I work as a private zookeeper for a nicely sized turtle pond and outdoor tortoise collection - owner has four adult male sulcatas. They are adorable and so sweet and my favorite animals to work with, but they are honestly like poorly programmed NPC’s 😭😭 they destroy everythingggg in their path, they always go exactly where they shouldn’t, and they have collectively four braincells (and two had to be separated from the other two because they fight!! One always attacks the green waste bin when I scoop his poop). But gosh darn it I adore them!! Grateful I have a job where I get to hang with these beautiful animals since I could never own one myself
Agreed, sulcatas are extremely destructive. Not so sure about stupid, though....Mine learned to open the refrigerator, including the produce drawer, just by watching me and then thwarted 3 different child locks to get her veggies!
@@audreysarkyep my guy is very smart,while he's inside during the cold he gets bathed every other day,she actually waits by the bathroom till we get up,or if she's sleeping when i turn on the water and start the water running i look behind me and there he is,i love my big guy,i also have a baby redfoot,mud turtle,red eared slider a russian and a eastern ornate box turtle,love them all and each have a very different personality!
My brother has a sulcata tortoise. Everything you said was true. You left out something very important though. Their average lifespan is 150 years. (We figure it will outlive his grandchildren.)His daughters friend sent away for it from Africa and it came in the mail for 40$. My brother who has had eastern box turtles all his life had no idea what he was acquiring. Fast forward years later. It’s a great pet. His is very friendly and obsessed like Otis (with him) It comes for a few of us when we call and have a treat. He absolutely loves when I scrub him w a dry scrub brush. He stands up tall and leans into it. Every time they go away for a weekend they have to get a babysitter to look in on it. They have him in a very large fenced in backyard but he has broken through some major stuff. In the winter he used to crawl around their house and destroy things. My brother really has become an expert at caring for him but unfortunately he will outlive us.
We’ve talked in countless videos about the longevity of turtles and tortoises and the giant tortoises along with box turtles take the cake in lifespans. However, Sulcatas often don’t live as long as Aldabras, Galapagos or even radiated. More like 70-100 years, but of course, that’s still a very long time.
I own a sulcata but knew what i was getting into before i got him. I have had him since he was about a year old. He ismy big baby. He loves going on walks and loves car rides as long as he can watch out the windows. He is also my guard tort and if anyone yells at me he will charge and ram them. He will also wake me up if he knows its time to get up or if he thinks something is wrong. Yes he has the run of the house but also has his own area with properlights etc. I buy him toys he loves to play with pushing around and chasing ans has a favorite stuffie he sleeps with. I love his personality and wouldn't change a thing.
This information is vital to any potential tortoise purchaser. You really need to do your homework but no one has the level of knowledge like Garden State Tortoise. Listen to the guy he knows what he's talking about & as always he's trying to help us. ❤❤❤
@@GardenStateTortoise you have changed the way I look after my 2 tortoises, I bring far more interest into their lives watching how you look after yours. I LOVE all your videos & always recommend them ❤️🐢🐢❤️
I am fortunate to live in Arizona, tortoises do well here in general. I was surprised to see the greek and leopards for that reason but makes sense. I tell people the sulcata is the most wonderful terrible pet in the world. I volunteer at a retile sanctuary and we receive sulcatas each and every day. Im recent years more and more surprise babies are showing up because of their giant clutches that very successfully incubate here naturally in the ground. Id like to see a top 5 turtles and tortoises that can be kept indoors.
Great video as always! Not surprised to see Sulcatas at the number one spot. We have dealt with many Sulcata surrenders over the years and they are not easy to house at all. Very destructive as you mentioned. Also, very cheap to purchase. I have typically seen them as low as 70 bucks at some expos over here in NY. It's a shame really. They are such amazing animals. Great work as always Chris and Casey. We appreciate the hard work you do and the information you put out to the masses! 🐢🔥
I've always found it strange how common sulcatas are in the pet trade. I've gone to Repticon and seen tons of baby sulcatas for sale. I remember one seller mentioning that they take a long time to get to their adult size...but to me that just allows people to buy them thinking that they'll deal with the size issue later and don't have to worry about it yet.
This is such an important video! Years ago, I decided I wanted a large tortoise. Fortunately, before I actually get an animal, I do a lot of research. I researched Ball Pythons for almost a year before I got the 2 I have now. It only took one day of research for me to know that a tortoise was not the animal for me. They live too long and need too much space. I’m grateful to channels like yours and I hope anyone who wants a large tortoise does their research first! 🐢❤️🐢
I was scrolling my local classifieds and just spotted an ad for 2022 & 23 Sulcatas- priced at $1 per gram for a single tortoise and discounted from there if you buy more than one. It’s as sad as red eared sliders.
It would be great if they were all getting re introduced to their native lands back in africa but sadly that's not the case. I have one, but have the space and time to care for it. I would never consider getting more than one though based on how destructive they can be.
