Sulcatas should never be exposed to temperatures below fifty degrees for any extended period, extended being defined as any length of time over twelve hours (and even twelve hours could guarantee at least a nose cold). These animals come from Sub-Saharan and Sahelian Africa. They do not exprience such low temps there.

It is a shame that a proud beast who survived a collision with a logging truck and a knife in the hands of a malicious sicko was taken out by an irresponsible keeper. That person should not be allowed care access to a cockroach, let alone a tortoise. I am so consistently disappointed by individuals who fail to keep up with even the most basic of animal maintenance. As human beings, we have the responsibility to ensure the protection of these animals, as we are the only ones in a position to do so. They are in our care by our doing, and it is the keeper's responsibility to ensure no harm comes to their charge. Sorry to rant about this, but it just angers me to limitless extent when some entirely preventable tragedy occurs. I mean, it's one thing to lose an freshly imported animal to disease and stress. It is another thing entirely to lose an otherwise healthy animal to environmental mismanagement.

T.G.

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