# Sulcata Tortoise



## Domoniques (Feb 7, 2009)

Hi 
My daughter has just fallen in love and had to have it she has called it Tallulah
any have one or any advice for her she is 2 years old now .( the Tortoise )


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## Nicky09 (Feb 26, 2009)

Not sure if it's the same breed but a caresheet for them
http://www.tortoiseclub.org/caresheets/Care of Sulcata.pdf


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## Domoniques (Feb 7, 2009)

Hi 
Thanks for the link my old computer won't open it but I have sent it to her .


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## TortMad (Oct 2, 2008)

Here are some links to sully care.

Can I ask does she know how big these grow? they are huge when they are fully grown and will need a paddock, as they are grazes just like a horse.

You definately wont need a lawn mower with these beautiful yet costly tortoises

Tortoise Trust Web - Geochelone sulcata
African Spurred Tortoise - Geochelone sulcata - Darrell Senneke
The Sulcata and Leopard Tortoise


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## Domoniques (Feb 7, 2009)

Hi all
Well my daughter has gone and brought another Sulcata but this one is 3 years old and quite a lot bigger than her other one , she has somebody making another seperate box for it they take up most of her dining room but she loves them , she has an arrangement with the local fruite and veg shop , I will get her to put photos on .


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## sharron64 (Mar 10, 2010)

Hi, I have 4 sulcata's 1 is 2.5ft at present and very heavy, the other three are about a foot and a half. 

I keep my sully's in a spare room, which is tropical with all the heat that they need, what i use for the substrate is loads of hay, the main diet for the sullys is weeds, grass and hay, do not feed them too much fruit, maybe once a month as a treat, lettuce is no good at all, to feed them. As the sulllys do not hibernate they need constant heat through out the year, and when weeds and grass are not available in the winter months, your daughter will find them very expensive to feed and heat when they get a lot bigger, at present my sullys, are costing me £50 a week on food alone, the electric bills almost double in the winter as i have night lights, and heaters on along with the all in one solar light, i also use a 250 watt infra red light, this is 24 hours a day.

Also your daughter will find that when they poo, it smells like an elephant house, so i can see them getting moved from her sittingroom, in the very near future, for the 2 sullys your daughter will need to provide atleast an 8ft by 6ft enclosure to keep them contained, as the sullys will eat everything in sight, they are not a tortoise, for somebody that just takes their fancy, they are a lot of work because of their size, and cause a lot of mess. If you need any advice, i am only to happy to help you, but sullys are not for first time tortoise keepers.


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## wizzasmum (Aug 4, 2008)

Please please get some better info on keeping sulcatas. They should not be feeding on fruit and veg as they are grass grazers and will become deformed if fed and reared incorrectly. It's impossible to keep them properly in a house as they need to get out and graze and absorb uvb from the sun. Have a look here Sulcata Station: Home Page


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## sharron64 (Mar 10, 2010)

Sulcata's, are fine kept in the house when they are small enough to carry in and out, i would not recommend keeping sulcata's outside as out british weather is far too cold for them, i put my sully's out in the warmest of weathers to graze on the grass and weeds, the weeds i especially plant for the sully's.
What i have done for when my sullys are too big, to keep bringing in and out, i have a 2 sheds that house 2 sullys each both insulated with pig blanket, heat lights etc, they can wonder in and out when every they fancy, they will get locked in at night of course, still the worry of them getting stolen, so we have installed security lights. In the mean time while i can lift them i bring them into the house, where i have a spare bedroom that i have converted into a tortoise house.
Your daughter can kiss goodbye to any holidays that she may want to take, as when they are older,they are not easy to transport, and not many people if any that you will know will have a set up that can house the sullys, getting someone to come round and feed them is fine, but they need to be monitored for intended thief, when housed outside. My husbund and i have not had a holiday for 4 years, because of this, the sullys are a fulltime commitment.


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## wizzasmum (Aug 4, 2008)

sharron64 said:


> Also your daughter will find that when they poo, it smells like an elephant house, so i can see them getting moved from her sittingroom, in the very near future, for the 2 sullys your daughter will need to provide atleast an 8ft by 6ft enclosure to keep them contained, as the sullys will eat everything in sight, they are not a tortoise, for somebody that just takes their fancy, they are a lot of work because of their size, and cause a lot of mess. If you need any advice, i am only to happy to help you, but sullys are not for first time tortoise keepers.


I so wish people woudl not breed this lovely tortoise. Small torts bought on a whim are bad enough judging by the rehoming figures, but these are a recipe for disaster if you have not read up on them in detail beforehand. I always feel sad when reading posts such as this


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## sharron64 (Mar 10, 2010)

Well that is the thing, people do breed them and for a profit,they are not interested in the torts welfare, or what happens to the tort when it has reached adult size, there has been a few people that i know of, that bought them, but where told the tort stayed small, as a result, the torts where rehomed and rehomed again. I done a lot of research on the sulcate, 2 of which i bought, and two i rescued, i do not have a large house, but i do have a fair sized garden, for them, and also the dedication, i do try to make their lives as happy as i can, loads of grass, hay, and weeds, as much exercise as the british summer allows. They do have a room all to themselfs, so they are not stuck in a box and forgotten about, i spend loads of time with them, mainly keeping them mucked out and making sure they have loads of food.

But i do agree with you those torts should not be breed and sold to the ordinary household. I have had people wanting to buy mine because they think they are cool, and really it is more like a badge to them, until the novelty wears of hence me having 4 of them.

So people please do not, buy those torts, they are beautiful torts, very friendly, but unless you are prepared to, give up your well kept garden, for a tortoise, that will pull it apart, dig massive holes, etc, and in the winter be prepared to spend loads of money, for their food, have a heart and patience as big as the adult tort, DO NOT ENCOURAGE THE BREEDERS OF THE SULCATA


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## wizzasmum (Aug 4, 2008)

Very well put, couldn't have said it better myself.


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