You do a great service in educating people about the challenges of caring for different types of tortoises. You benefit both the prospective new owners, and the animals, so their needs are properly met. They are all gorgeous, and your specimens are clearly happy and healthy…it can be misleading to see these awesome animals looking so vigorous and active in your care. Thanks for pointing out the pitfalls, and levels of care and attention required.🖤🇨🇦
Awesome video! I worked at a wildlife sanctuary up in northern Jersey for a few years and, sure enough, one of our residents was a young sulcata that someone didn’t want anymore. It really is depressing to think about how many of these amazing animals are hatched by overzealous breeders every year without any hope of a decent quality of life. I hope this video does something to make people think twice about getting a sully of their own.
12:45 🐢🤣 I love that Chris left this in! Such a wonderful vid! I just love this channel.. It's so interesting and informative.. thanks to Chris and his lovely family.. 🤗🙋🏻♀️
Enjoyed this, and the way you summarized the first 4 before mentioning the last one was helpful. Sometimes following these top 5 videos, I get lost somewhere and have to rewind but with the summary - not necessary.
I would love an exposé on the eastern mud turtles and the morphological variations through their range and why they do or dont make great pets. Husbandry tips based on natural cycles they experience like flooding during rains, seasonal food availability, and hides used in nature.
@GardenStateTortoise I am going to create a flood able viv for one with grassy sedge planted banks with a laminare waterflow system to replicate the stream flow. I live in coastal NC they are native here and I have at least 7 living in my ditch and culvert. I feed them, occasionally, bait shrimp and love watching them hunt the flooded grass during a tropical storm or hurricane.
I have a Red foot and a cherry head living in NJ and even they are more work then people know. I just had to build a bigger enclosure for the winter. Definitely is a commitment. My box turtles are so much easier. I'd love to have other tortoises but I know its not feesable. Thats' why I like watching them on your videos
I called number 1 at the very beginning lol. My last Sulcata left is such an ass *shakes head* he managed to escape a couple weeks ago and I thought he was never gonna be seen again.....then showed up crashing a wedding venue 4 miles away!
It came for a piece of cake? Claimed a table for itself, or maybe the floral centerpiece? Funny, but really not funny. They demonstrate a lot of energy and determination, a 'tank'.
i rescued 2 libyan greek tortoise and they are around 25 years old now and doing great, i take excellent care of them and they laid eggs and the babies are doing great aswell.
A wonderful video chris. Its definatley worth noting how much space a tortoise needs. Even a little hermanns can wonder and wonder and never seems to run out of steam
Thank you for the great information 👍 I am in South Africa and have a rescue leopard torti ....she is beautiful and I adore her...but yes....lots to learn....thank you for your site, I get lots of useful info from you👍🌞
I have an adult male sulcata and I agree 😅 Destruction, size, lifespan, sometimes moody temperament…they have it all. Love him and would do anything for him though!
We have two. And i noticed one is calm and the other one is a runner, an explorer and bulldozes through everyrhing. So funny to watch him (we dknt gender yet) and he is a baby. I know he is going to be a pain when he geta bigger. Just like children and baby proofing the house. That will be him.
Please do a video for the top 5 tortoises to have as a pet, including the best large species please! I’ve been wanting a tortoise for a long time but after your worst 5 video, you’ve checked two off my list. I’d love to know which ones you’d recommend!
My mom kept a California desert tortoise in her backyard for many years. She lived in the southern San Joaquin Valley. It was a rescue that couldn’t go back in the wild. It would scratch at her back door every morning asking for breakfast. I live in Western Washington State. As much as I love tortoises I understand their care needs, and climate up here is really not optimal for caring for one. There is a reptile zoo near where I live that has a number of Sulcata tortoises. I imagine they are rescues as they have very lumpy shells. Sulcatas have no business living in the Pacific Northwest! Yet, at a pet store here in my town they have Sulcatas for sale from time to time.
I figured the Aldabra and the Sulcata would be on your list, Brian and Lori have an Aldabra, and it tries to climb out of it's enclosure often and you can't just pick it up and put it back,lol. Maybe a mini class on Winter preparation would be interesting and educational. Thanks Chris, always a pleasure.
Right, Casey and I have helped brian and Lori with Matilda and recently Brian did a video where he FaceTimes with me for advice. Thanks for watching and for the support!
Great video. Love sulcatas but no way I could have one. Watched someone on fb page ask about a tortoise they could get because they lived in an apartment and wanted something small and people skewered her. I was personally glad she asked. Better to ask than end up with a baby sulcata
A few years ago, I was thinking of getting a tortoise. A reptile store owner tried desperately to sell me a sulcata. Every time I brought up a concern like the size enclosure it would need or the fact that they seriously tunnel, he brushed it off. We left without buying anything from him. I don't think he expected me to do my homework.
Amazing video, as always Chris!!! 💯 And yes... Research is key when buying/adopting any pet! But especially reptiles, as they tend to have more specialized needs! Thanks again for educating us on "all things tortoise"!
One time a giant sulcata broke loose in the neighborhood and it walked all the way over to a different house a block away, by the time when it was found, it turned out there was someone in distress in that house and an ambulance had to be called. the person didnt make it :/ Did the turtle know? the determined way they can bust through pens makes me wonder if like an invisible force compels them. I can never forget that and was kind of life changing actually.
