Re: A Few Questions

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Posted by Terry on May 03, 2002 at 20:31:07:

In Reply to: A Few Questions posted by Jen on May 03, 2002 at 19:55:02:

If you take it, be prepared.
One of my sulcatas, who's still small at only 15", just dug up an 18' queen palm, a pygmy date palm and destroyed my sprinkler system!

I moved to Arizona thinking the climate would be fine, but it's not. They require a heated shed for at least 6 months of the year here, at night.

They eat a huge amount, poops are bigger than a German Shepard and more of them!
They will rearrange furniture, even go through a wall.

A fully grown adult at anywhere from 100lbs to over 200lbs , requires a very large enclosure.

I have two sulcatas in an enclosure about 75'x35', not nearly big enough for them. And they're not fully grown yet, at 18" (60lbs )and 15".

Unfortunately I'm rehoming them this month, to somebody in Texas who has way more room for them and a heated greenhouse for cool weather.

To learn more about sulcatas check out this web site:

http://www.sulcata-station.org/

Hope this helps.
You may get more advise from others,with small/sub adult sulcatas. But I don't think any of them has yet had the experience of keeping a fully grown one.
Although they are prepared and can fill you in on what they've already done. And what their future plans are, for housing the torts when adults.

It can be done, but realistically you should live in a warm year round climate. And be able to let the tortoises roam an entire yard.A small enclosure with a covered top isn't going to work for anything smaller than a juvenile sulcata.

All I'm saying is, be prepared. They are truely wonderful tortoises, but they need a lot of room.

Follow Ups:

Sorry, one more thing Jen 05/03/02 (3)
- Re: Sorry, one more thing Terry 05/04/02 (0)
- Re: Sorry, one more thing Niki 05/03/02 (1)
  - Something else to think about wendi 05/04/02 (0)

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: : If you take it, be prepared. : One of my sulcatas, who's still small at only 15", just dug up an 18' queen palm, a pygmy date palm and destroyed my sprinkler system! : I moved to Arizona thinking the climate would be fine, but it's not. They require a heated shed for at least 6 months of the year here, at night. : They eat a huge amount, poops are bigger than a German Shepard and more of them! : They will rearrange furniture, even go through a wall. : A fully grown adult at anywhere from 100lbs to over 200lbs , requires a very large enclosure. : : I have two sulcatas in an enclosure about 75'x35', not nearly big enough for them. And they're not fully grown yet, at 18" (60lbs )and 15". : Unfortunately I'm rehoming them this month, to somebody in Texas who has way more room for them and a heated greenhouse for cool weather. : : To learn more about sulcatas check out this web site: : http://www.sulcata-station.org/ : Hope this helps. : You may get more advise from others,with small/sub adult sulcatas. But I don't think any of them has yet had the experience of keeping a fully grown one. : Although they are prepared and can fill you in on what they've already done. And what their future plans are, for housing the torts when adults. : It can be done, but realistically you should live in a warm year round climate. And be able to let the tortoises roam an entire yard.A small enclosure with a covered top isn't going to work for anything smaller than a juvenile sulcata. : All I'm saying is, be prepared. They are truely wonderful tortoises, but they need a lot of room.

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