Re: Sulcata Tortoise Health and Breeding

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Posted by Terry on August 03, 2000 at 16:10:23:

In Reply to: Sulcata Tortoise Health and Breeding posted by Alex Orleans on August 02, 2000 at 20:32:08:

Hi Alex,
the pyramiding question has been answered already, so here's a couple of points on breeding.
Before breeding your sulcatas please consider the following.
G. sulcata is breed in captivity more than any other species. The tiny hatchlings as you know, attain a huge size as adults.
A female sulcata can lay up to to 6 clutches of eggs a year, with up to 35 eggs in each clutch!
This is why the market is already flooded with thousands of sulcata hatchlings, being sold for around $30 each.
A high percentage of those hatchlings will be looking for new homes in a few years. When misinformed owners find they can no longer care for a tortoise that was once a tiny, cute hatchling.
But is quickly turning into a huge, active, eating machine.
Before breeding your sucatas ask yourself a few questions.
Do you really want to be responsible for so many hatchlings?
Do you believe you can find good homes for every single one of them?
Are you ready to destroy the eggs if it becomes too much to handle so many hatchlings?

Sulcatas are wonderful tortoises, if you have the room and weather to house them correctly.
However many people don't and the market is already flooded with sulcata hatchlings.

I know that half the fun of keeping tortoises is having them breed and producing cute little babies!
But you must also think of the future those babies will face, especially if you are not going to keep them.

For this reason, I've decided not to breed my sulcatas. But to concentrate on other species that are not so prolific in captivity.

Just a few points to ponder.
Terry.

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Amen Terry! KATHY 08/03/00 (0)

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: Hi Alex, : the pyramiding question has been answered already, so here's a couple of points on breeding. : Before breeding your sulcatas please consider the following. : G. sulcata is breed in captivity more than any other species. The tiny hatchlings as you know, attain a huge size as adults. : A female sulcata can lay up to to 6 clutches of eggs a year, with up to 35 eggs in each clutch! : This is why the market is already flooded with thousands of sulcata hatchlings, being sold for around $30 each. : A high percentage of those hatchlings will be looking for new homes in a few years. When misinformed owners find they can no longer care for a tortoise that was once a tiny, cute hatchling. : But is quickly turning into a huge, active, eating machine. : Before breeding your sucatas ask yourself a few questions. : Do you really want to be responsible for so many hatchlings? : Do you believe you can find good homes for every single one of them? : Are you ready to destroy the eggs if it becomes too much to handle so many hatchlings? : Sulcatas are wonderful tortoises, if you have the room and weather to house them correctly. : However many people don't and the market is already flooded with sulcata hatchlings. : I know that half the fun of keeping tortoises is having them breed and producing cute little babies! : But you must also think of the future those babies will face, especially if you are not going to keep them. : For this reason, I've decided not to breed my sulcatas. But to concentrate on other species that are not so prolific in captivity. : Just a few points to ponder. : Terry.

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