My first tortoise was a sulcata. I had to rehome her after two years. I learned my lesson, and if I get another tortoise, it'll be a Russian or Hermanns. Something small
I'm so glad the Sulcata was number 1! So many people post in the tortoise groups saying how they can't keep them because theyre too big and expensive to feed or house. Sad, really.
I would love to see a video of you asking to see everyone’s enclosures and tables for all tortoise species. I want to give my Hermann a wonderful life with a great inside and outside areas. I love searching Pinterest for ideas. Thanks for all you do there!
I thought I was in the clear with our sulcuta until I see it as number 1 😂! Yup they are very quick to knock things down when they are hungry! We love our Sheldon!
great and important video. Most tortoise keepers should not get sulcatas just as monitor lizard keepers should shy away from water monitors and the other large ones. Awesome but housing is a big issue.
This was a great video! Really important information about these gorgeous creatures! If you really love them you need to be able to do what’s best for them. Thank you for sharing your extraordinary knowledge❤
Great video! Is it better to get one tortoise by him or herself, or in pairs? I remember hearing somewhere that the only social species of tortoise is the gopher species.
Tortoises overall are more social than we give them credit for. Tortoises aren’t as solitary as literature claims, they occur in colonies and it’s actually beneficial for them to be with their own kind as long as an enclosure is well though out. In 35 years now, I’ve never housed tortoises singly. They simply do better in colonies.
I remember many yrs ago people used to say the same thing about cats - that they are solitary animals and like to live alone . With the advent of you tube vids we know now that cats do like company and even outdoor cats hang around with friends .
We have friends who have a massive sulcata. He is incredible but also massively destructive. He has an iron fence around his part of the yard, and recently he just….walked through the fence and trampled some freshly planted saplings. 😮 He’s in a great home with people who care deeply about his quality of life, and seeing the damage he can do has convinced me that they’re definitely not the pet for me! ❤❤❤
Yea if you want a tortoise you should do lots of research and make sure it will be happy with what you have….. I want a red footed tortoise and I’m a around a week later still researching
I have screen different species of tortoise and the Reds Fort by far has the best personality is the smartest and he loves to seek out your company so you can scratch his head and talk to him he loves just a sit by you and snuggle almost like a dog
LOL I knew Sulcata would be the top of the list! Those mad boulders are exquisite and Trouble Capital T. If I ever move back to San Diego, I want to build a big section of yard into a proper enriched enclosure space to rescue at least one sulcata and keep an eye on them. (and find a way to safely attach a gps tag to them, lol. I'd also let my neighbors know, Hey this is tank if you ever see him out without me call me.) The weather there would be ideal for letting it be outdoors all of the year, with a warmed shed for cold nights.
How much do they cost now. Can you buy them in Englsnd? had a few friends who had them as pets. One friend had two and she kept them in the house. They were kept in a large tray the bread men use to carry the bread in to the shops and supermarkets.
I have a Sulcuta tortoise 🐢 and i love him so much... but it is a challenge especially when winter comes along. But if you have the space and patience it's well worth it.... i would take "Fife" if i could.. 😅 i just had too. 😂 great video like always
This reminds me of an ethical question that I've been thinking about for a couple of years. I'd love to adopt a tortoise, but I'm 53. It would super outlive me. My children have said that they would care for it, but they are in their early 20s, and who knows what life will bring them. I've thought of taking in a rescue, but my age versus their lifespan always makes me pause.
I attended the Breeders Convention in Chicago 16 yrs ago and made it a point to bring my 8 yr old daughter. We already had a number of reptiles and my child helped, loved and cared for them too. At the convention WE agreed to two Hermanns torts. Im 60 now and my adult daughter now 24. From half dollar to 8 inches in 16 yrs, my kid is still very committed to adopting “OUR” tort kids. Great question shonica,…been there. Peace!
As Soon as I saw the title I knew Sulcata would be number 1. I love them so much and I’ve always wanted one but my family would murder me if they came home to 10-100ft burrows in the backyard 😂🐢 So instead because of your videos and research I have a 2 month old baby eastern Hermann’s tortoise named Suki!
I have been alllll about this channel since my daughter and I got an Indian Star Tortoise a couple months back....which is NOT on the list🎉🎉 he is trickier to care for than we originally thought, but he's so worth it❤
I knew a woman that had 4 tortoises. She let them roam her home and sadly none of them made it. I would love a tortoise but I know I can not take care of one.
Thanks all important information ℹ️ true everything discussed on video share others especially those diseases 🦠 especially wild cough lot place have sale most peoples no know especially low price $
Few turtles 🐢 Mississippi map turtles got videos my TH-cam love ❤️ snake 🐍 I am in to crocodilians 🐊 own in past years mostly alligators and caiman’s. working getting my license 🪪 back did have 2004 to 2021 change few rules need have insurance working that’s before send my application 📑
I wish I could find out what kind of tortoise I have. I recused it from a family. I think I am the 3rd or 4th owner. He is such a fun tortoise. They said he was a dessert but I was told from a picture that he is a Sulcata. Can you help?
