Reptile & Amphibian Forums

if that isnt, is around 80 sq ft enough?

Not nearly big enough, unless you can let them roam somewhere bigger most of the day. I have 36 sq. ft. for a baby Hermann's, and he's about 1/100th the size of an adult sulcata. I'd guess more like 525 sq. ft., but Niki or one of the other sulcata people here can give you a more accurate figure.
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Sohni
Northern California

0.1 Baja de L.A. Rosy Boa
0.1 Okeetee Corn Snake
1.1 Rubber Boas
1.0 Leopard Gecko
0.0.2 Hermann's Tortoises
plus my kids' herps:
0.0.1 California King Snake
1.0 Mexican Rosy Boa
0.1 Leopard Gecko

Not even close. An absolute MINIMUM, and I mean minimum would be 225 (15 x 15 feet).

>>if that isnt, is around 80 sq ft enough?

Not to be harsh, but that number is not even in the ball park!

My four adults live on an area that is approximatley 12,000 sq. ft, or right about a 1/3rd of an acre. Their main grazing area is about 40 ft x 80 of bahia grass and in the middle of the summer growth season this is just enough grass to keep them happy.

Bottom line: ONE adult would need NO LESS than about 30' x 60' to roam and at least half of that needs to be grazing grass.

This is only my opinion... after keeping large Sulcata for 10 years now I know what they appreciate... lots of room (to keep stress low) and LOTS of grass to graze! They all have certain areas they eat down to the ground on a daily basis.

Hope that helps some...

Matt
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"Change what you cannot accept... do not accept what you can't change!"

Tod Ashley C.$.C.

i can make a huge pen outside, but a couple months a year the tort will need to be inside (or would it be enough to just give it access to a 20x20 heated house thing, and allow it to go back into the larger yard, even if its too cold? in the yard, the house will be proper temps)

dont have the tort yet, i am still in the planning stages. I want everything for it to be 100% ready and 100% right before i even look into gettin the actual animal

>>dont have the tort yet, i am still in the planning stages. I want everything for it to be 100% ready and 100% right before i even look into gettin the actual animal

An enclosure like you describe (dimensions) would be best suited to a Russian, Redfoot, Elongated or 'Greek' tort of some sort. Sulcata get big big BIG in due time! Choose wisely!

Matt

if i got like a hachling? (ilthough i'd prolly keep it in a lil smaller enclosure until it gets a lil bigger)
before i had been thinking of adopting one from a shelter or something.

i didnt really realize just how bug they get

>>i didnt really realize just how big they get

They can get REALLY large... some do not, but the norm would be 65 to 100 pounds for males and about the same for females (males tend to be a bit larger in a lot of cases).

Imagine: A 100 pound shell that can eat more than you each day... dig 3 to 5 feet into the ground per day... break through cheap fence like it was paper... and be just downright stubborn as all heck sometimes!!! Don't get me wrong. There are a lot of positive aspects to this species, but they can be TOUGH to manage when large if you don't have the room or facility.

Matt
p.s. - I had a female about 85 pounds who used to push and roll cement blocks (the kind you build a house with) around the yard for hours. It was crazy to watch!

if you're talking about a sleeping house. If you mean a fenced
area and that's it, of course not. Is that enough space to keep
a miniature pony? Anyways, do you HAVE an adult sulcata to worry
about, probably not. If you're considering getting a sulcata, and
that's all the space you have available for now, for a small one
it'd be fine. You've got to realize, it takes a while for them
to get big, 8X10 yard would be fine for at least 5 years if it
had a house also. In that time, unless you're somehow positive
you will never - move, get a promotion, get a new job, buy another
or first house or make any other type of change then you probably
should forget that type of tortoise. If you have an adult sulcata
in that space right now, call me and I'll get in the Hummer and
pick it up wherever you are.
Teddy my Sulcata

like a greek or a cherryfoot?

What you really need is a yard the sulcata can forage in.

Without having an area an adult sulcata can get its self ample sunlight and have the ability to graze on various grasses and weeds during the daylight hours on it's own, it will not florish as a tortoise.

Let it roam.

Ciao'

Giovanni