??? (sulcatas inundate Rescues??)

[Colt614]

I hear a lot hype about a growing numbers of Salcatas that are flooding animal shelters and rescues, but a few years ago when looking to get a female Sulcata for my male, I called a few local rescues and even a tortoise rescue and no one ever call me back. I'm not buying it I don't believe it's the problem it made out to be.

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

Often times, in my experience, lots of rescues won't adopt out females to keep breeding at a minimum. I agree that;
Irresponsible breeders make for irresponsible buyers which then flood shelters.
Ask for males and see if you get a different response, just to test this theory out.

 

[Colt614]

In my massage I made clear I had no intentions to breed and any eggs produced would be destroyed. I did end up buying a 90 pound female she did lay eggs and I did destroy them. Unfortunately she contracted a viral infection and died. But I still don't believe it's a epidemic.

 

[leigti]

I hear a lot hype about a growing numbers of Salcatas that are flooding animal shelters and rescues, but a few years ago when looking to get a female Sulcata for my male, I called a few local rescues and even a tortoise rescue and no one ever call me back. I'm not buying it I don't believe it's the problem it made out to be.

I think it will be noticed more in about 5 to 10 years, that's when the shelters and rescues are going to start being overwhelmed. Just my opinion. Right now the numerous tortoises bot are still small but the ones that are lucky enough to live are getting bigger by the minute. I don't think people are going to know what to do with them when they start getting larger and that's when the real problem is going to show up. Just my opinion

 

[Colt614]

That sounds about right, I think all the hype was prematurely staters about 15 years to early.

 

[dmmj]

I don't think there is a crisis...yet.Wait awhile as these people who bought such a tiny baby, realize they actually have a 150 pound wrecking machine,loveable but still a wrecking machine. As for rescues, I am sure they hear all the time "I don't plan to breed", and it prob happens often. So no crisis yet, but I see a potential one coming.

 

[Abdulla6169]

I have this same thread twice on my phone... Is there something wrong with the post? I don't know....
Sorry for crashing the thread

 

[thumpersalley]

Ive been a tortoise rescue, among other species, for 24 years. We would never ever adopt an opposite sex animal to be a companion to another animal, especially a tortoise. People lie about breeding, an adoption fee & reoccurring homechecks would apply. Im very certain you did not get a reply back because of this. Its not a hype, we pick up the abused & neglected pieces from all of the pet stores, breeders & ill informed owners & make the animal have a better life & if possible find a better home for them. We get about 20 turtles or tortoises in every year, a lot of other rescues I work with get around 100. Not a hype at all.

 

[Colt614]

Well than that's why I'll just buy my next one ( female ) instead of trying to convince a place that should be finding homes for a so called problematic tortoise that I'm a responsible tortoise owner. It's this attitude of believing we're all liars that forces me to buy another Sulcata instead of adopting. So in this particular case the system isn't working the way it's intended to. But like I said no big deal I'll just buy one.

 

[Jacqui]

I think a lot depends on where you live also as to how many sulcatas are needing homes. It seems that folks who are eager to get new homes for their animals (no home inspections, mile long questionnaires, high costs for buying/adopting the animal ect..,) have no real trouble placing them. I am not saying any of the before mentioned things are "bad", just they do hamper folks from offering to adopt animals.

 

[Colt614]

Well I'm not bitter over their practices It just didn't make sense to me how these particular rescues in question are actually making a difference ( I'm sure some do) I'm not a fly by night owner I plan on keeping mine until I die. I also do have a plan when I die, and a don't plan on perpetuating any future over breeding problems with in the species. And the only reason I'll even get another female is to keep my male content, he's much happier with one around.

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

I've got 15 russians here at the ranch and haven't paid for a one. Actually had a past member ship his from Michigan, him paying shipping to get his a good home. These are my russians, my sulcata are an entirely different story. I'm pretty picky.