True! Didn't pay attention to the distinction! Anyway, thanks for the informative video, I was hoping to get a leopard tortoise someday but i'll reconsider 🙂
Our little peanut is 19 months. A Sulcata and the best thing we have done. He is a little monster sometimes and that is what we love. We have the ability to keep up with the demands of food, habitat, anything he will need. We live in a very humid place but also temperate. We feel Peanut is living a great life. The minute we think our situation effects his? We will change it.
I wish people would quit buying babies and adopt or rescue. There are way too many sulcata breeders out there....doing it for the money only. I have 2 sulcatas. One was a rescue at 5 years old and the other was an adoption from someone else who adopted from another. Pet stores need to stop! LOVE the video!!! Thank you for your time and effort!
I found a tortoise about 6 years ago and has it as a pet in my front yard that's blocked around. I feed it lettuce, and it hardly drinks water. It goes down in the winter to hibenate n comes back up exactly in spring. I may want to surrender him. Would it be possible 😢 to do so at your site?
I got a pair of Kinixys homeana 5 years ago as my first tortoises and they're going strong, even laying eggs. But I work with some of the best herpetologists in the country, so I basically had a cheat code.
Hello, my husband & I found two baby box turtles & i'm not sure if we are taking care of them correctly, they are smaller then a quarter. I'm not sure if they are eating . we offer fresh veggies.water,and turtle food everyday . I watched your video on box turtle care. normally I wouldn't have taken them but the woods where they live was being cut down & it wasn't safe to leave them. Will you give me some choices to make sure they live a healthy life. I looked for your organizations location . I would like to volunteer with you so I can learn to care for the babies or maybe you should take them. Thank you & your videos are great .
I raised an african spur thighed tortoise from a hatchling. He lives outdoors in a totally enclosed back yard. We plant rye grass in the fall (florida) and he loves grasses and weeds plus other vegetables including plant leaves, mulberry leaves, squash, sweet potatoes, pumpkin and apples. He's still growing after 27 years and is over three feet long. He has a house to sleep in and we have ceramic bulbs under the floor for when the temps go below 60 degrees. He only got sick once when he escaped and was lost for a week. We had to give him pills (stuck in bananas)
I had a sulcata and they are a LOT of work to care for; especially an urban environment. Don't get one unless you have the time, resources, space and all he discussed in this video.
I have 2 sulcatas Mortimer who is 3 and just exposed himself as male last week. And a 2 year old hopefully female Karaline they are my world my reason to smile. My fiance came home from work yesterday and found Mortimer on his back in his water dish I have no idea how long he was upside down before he found him what are the symptoms I should watch for if something is wrong
Those Sulcatas can really mow you down, at home we have Spike and Ollie, 2 adult males we have that daily will butt heads through an iron gate. And yes, they are the reason why we do not have a manicured garden. 😅
I have a 20 year old sulcata here in SoCal. Luckily mine is not a digger and can live outdoors all year round. His 50 x 50 enclosure is armored so he can't wander. And my vegetable garden? It's not for me, it's for him. LOL. He's quite a joker and everybody loves him, but the boy poops lots and lots of horse-style poop!!
What other TOP 5 videos would you like to see us make? Turtles, tortoises and other reptiles all welcomed!
Top 5 worst aquatic turtles to own.
Top 5 best turtles to own, top 5 best tortoises to own.
The best type of tortoise to keep in a small space is a fake one@@brandisnyder9765
Top 5 most common diseases, and how to recognize them.🖤🇨🇦
Top 5 turtles and tortoises for captive breeding.🖤🇨🇦
I work as a private zookeeper for a nicely sized turtle pond and outdoor tortoise collection - owner has four adult male sulcatas. They are adorable and so sweet and my favorite animals to work with, but they are honestly like poorly programmed NPC’s 😭😭 they destroy everythingggg in their path, they always go exactly where they shouldn’t, and they have collectively four braincells (and two had to be separated from the other two because they fight!! One always attacks the green waste bin when I scoop his poop). But gosh darn it I adore them!! Grateful I have a job where I get to hang with these beautiful animals since I could never own one myself
They’re truly amazing but you said it all, they’re destructive. 👍🏻
😂Poorly programed NPC's😂
Agreed, sulcatas are extremely destructive. Not so sure about stupid, though....Mine learned to open the refrigerator, including the produce drawer, just by watching me and then thwarted 3 different child locks to get her veggies!
@@audreysarkyep my guy is very smart,while he's inside during the cold he gets bathed every other day,she actually waits by the bathroom till we get up,or if she's sleeping when i turn on the water and start the water running i look behind me and there he is,i love my big guy,i also have a baby redfoot,mud turtle,red eared slider a russian and a eastern ornate box turtle,love them all and each have a very different personality!
lol Love it!
