We got our tortoise home from Arizona!

[livingfree247]

We were in Sedona Arizona on vacation when we were given the opportunity to see a couple of baby Sulcata tortoises. Of course we fell right in love and impulsively brought one home. I actually smuggled him on the airplane in my backpack He/She is 4 months old. We named her/him Phoenix since we do not know if it is a boy or girl. The father is 80 years old and was rescued years ago from a villagle meat market in Africa! We just set up all his lights/heat lamp tonight and I have never seen the little guy so active. Our one cat is amazed just watching him. I know we have alot to learn and any hints/advise is welcome!

 

[Tom]

Hello and welcome. Congrats on your new baby. Here's how I like to house and care for them: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-How-To-Raise-Sulcata-Hatchlings-and-Babies

The story about the father is really far fetched, but not impossible.

Where do you live?

 

[TortieLuver]

Welcome to the forum. Sulcata babies are surely cute.

 

[Laura]

Start reading and start enjoying!
Welcome!

 

[coreyc]

Welcome to the forum read what Tom said if you need any help let us kmow

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi livingfree247:

Welcome to the forum!!

May we know your name and where you live?

If you live in Arizona, that's just about the best place in the country to raise sulcata tortoises. Most of them that I've seen who live there look smooth and healthy.

Please read all you can about caring for baby sulcatas. A sulcata hatchling is not the best impulse buy, but you can make it work with diligent research. And please ask questions when the come up.

 

[Isa]

Welcome to the forum and congrats on your little one

 

[Angi]

Welcome. You a braver than I would be.

 

[livingfree247]

Hi livingfree247:

Welcome to the forum!!

May we know your name and where you live?

If you live in Arizona, that's just about the best place in the country to raise sulcata tortoises. Most of them that I've seen who live there look smooth and healthy.

Please read all you can about caring for baby sulcatas. A sulcata hatchling is not the best impulse buy, but you can make it work with diligent research. And please ask questions when the come up.

---

We were in Sedona Arizona on vacation when we were given the opportunity to see a couple of baby Sulcata tortoises. Of course we fell right in love and impulsively brought one home. I actually smuggled him on the airplane in my backpack He/She is 4 months old. We named her/him Phoenix since we do not know if it is a boy or girl. The father is 80 years old and was rescued years ago from a villagle meat market in Africa! We just set up all his lights/heat lamp tonight and I have never seen the little guy so active. Our one cat is amazed just watching him. I know we have alot to learn and any hints/advise is welcome!

---

We live in Pennsylvania (Phili area), but want to move to the west coast or Arizona within the next few years. We are sick of the cold and snow.
We are already so attached to little Phoenix. Last night I went to the pet store and got a screen so the cats can't bat at him while we are sleeping, the basking light, the UVB light and the nighttime red heat light, a log tunnel and some cocunut stuff for the bottom of his turtle table. He/She LOVES LOVES it and was exploring all over the place. I must say that he/she is spending ALOT of time in the tunnel burrowed/sleeping. Is this normal? He/she is still very active when we get him/her out to play, and still ravenously eats the lettuce and grass/weeds/tortoise food.

 

[Torty Mom]

Hmmmm smugglers are ya! I am dying for the details! Didn't they xray your backpack? Were you scared? Did you have a back up story just in case they found him? Like ........ how did that get in there!!! LOL!!!

 

[livingfree247]

After I spent days of our vacation trying to figure out how to get the little fella home (calling UPS, FedEx, etc) we decided to give the backpack a try. I figured I could play dumb if caught. I put him in a small box with holes and a bow on-top. And then piled small toy animals and other junk so my backpack was full. I felt like the guy in the movie Midnight Express. Sweating like crazy....my back pack is going thru the x-ray, my husband is behind me and I hear....'BAG CHECK'. I thought my heart would pound out of my chest. I had a package of hand warmers in a cup on the OUTSIDE of my backpack that they wanted to look at. Not a word about the tortoise. Good thing I didn't open them and put them in his little box...lol

He seems to be doing really well....he was very active yesterday, but just wants to burrow and sleep in his new log, tunnel I got him.

 

[RV's mom]

welcome to the forum! looking forward to pictures...


teri

 

[Tom]

I really debated just clicking to the next thread and not saying anything, but I don't want somebody else to attempt what you guys did. Those "x-ray" machines are not meant for living things. I'll be curious to see how your tort does over the next few months. I would never allow one of my animals to pass through those machines. Whatever the outcome, it will be a learning experience for us all. Please stick around so we can see how it ends up. In the future, there are many safe, reliable and proven ways to have a tort shipped cross country over night.

My second item of concern is your mention of heat, UV and night bulbs. If your heat and UV are two different bulbs, that means you didn't get a Mercury Vapor Bulb (MVB). You should have. They are the only effective way, in my opinion, to get the much needed UV to your tort during those long PA winters. If you are using one of those coil type compact flourescents from the pet store, I highly recommend you stop using it immediately and return it. The manufacturers claim to have fixed the problem, but in the past they burned and blinded some peoples torts. Either way they are NOT an effective UV source. Lots of people use those infrared night heat bulbs too, but I prefer it dark for my torts. I use Ceramic Heating Elements for night heat. They see more colors and light frequencies than we do, so if I can plainly see at night with the infrared bulb, so can they. Some torts try to eat things they shouldn't, like their substrate, under those colored bulbs. Other people use them and have no problems.

Just trying to be helpful.

 

[DonaTello's-Mom]

Hello and and welcome to the forum!

 

[Jacqui]

I just can't imagine even being brave enough to more then think for a second about trying to smuggle in a little one. My one time of being detained while they several times scanned me was enough and then went thru my entire backpack. They did a good job, even unrolled all my underwear to check them out.

Glad it currently seems to all have a happy ending. Congrats at this new and exciting adventure your going to be having for the rest of your lives.

 

[terryo]

What an adventure! Welcome, and please post some pictures. Glad everything turned out OK.

 

[livingfree247]

Thank you everyone for the great advice. I will definitely return the bulbs I have and get the ceramic and mercury vapor bulbs instead.

 

[Laura]

I really glad it turned out ok.. but I am curious.. IF the tort had been found.. and was confiscated or you were told to not board your flight and take the tortoise elswhere...
What would you have done?

WOuld there have been fines for this? Does anyone know? Could they have been arrested for smuggling?

 

[livingfree247]

My sister in law lives in Phoenix and if it had been found, she was going to pick him up and return him to Out of Africa safari where we got him

 

[Laura]

Im glad you had a back up plan..