm thinking until one of my cousins go to visit I just have to wait?.
 

EddieW

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Those are enormous!!! Great looking torts too. This is why I stick with red foots though, can't house something that huge....unfortunately
 

bfmorris

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A few pics for interest:

Females usually begin nesting near an object, or wall, but sometimes they begin the process out in the open, like this female.

A photo of a pair of twins.

A specimen at about four inches size.

A specimen at 2.5 inches size.
 

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