My brother has a sulcata tortoise. Everything you said was true. You left out something very important though. Their average lifespan is 150 years. (We figure it will outlive his grandchildren.)His daughters friend sent away for it from Africa and it came in the mail for 40$. My brother who has had eastern box turtles all his life had no idea what he was acquiring. Fast forward years later. It’s a great pet. His is very friendly and obsessed like Otis (with him) It comes for a few of us when we call and have a treat. He absolutely loves when I scrub him w a dry scrub brush. He stands up tall and leans into it. Every time they go away for a weekend they have to get a babysitter to look in on it. They have him in a very large fenced in backyard but he has broken through some major stuff. In the winter he used to crawl around their house and destroy things. My brother really has become an expert at caring for him but unfortunately he will outlive us.
We’ve talked in countless videos about the longevity of turtles and tortoises and the giant tortoises along with box turtles take the cake in lifespans. However, Sulcatas often don’t live as long as Aldabras, Galapagos or even radiated. More like 70-100 years, but of course, that’s still a very long time.
150 years is about double the expected lifespan
Tell your brother he is amazing in my book!!!
150 years is not their average lifespan lmfao
I own a sulcata but knew what i was getting into before i got him. I have had him since he was about a year old. He ismy big baby. He loves going on walks and loves car rides as long as he can watch out the windows. He is also my guard tort and if anyone yells at me he will charge and ram them. He will also wake me up if he knows its time to get up or if he thinks something is wrong. Yes he has the run of the house but also has his own area with properlights etc. I buy him toys he loves to play with pushing around and chasing ans has a favorite stuffie he sleeps with. I love his personality and wouldn't change a thing.
This information is vital to any potential tortoise purchaser. You really need to do your homework but no one has the level of knowledge like Garden State Tortoise. Listen to the guy he knows what he's talking about & as always he's trying to help us. ❤❤❤
Thank you 🙏🏻
@@GardenStateTortoise you have changed the way I look after my 2 tortoises, I bring far more interest into their lives watching how you look after yours. I LOVE all your videos & always recommend them ❤️🐢🐢❤️
I am fortunate to live in Arizona, tortoises do well here in general. I was surprised to see the greek and leopards for that reason but makes sense. I tell people the sulcata is the most wonderful terrible pet in the world. I volunteer at a retile sanctuary and we receive sulcatas each and every day. Im recent years more and more surprise babies are showing up because of their giant clutches that very successfully incubate here naturally in the ground.
Id like to see a top 5 turtles and tortoises that can be kept indoors.
Great video as always! Not surprised to see Sulcatas at the number one spot. We have dealt with many Sulcata surrenders over the years and they are not easy to house at all. Very destructive as you mentioned. Also, very cheap to purchase. I have typically seen them as low as 70 bucks at some expos over here in NY. It's a shame really. They are such amazing animals. Great work as always Chris and Casey. We appreciate the hard work you do and the information you put out to the masses! 🐢🔥
Thank you so much! We’ve seen them being sold for as low as $35!
@@GardenStateTortoise that's just crazy!
this is the best channel I’ve ever found. It’s a channel I actually look forward to watching.
Wow thank you!
agreed ❤😊
I've always found it strange how common sulcatas are in the pet trade. I've gone to Repticon and seen tons of baby sulcatas for sale. I remember one seller mentioning that they take a long time to get to their adult size...but to me that just allows people to buy them thinking that they'll deal with the size issue later and don't have to worry about it yet.
This is such an important video! Years ago, I decided I wanted a large tortoise. Fortunately, before I actually get an animal, I do a lot of research. I researched Ball Pythons for almost a year before I got the 2 I have now. It only took one day of research for me to know that a tortoise was not the animal for me. They live too long and need too much space. I’m grateful to channels like yours and I hope anyone who wants a large tortoise does their research first! 🐢❤️🐢
I was scrolling my local classifieds and just spotted an ad for 2022 & 23 Sulcatas- priced at $1 per gram for a single tortoise and discounted from there if you buy more than one. It’s as sad as red eared sliders.
That’s heart breaking .
It would be great if they were all getting re introduced to their native lands back in africa but sadly that's not the case. I have one, but have the space and time to care for it. I would never consider getting more than one though based on how destructive they can be.
You do a great service in educating people about the challenges of caring for different types of tortoises. You benefit both the prospective new owners, and the animals, so their needs are properly met.
They are all gorgeous, and your specimens are clearly happy and healthy…it can be misleading to see these awesome animals looking so vigorous and active in your care. Thanks for pointing out the pitfalls, and levels of care and attention required.🖤🇨🇦
Awesome video! I worked at a wildlife sanctuary up in northern Jersey for a few years and, sure enough, one of our residents was a young sulcata that someone didn’t want anymore. It really is depressing to think about how many of these amazing animals are hatched by overzealous breeders every year without any hope of a decent quality of life. I hope this video does something to make people think twice about getting a sully of their own.
Just like many dog and cat breeders, creating unsustainable populations.
12:45 🐢🤣 I love that Chris left this in!
Such a wonderful vid! I just love this channel.. It's so interesting and informative.. thanks to Chris and his lovely family.. 🤗🙋🏻♀️
Hahah that was all the wife!
Enjoyed this, and the way you summarized the first 4 before mentioning the last one was helpful. Sometimes following these top 5 videos, I get lost somewhere and have to rewind but with the summary - not necessary.
