Who's got the oldest Sulcata?

[DeanS]

Or take him to the vet and put him on a dog scale...they register precisely up to 300 pounds...though I think there are some that have a 600 pound limit.

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...btw, I'd put him between 150 and 175 based on scale of the objects around him.

 

[Yvonne G]

Depending upon if you have a scale that measures that high, you can invert a 5 gallon bucket on the scale and "high-center" the tortoise on the bucket.

 

[Livingstone]

Depending upon if you have a scale that measures that high, you can invert a 5 gallon bucket on the scale and "high-center" the tortoise on the bucket.

I have such a great mental picture of a pissed off 100+ pound sulcata doing the furious arm shake while stuck on top of a bucket.

HAHAHAHA, lolz for hours.

Thanks TFO.

 

[Tom]

Wild caught as hatchling. Supposedly given to a senator in the late 60's as a gift. I met the senator's widow. Seems pretty realistic. What do I really know?

Very interesting. If that's true then he's probably one of the first ones in the country. I'd sure love to hear the history on that one. Who raised and cared for it? What did they feed it? How was it housed? Etc...

 

[Az tortoise compound]

He would destroy a five gallon bucket. I will try to get him weighed in the next week. The Senator, his wife and kids raised him. He has been grazing in a HUGE backyard. From what I noticed he had a lawn with a mix of grasses (bermuda, fescues and ryegrass) lots of clover(not sure what kind) and a monster mulberry tree. He is housed outside year round. Has lots of shade and could care less if he is hidden or not. He seems to know he is too big to mess with. The pic posted doesn't do him justice. I will work on getting one the appropriate size.

 

[Tom]

5 gallon buckets can easily hold a big sulcata. This guy is more than 32" long and weighs around 150. Haven't had him on a scale yet, but it takes two stout people to lift him.

 

[Yvonne G]

Great picture, Tom. Is that one of yours? I thought you would be at the Tortoise Forum get-together.

 

[Tom]

That's my friends tort. He's the one that had the overgrown lower beak awhile back.

Couldn't make the picnic. Family stuff... maybe next time.

 

[DeanS]

5 gallon buckets can easily hold a big sulcata. This guy is more than 32" long and weighs around 150. Haven't had him on a scale yet, but it takes two stout people to lift him.

That's a good looking guy...but given that I can lift Linda's WC female "Big M" (who weighed over 180 pounds 2 years ago)...I'm pretty sure I could lift this guy too...bum hamstring and all (which got a workout at the TFO Party today).

 

[Tom]

... and now we know how the hamstring got pulled in the first place....

by lifting stuff that really should have been lifted by two people.

I could carry this guy by myself too. I just have sense enough not to. That's why my hamstrings are just fine.

 

[DeanS]

OUCH!

 

[Tom]

OUCH!

I'm pretty sure you can take a fair amount of good-natured harassment.

 

[DeanS]

OUCH!

I'm pretty sure you can take a fair amount of good-natured harassment.

Oh yeah! Keep it comin'!

Actually, I thought it was a good shot...so I had no comeback!

 

[motero]

The world wildlife zoo in the west valley Phoenix area has a small herd of hugh guys probably 3 that are over 200lbs.

Telephone poles in the back ground.

A small car would fit in this burrow.

 

[DeanS]

That's in Litchfield...right?

 

[motero]

Yes, north west Litchfield, Nothern Ave and the 303. Great zoo, they have a bunch of younger 20-50lb Sulcatas in the kids petting area.

 

[Az tortoise compound]

Here we go. This is as close as I can get. I can't lift him! Let's see if I have these pics figured out.

 

[Kristina]

Holy crap... :O

 

[motero]

Here we go. This is as close as I can get. I can't lift him! Let's see if I have these pics figured out.

How old do you think he is? Can you guess his weight and length for us?

 

[Az tortoise compound]

I explained most of that earlier in the thread. Wild caught as hatchling in the 60's. I am not a very good guess on weight, I would say over 200lbs????? Even though I might be way off either way. I will try and get him measured the next time I see him.