Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Which species of tortoise would someone want to have experience with and for how long before considering taking on something like an Aldabra/Sulcata tortoise?

I'm years away from being in a position to own these large critters however i have done a good amount of research an I am certain that when the time comes I will definately want to keep one or both of these species.

I'm not asking for tips on care, only suggestions on how much experience is necessary and with which species.

Hello,

A starter tortoise I wouldn't know, but the best advice I could give you regarding the African Spurred Tortoise is “space”.

If you do not have the ability to house it outdoors, you will run into issues with giving it a good quality of life. My sulcata is pushing 100 lbs and needs the ability to stomp around all day long, graze on grasses and weeds, and be able to sun and shade itself at will. Then of course, the winter months requires some type of outdoor heating that is safe and suitable.

If it doesn’t have the ability to do those things, he will figure out a way to do it on his own (Just ask my neighbors..lol).

As far as the Aldabra is concerned, the only reason that I never ventured it that direction is because of their size. I couldn’t even imagine having to move a tortoise that could get as big as they do.

All the best to your with your decision, you are definitely approaching it the right way by educating yourself. There are plenty of qualified keepers here that will help you learn.

Those are two very different tortoises as far as personalities go. The sulcatta is a great way to go if you have the things that Giovanni (nice to have you back BTW) mentioned. They are affordable and durable. I would have a lot of experience or the best of situations before I tried Aldabras or Galops, they are not for everybody, perhaps a bit fussier about weather and obviously the incredible size over time. I have not personally worked with Aldabs, but some friends with a great situation enjoy them. Good luck, Vic H.

If you are looking for an amount of time that you need to have kept a tortiose before you try these guys there really is no answer. They are both easy to keep givin the proper enclosures, winter setups and attention. if your looking for a tortoise to get some seat time with just pick one that you like that fits what you can provide for it. when i was a kid i started with boxies, back then there was no internet if i ran into a problem it was kinda sad to say but a little trial and error. i didnt know any body that was keeping tortoises & i didnt know any real "good" books back then. in the 70's & 80's things were done a little differently than today. my advice pick one you like, find a good reptile vet, get a good book on what you choose & surf the web. this forum is a really good place to go if you run into trouble i have gotten some really good advise and knowledge just from reading other threads and i am sure if you need advice there is no shortage of it here. nobody had any experiance before they started. GOOD LUCK!!!

>>I'm not asking for tips on care, only suggestions on how much experience is necessary and with which species.

Actually, my opinion with Sulcata: You need very little experience as their care is pretty easy and straight forward. What you DO need is a 100% heavy duty, escape proof enclosure/yard. My adults have 1/3rd of an acre and I consider it to actually be a bit small for them (1.2 adults). Bottom Line: Sulcata will pretty much destroy ANYTHING they can! They can dig in sand at a rate of about 5 linear feet per day. They will eat nearly anything in their enclosure. The main concern is 'Sulcata Proofing' everything. Heck, we had a female about 10 years ago that used to push a standard sized cinder block around the yard! That was pretty insane... Oh yeah, they ate about half a styro cooler once... They ate a significant part of a canvas shoe... they try and KILL any other species of tortoise... I LOVE 'em! But, they are a serious handful at times.

Matt

The pic of that sulcata is beautiful!!!Shell looks awesome.Wish I had the means to have 1, but the weather in Boston straight up sucks,and I don't think it's fair to keep them indoors.