Awesome and thank you 🙏🏻
Agreed. He's an interesting teacher and a talented speaker.
I would love an exposé on the eastern mud turtles and the morphological variations through their range and why they do or dont make great pets. Husbandry tips based on natural cycles they experience like flooding during rains, seasonal food availability, and hides used in nature.
Love it
@GardenStateTortoise I am going to create a flood able viv for one with grassy sedge planted banks with a laminare waterflow system to replicate the stream flow. I live in coastal NC they are native here and I have at least 7 living in my ditch and culvert. I feed them, occasionally, bait shrimp and love watching them hunt the flooded grass during a tropical storm or hurricane.
Great idea!!
@rebeccacamacho-sobczak4282 thanks!
I have a Red foot and a cherry head living in NJ and even they are more work then people know. I just had to build a bigger enclosure for the winter. Definitely is a commitment. My box turtles are so much easier. I'd love to have other tortoises but I know its not feesable. Thats' why I like watching them on your videos
Believe me, I know how you feel.
17:40 Dixie giving attitude.. 🐢😂 She's one _shell_ of a gal! 😁
🤣🤣
I called number 1 at the very beginning lol. My last Sulcata left is such an ass *shakes head* he managed to escape a couple weeks ago and I thought he was never gonna be seen again.....then showed up crashing a wedding venue 4 miles away!
Bet he made a big hit there! How did you find him? Does he have identification, like a chip or tattoo?
@@chezmoi42 my mom's friends with entire world on FB and someone working there knew it could only be mine or a nearby zoo's
It came for a piece of cake? Claimed a table for itself, or maybe the floral centerpiece? Funny, but really not funny. They demonstrate a lot of energy and determination, a 'tank'.
i rescued 2 libyan greek tortoise and they are around 25 years old now and doing great, i take excellent care of them and they laid eggs and the babies are doing great aswell.
A wonderful video chris. Its definatley worth noting how much space a tortoise needs. Even a little hermanns can wonder and wonder and never seems to run out of steam
Thank you for the great information 👍 I am in South Africa and have a rescue leopard torti ....she is beautiful and I adore her...but yes....lots to learn....thank you for your site, I get lots of useful info from you👍🌞
I have an adult male sulcata and I agree 😅 Destruction, size, lifespan, sometimes moody temperament…they have it all. Love him and would do anything for him though!
That’s awesome! The species needs more people like you.
We have two. And i noticed one is calm and the other one is a runner, an explorer and bulldozes through everyrhing. So funny to watch him (we dknt gender yet) and he is a baby. I know he is going to be a pain when he geta bigger. Just like children and baby proofing the house. That will be him.
Please do a video for the top 5 tortoises to have as a pet, including the best large species please! I’ve been wanting a tortoise for a long time but after your worst 5 video, you’ve checked two off my list. I’d love to know which ones you’d recommend!
you guys are the best. love it. thank you so much for all you do for the turtles.
Thank you 🙏🏻
My mom kept a California desert tortoise in her backyard for many years. She lived in the southern San Joaquin Valley. It was a rescue that couldn’t go back in the wild. It would scratch at her back door every morning asking for breakfast. I live in Western Washington State. As much as I love tortoises I understand their care needs, and climate up here is really not optimal for caring for one. There is a reptile zoo near where I live that has a number of Sulcata tortoises. I imagine they are rescues as they have very lumpy shells. Sulcatas have no business living in the Pacific Northwest! Yet, at a pet store here in my town they have Sulcatas for sale from time to time.
Another awesome and informative video!
Thanks!
Love your channel. You're the kind of science teacher I want to be for my students. Thanks for all the work!
Thank you! Great video! Nice information about greek tortoises subspecies 👍
I figured the Aldabra and the Sulcata would be on your list, Brian and Lori have an Aldabra, and it tries to climb out of it's enclosure often and you can't just pick it up and put it back,lol. Maybe a mini class on Winter preparation would be interesting and educational. Thanks Chris, always a pleasure.
Right, Casey and I have helped brian and Lori with Matilda and recently Brian did a video where he FaceTimes with me for advice. Thanks for watching and for the support!
Yes! I’ve seen many folks online asking about winter housing for sulcatas recently.
So grateful for your knowledge and delivery of information 🙏 ❤
Thank you 🙏🏻
Great video. Love sulcatas but no way I could have one. Watched someone on fb page ask about a tortoise they could get because they lived in an apartment and wanted something small and people skewered her. I was personally glad she asked. Better to ask than end up with a baby sulcata
Good point
Given enough time, that sulcata would claim the neighboring apartment as well and possibly the whole floor. 😅
I have two sulcata tortoises and they are my favorite animals in the world forever ❤
Are they agressive or bite? Thats my main concern, if they tent to bite a lot?
I love what you do for these beautiful creatures. Thank You Garden State Tortoise!
A few years ago, I was thinking of getting a tortoise. A reptile store owner tried desperately to sell me a sulcata. Every time I brought up a concern like the size enclosure it would need or the fact that they seriously tunnel, he brushed it off.
We left without buying anything from him. I don't think he expected me to do my homework.
Way to go, Chris... Always enjoy your videos.
