Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello
I've been keeping reptile since I was ayoung one maily monitors well I've gotten rid of all my peditor lizards except one

Now I'm looking into something a little more calm my wife and I have decided we want a pair of AST I need some basic info

I know they eat fresh veggies but what the best diet with the most nuttrition for them

I also konw about soaking them in a small amount of water to help them do there business

what I don't know is what the best substrate,tmperature,and enviorment to keep a happy tortoise

Also how hardy are these guys I really am at a loss when it come to tortoises never really delt with them but I will know all I need to before I purchase them

any advice help info would be much appreciated thank you

>>I know they eat fresh veggies but what the best diet with the most nuttrition for them

The diet consists of only a SMALL amount of veggies. The majority of diet are grasses, hay, cactus, and plants/flowers. They are eating machines and go thru an enormous amount of food daily.

>>I also konw about soaking them in a small amount of water to help them do there business

They should have access to water at all times to drink and soak. You must also soak them for a at least 15 mins twice a week.

>>what I don't know is what the best substrate,tmperature,and enviorment to keep a happy tortoise

Substrate: soil and hay
Temp: Hot and humid. Should be outside most, if not all, of the year. Sulcatas do best in the Southeast and Southwest. They become VERY large, dig tunnels, and will ram their way out of an enclosure if it is not secure enough or they can see thru it. They will go thru or under a chain link fence.

>>Also how hardy are these guys I really am at a loss when it come to tortoises never really delt with them but I will know all I need to before I purchase them

Fairly hardy if kept in the corrrect conditions with the correct diet. Diet and sunlight are essential as is a very large yard. They grow rapidy and reach over 100 lbs. They are great pets, but only for people that are truly prepared for a giant eating machine. Males are also known to ram other torts (primarily other males)and some even ram people. There are MANY websites about Sulcatas you can visit for more specific info. You should read everything before purchasing. They are a lot of other torts that are easier to care for (and smaller) than a Sulcata. That said, I love my herd!

All the info. on last post was great, but like to add, dont know where you live, but if night temps, get below 65 then you might need to build a heated shed, that 2 can fit in, if you dont, they will dig, and when i say dig, i mean dig, like a cave. They can dig big holes, also they dont hibernate, so if you have cold winters these might not be the best tortoises, for you, because you will need to either have a heated room, or keep them somewhere warm for cold days and cold months, they do get big over 2 feet, almost 3 feet, and can weight well over 100 LB close to 200, some recorded to be over 200LB, Like said before, can be easy if you have a good secure encosure, and the temps, and diet are kept good.

I've been reading since I posted this message got some good iformation

I live in PA so I'm thinking half the year they'll have to be inside which is fine by me but for lighting and there health what do you need metal halides or vhos thats about as close to full spectrum as I can think of

I've got one large reptile that needs some what the same requirments except food it's a eat eater

anyway hay is that really hay like you would feed a horse thats a dumd question but hay lol

just wanna know for sure what these guys need I also read they like hayabiscus and catus is that so

Sorry for my miss spelling it's late

I'm just over kill on learning
I can't or won't buy an animal or reptile till I've got all the good and the bad

my only pet besides my reef tanks is an alligator and she requires alot of attention all and all she's going on 4 years and pushing 4ft so long term and size are not a problem

I've always done alot of research and cages or enclosures 4-5 times the size of my pets basically I like happy pets and I gone the extra mile to keep them happy

If I buy an animal it's my resonsiblity to keep it happy and safe I don't breed no desire this is just to let everyone know where I'm comming from

To many people buy reptiles,birds,and fish that they are not prepared for I'm not one I take in gators and find homes for them my reason for saying that is this

we got a local pet shop that sells gator regular to anyone no questions asked at all so they get tossed out I take them after an month or so when the people get scared or board and give them away to good homes

The reasone I say all this is just to make it clear I like my animals and I never get on anyone for buying something they didn'tdo the research on but like you guys I do give the facts and try to defer the instant buyers

I really won't these tortoises and have for a few years it's time mow Ijust gotta get a plan for housing and feeding

They require a light with UVB. Do you have a full basement to keep your tort in six months of the year? And plan to pooper scoop on a grand level as even half grown Sulcatas mess a LOT and it is the size of dog poo. And remember: In addition to the UVB bulb it has to be very warm and HUMID. Central heat dries out the air.

Most of their diet is fiber. Absolutely no fruit of any kind.

They MUST HAVE grass to eat. Regardless of season. Most people that over winter their Sulcatas inside grow it in trays during the colder months. A small sampling of their diet:

Bermuda grass hay, orchard grass hay, timothy hay, differnt fescues, cactus pads, cactus pears, hibiscus, clover, petunias, geraniums, plantain, LOTS OF WEEDS, dichondra, hollyhock, rose petals, nasturium, and they LOVE dandelion. They can have periodic treats of some lettuces, no Iceburg. Sulcatas are known as lawnmowers for a reason.

I did forget to mention the tort house. Even during the summer they require a house to sleep in at night. And they do tunnel if the yard is not to their liking (and some dig no matter what). I provide two houses (buildings) along with a variety of "hides" for them to go in during the day. This helps curb the desire to make their own tunnel, but they still have an area of soil only for them to dig and play in the mud.

Having a huge yard and living in an area with a hot and humid climate with mild winters is the key to Sulcatas. And fencing has to go below ground at least a foot and a half. Even hatchlings start to throw dirt around at a couple of weeks old. Demanding torts, but worth it.

I can't argue with anything that's been posted, it's all good info.
I'll tell you something about what we've been through with fencing.
We had a box turtle pen and a sort of pen to fence off our spineless cactus, both made of what's called here ranch fencing.
I've heard other people refer to it as dog fencing, it's wire fencing but it's not as heavy as chain link.
When our sulcata weighed somewhere in the 40s she bent the wire of the box pen with her leg & we lost one of our box turtles. She wasn't killed, she got loose & ran away.

Then our tortoise went completely through the pen for the cactus.
We had chainlink fencing around the yard at the time with rebar hammered into the ground every few inches to keep her from digging her way out.
When she went through that lighter weight fencing in the 40 something pound range, we looked at the chain link and knew we had to get rid of it. If she could demolish the other fencing in the 40s then what will she do to chain link as she nears 100 pounds? YIKES!
Last year we got rid of the chain link & had a cinder block fence built. I really wonder how long we could've kept her safe with that chain link, I'm afraid not much longer.

My point is you really have to be prepared to have a solid fence that they can't see through. When they can see through the fence they'll push on it constantly. When they can't see through it, the spend their time grazing without having to worry about what's on the other side of the fence.
There is never a dull moment when you have a really big tortoise.
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PHRatz