 

[tglazie]

I don't mean to sound morbid, but I wonder if we're not seeing as bad a crisis as one might figure given all the young tortoises that die at the hands of incompetent, irresponsible, and unfortunate keepers. This whole situation with sulcatas is incredibly sad, made sadder for me personally given that I, too, used to keep a sulcata, until he died of a debilitating wasting disease of the spine. I've never acquired another to replace him, though I did tortoise sit a pair of them for my uncle while he and his wife took a second honeymoon. At the moment, I have a group of marginated tortoises that do more than enough to keep my hands full. Perhaps one day I'll adopt another sulcata, a male given the surplus of these guys sitting in adoption centers, but not now. I enjoy having a garden that doesn't need to be protected by thirty inch cement walls, treating my yard like a tank trap during the Battle of the Bulge. Having a sulcata is like having a male child, they get into stuff if you don't think creatively. For instance, I had this one nifty fold-up clothes hanger that I decided to put out on the porch for an hour (which was idiotic, unless my aim was to see the thing destroyed). I went back out, forty five minutes later, to find my wet clothes strewn across the patio, covered in mud and grassy feces, the fold up clothes hanging drier in pieces, all but three joints snapped like twigs. I was afraid Jerry was hurt, but he was uninjured, strolling up in expectation of a meal. I mean, you really have to be prepared for the damage they will cause. To this day, my porch is worn in spots where he commonly moved into the grass, as are the steps to the door, which he would regularly climb in an attempt to break into the house, given that such was the entry and exit point of the dude with the food. But yeah, I do miss him. Sulcatas are some of the most entertaining and impressive tortoises around.

T.G.

 

[sibi]

While there are some horror stories out there about sulcata tortoises, that isn't always the case with these giants. Many factors go into what kind of sulcata you'll have. One is genetics, and another is proper space and barriers. If you cannot provide both, then perhaps sulcatas aren't for you.
Sent from my RM-915_nam_usa_228 using Tapatalk

 

[ascott]

A male would be fine without a female--especially since if the female is only to be used as a sacrifice and made to be stressed in a captive male/female pairing situation......terrible.

 

[lvstorts]

My two cents: I do a lot of rescue and I get calls to place or take Sulcatas at least 3x a week. I have to say no 90% of the time due to space considerations and finding homes is at best difficult.


Terese Meyer
www.Northwesttortoise.com
visit me on FaceBook at Northwest Tortoise

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

My two cents: I do a lot of rescue and I get calls to place or take Sulcatas at least 3x a week. I have to say no 90% of the time due to space considerations and finding homes is at best difficult.


Terese Meyer
www.Northwesttortoise.com
visit me on FaceBook at Northwest Tortoise

All that, and she knows me, who is ready to adopt the right ones.

 

[lvstorts]

All that, and she knows me, who is ready to adopt the right ones.

What? Are you interested in Sulcatas? I thought you were just intersted in Rusians. I'll happily add you to my 'wants a Sulcata' list!

PS: I'm fostering a 30 pounder for 2 years to bring a consistent income into the rescue side of Northwest Tortoise.

 

[Tom]

I think it will be noticed more in about 5 to 10 years, that's when the shelters and rescues are going to start being overwhelmed.

"They" have been saying this for 20 years now. Roughly the same number of sulcatas are sold year after year, and the "crisis" seems no worse or better than it ever has been.


Colt, we have had this discussion here many times and I see it the way you see it. Jacqui's post illuminates my observations too. Some rescues lament about how many there are, but when one shows up at a local animal shelter it is adopted within minutes of becoming available. I too do not fault the rescues for trying to be careful about who they let an animal go to, but I would never allow them to inspect my place, sign a contract allowing them to revoke my animal anytime they feel like it, or pay hundreds of dollars in fees. There is a reason why these types of rescues have trouble placing them, but rescues who don't do all of the above, like local animal shelters, have no trouble finding homes for them right away.

Regardless of that issue, "getting a female for my male" is not a good idea. They should not live in pairs. It is extremely stressful on the female. If you have a really large enclosure with lots of hiding spots, you need at least two females and three or four would be better. But if you don't want babies, why would you do this? If you are intentionally crushing eggs, why not just not create them in the first place? Sulcatas are very solitary animals. They don't need or even want company, so why do you want another one? The only reason to put a male and females together is to get babies. LOTS of babies. If you don't want lots of babies, better to let your male live alone. They are quite content that way.