Amazing video, as always Chris!!! 💯 And yes... Research is key when buying/adopting any pet! But especially reptiles, as they tend to have more specialized needs! Thanks again for educating us on "all things tortoise"!
Agree with #1 100%. I've been keeping turtles almost 40 years.
One time a giant sulcata broke loose in the neighborhood and it walked all the way over to a different house a block away,
by the time when it was found, it turned out there was someone in distress in that house and an ambulance had to be called. the person didnt make it :/
Did the turtle know? the determined way they can bust through pens makes me wonder if like an invisible force compels them. I can never forget that and was kind of life changing actually.
Hey! Could you make a video of the indoor housing you have for your larger species?
My first tortoise was a sulcata. I had to rehome her after two years. I learned my lesson, and if I get another tortoise, it'll be a Russian or Hermanns. Something small
I'm so glad the Sulcata was number 1! So many people post in the tortoise groups saying how they can't keep them because theyre too big and expensive to feed or house. Sad, really.
I would love to see a video of you asking to see everyone’s enclosures and tables for all tortoise species. I want to give my Hermann a wonderful life with a great inside and outside areas. I love searching Pinterest for ideas. Thanks for all you do there!
I thought I was in the clear with our sulcuta until I see it as number 1 😂! Yup they are very quick to knock things down when they are hungry! We love our Sheldon!
Amazing video great work. Super impressive
great and important video. Most tortoise keepers should not get sulcatas just as monitor lizard keepers should shy away from water monitors and the other large ones. Awesome but housing is a big issue.
100% agree
This was a great video! Really important information about these gorgeous creatures! If you really love them you need to be able to do what’s best for them. Thank you for sharing your extraordinary knowledge❤
Thank you 😊
💟 Love to know what tortoise will be ideal here in the UK ( South England)
Great video! Is it better to get one tortoise by him or herself, or in pairs? I remember hearing somewhere that the only social species of tortoise is the gopher species.
Tortoises overall are more social than we give them credit for. Tortoises aren’t as solitary as literature claims, they occur in colonies and it’s actually beneficial for them to be with their own kind as long as an enclosure is well though out. In 35 years now, I’ve never housed tortoises singly. They simply do better in colonies.
I remember many yrs ago people used to say the same thing about cats - that they are solitary animals and like to live alone . With the advent of you tube vids we know now that cats do like company and even outdoor cats hang around with friends .
Could you do some videos for small kids? Perhaps one on the difference between turtles, tortoises and tarapins. Thank you.
love your channel 💚
Great video but spit coffee all over myself with the aldabra "5 foot" chuckle derailment.
🤣🤣🤣🤣
We have friends who have a massive sulcata. He is incredible but also massively destructive. He has an iron fence around his part of the yard, and recently he just….walked through the fence and trampled some freshly planted saplings. 😮 He’s in a great home with people who care deeply about his quality of life, and seeing the damage he can do has convinced me that they’re definitely not the pet for me! ❤❤❤
Very rational video. Thank you!
Can you recommend top 5 to have?
Yea if you want a tortoise you should do lots of research and make sure it will be happy with what you have….. I want a red footed tortoise and I’m a around a week later still researching
👍🏻
I have screen different species of tortoise and the Reds Fort by far has the best personality is the smartest and he loves to seek out your company so you can scratch his head and talk to him he loves just a sit by you and snuggle almost like a dog
LOL I knew Sulcata would be the top of the list! Those mad boulders are exquisite and Trouble Capital T. If I ever move back to San Diego, I want to build a big section of yard into a proper enriched enclosure space to rescue at least one sulcata and keep an eye on them. (and find a way to safely attach a gps tag to them, lol. I'd also let my neighbors know, Hey this is tank if you ever see him out without me call me.) The weather there would be ideal for letting it be outdoors all of the year, with a warmed shed for cold nights.
Can we see how your indoor setups are for some of these tortoises in a future video?
Just got my first K.homeana a few days ago! Long term captive but definitely had me scared
Great info. What other small land turtle/tortoise options do you recommend?
What type of shirt are you wearing? Looks comfortable
How much do they cost now. Can you buy them in Englsnd? had a few friends who had them as pets.
One friend had two and she kept them in the house.
They were kept in a large tray the bread men use to carry the bread in to the shops and supermarkets.
I have a Sulcuta tortoise 🐢 and i love him so much... but it is a challenge especially when winter comes along. But if you have the space and patience it's well worth it.... i would take "Fife" if i could.. 😅 i just had too. 😂 great video like always
This reminds me of an ethical question that I've been thinking about for a couple of years. I'd love to adopt a tortoise, but I'm 53. It would super outlive me. My children have said that they would care for it, but they are in their early 20s, and who knows what life will bring them. I've thought of taking in a rescue, but my age versus their lifespan always makes me pause.
I attended the Breeders Convention in Chicago 16 yrs ago and made it a point to bring my 8 yr old daughter. We already had a number of reptiles and my child helped, loved and cared for them too. At the convention WE agreed to two Hermanns torts. Im 60 now and my adult daughter now 24. From half dollar to 8 inches in 16 yrs, my kid is still very committed to adopting “OUR” tort kids. Great question shonica,…been there. Peace!
