#sulcata , #sulcatatortoise , #tortoise , #turtle , #reptiles
Build a House for our Sulcata, Large Tortoise, African Tortoise, Custom Home
Caring for, raising and keeping your tortoise heathy is not for everyone. You see these cute little guys in pet stores, swap meets, online and think this would be a nice addition to the family. Do you research, know what you are getting into.
In this video series I will be talking about Large Tortoise, NOT talking about Hatchlings, Small Tortoise, Breeding, Cold Climates. I have been rescuing large Tortoises for over 30 years now and have had these guys in all types of enclosures and housing. The diet for these beautiful creatures is something that needs a lot of thought and care.
SULCATA: Environment, Housing & Enclosure
ENVIRONMENT:
- Temp Day 85 – 100+
Night 60 - 70
Winter Highs 60 – Lows 40
- Low Temp – Supplemental Heat
- Humidity: 40% - 60%
o Very Dry Climate – Water Down the Tortoise / Sprinklers
- Need Housing / Winter and Summer
Housing:
- Dog House / Igloo / Small Shed / Plastic Doll House / Custom Built
- Flooring/Substrate – Hard Surface, Hay/Wood Chips, DIRT
- Black Pipe / Culvert
- DIRT provides an increased level of Humidity.
- Supplemental Heat Source in the Winter.
Enclosure:
- How High? 2X the hiegth of the Tortoise
- Not see through or see over, they will try to go thru the barrier.
- Must be sturdy for the size.
- No wire Fencing
- Native: Grass, Sand, Rocks Etc. Try to reproduce the native environment.
- They can be very destructive. Can easily move lawn/patio furniture
- Can dig up the property / “Mine Field”
- Provide Micro Climates
SULCATA: Diet, Caring & Feeding
- Sulcatas are voracious eaters, sometimes called “EATING MACHINES”
The phrase used most commonly by sulcata owners to describe their tortoises is “eating machine.” Sulcatas graze and forage for hours during the day. In captivity, they need to be able to graze on pesticide- and herbicide-free grasses and weeds.
- Grass/Hay – 75%-80% Diet
Sulcata tortoises NEED access to grasses and hay on which to graze. This is the bulk of their diet (upto 90%) and should be from pesticide- and herbicide-free grass and grass cuttings, cheat grass, clover, edible flowers (nasturtium, geraniums, hibiscus, rose petals) and shrubs.
o Avoid feeding predominately alfalfa hay, as this is high in oxalates and can cause stone formation within the bladder, kidney failure and decrease life-span.
o Grass hays to offer include: Timothy, meadow grass, oat hay, orchard grass.
- Balanced Diet: About 10%-15% of overall Diet
o Collard Greens, Kale, Romaine, Carrots, Squash, Pumpkins, Broccoli, Corn on the cob. Etc.
o Radicchio, Mustard Greens, Endive, Turnip Greens, Arugula
o Colored Flowers – Roses, Hibiscus, Etc
o Garden growing several of these in the summer
- Special Treats: Maybe 5% of the Diet
Fruits should be fed sparingly, as a treat. These tend to be high in sugar and water content, both of which sulcatas are not accustomed to receiving in the wild. Fruits that are appropriate to offer as treats include: strawberries, chunks of organically grown bananas with skin, cantaloupe with rind attached, berries; peaches (no pits), apricots (no pits), pears, apples.
- Supplements: “MAZURI”
o Difficult to feed / very difficult to force them to eat.
- Keep Clean / Off the Dirt, Rocks
o They will ingest anything small/colorful
- ** Never (1) kind all the time
- Do not Over Feed, maintain a balanced diet.
WATER:
- Shallow Dish, Clean Water
o Planter Base
o Custom, Concrete
• A shallow water bowl, with sides low enough for the tortoise to reach into, should be available at all times if there is no wallow available. Tortoises do not swim, and can drown easily. You need to make sure they can easily access the water but that it is not any deeper than the tortoise’s bridge, the section of shell that joins the carapace (top shell) and plastron (bottom shell).
o This should be changed daily.