Great video as always,But wish to learn more about how to raise a baby boxturtle!
We just did a how to raise baby box turtles video. It’s several back, thumbnail is a pile of baby Mexican box in my hand on a white background.
As Soon as I saw the title I knew Sulcata would be number 1.
I love them so much and I’ve always wanted one but my family would murder me if they came home to 10-100ft burrows in the backyard 😂🐢
So instead because of your videos and research I have a 2 month old baby eastern Hermann’s tortoise named Suki!
I have been alllll about this channel since my daughter and I got an Indian Star Tortoise a couple months back....which is NOT on the list🎉🎉 he is trickier to care for than we originally thought, but he's so worth it❤
I knew a woman that had 4 tortoises. She let them roam her home and sadly none of them made it. I would love a tortoise but I know I can not take care of one.
Would love a large tortoise but with a 12ft by 12ft yard it's never going to happen!!
🐢👍🏻
Thanks all important information ℹ️ true everything discussed on video share others especially those diseases 🦠 especially wild cough lot place have sale most peoples no know especially low price $
Thank you 🙏🏻
Few turtles 🐢 Mississippi map turtles got videos my TH-cam love ❤️ snake 🐍 I am in to crocodilians 🐊 own in past years mostly alligators and caiman’s. working getting my license 🪪 back did have 2004 to 2021 change few rules need have insurance working that’s before send my application 📑
Loved that you kept the out takes in . 😂
🤣🤣 the wife takes every opportunity to do something like that when she’s editing
Can you share the info on Bell's Hingeback enclosures? I really want mine to have the best environment! Thanks!
I wish I could find out what kind of tortoise I have. I recused it from a family. I think I am the 3rd or 4th owner. He is such a fun tortoise. They said he was a dessert but I was told from a picture that he is a Sulcata. Can you help?
You can email us a picture to gardenstatetortoise@gmail.com
I was expecting the alligator snapping turtle as number 1 😂
That’ll be in the Top 5 Worst Pet Turtles 👍🏻
True! Didn't pay attention to the distinction!
Anyway, thanks for the informative video, I was hoping to get a leopard tortoise someday but i'll reconsider 🙂
Our little peanut is 19 months. A Sulcata and the best thing we have done. He is a little monster sometimes and that is what we love. We have the ability to keep up with the demands of food, habitat, anything he will need. We live in a very humid place but also temperate. We feel Peanut is living a great life. The minute we think our situation effects his? We will change it.
My 15 year old Sulcata bent steel t-post, so it's no joke about how strong they are.
Great vid AGAIN!!!!
Thank you 🙏🏻
I wish people would quit buying babies and adopt or rescue. There are way too many sulcata breeders out there....doing it for the money only. I have 2 sulcatas. One was a rescue at 5 years old and the other was an adoption from someone else who adopted from another. Pet stores need to stop!
LOVE the video!!! Thank you for your time and effort!
I own a sulcata. I definitely wish I would done research before hand so I would of been able to educate myself and known this prior
I thought you were about to sing when you said five 😂
I found a tortoise about 6 years ago and has it as a pet in my front yard that's blocked around. I feed it lettuce, and it hardly drinks water.
It goes down in the winter to hibenate n comes back up exactly in spring. I may want to surrender him. Would it be possible 😢 to do so at your site?
I got a pair of Kinixys homeana 5 years ago as my first tortoises and they're going strong, even laying eggs. But I work with some of the best herpetologists in the country, so I basically had a cheat code.
Hello, my husband & I found two baby box turtles & i'm not sure if we are taking care of them correctly, they are smaller then a quarter. I'm not sure if they are eating . we offer fresh veggies.water,and turtle food everyday . I
watched your video on box turtle care. normally I wouldn't have taken them but the woods where they live was being cut down & it wasn't safe to leave them. Will you give me some choices to make sure they live a healthy life. I looked for your organizations location . I would like to volunteer with you so I can learn to care for the babies or maybe you should take them. Thank you & your videos are great .
Hay how about the Best 5 to have as pets
We did do a top 5 easiest to keep 👍🏻
Sulcatas my favourite torts but I do love all tortoises 🐢 ❤
Research, research and more research before buying any animal is key. Love what you guys are doing down there in Bon Jovi land. Thank you ❤️ 🍺
I raised an african spur thighed tortoise from a hatchling. He lives outdoors in a totally enclosed back yard. We plant rye grass in the fall (florida) and he loves grasses and weeds plus other vegetables including plant leaves, mulberry leaves, squash, sweet potatoes, pumpkin and apples. He's still growing after 27 years and is over three feet long. He has a house to sleep in and we have ceramic bulbs under the floor for when the temps go below 60 degrees. He only got sick once when he escaped and was lost for a week. We had to give him pills (stuck in bananas)
I had a sulcata and they are a LOT of work to care for; especially an urban environment. Don't get one unless you have the time, resources, space and all he discussed in this video.
Thank you for this!!!
I have 2 sulcatas Mortimer who is 3 and just exposed himself as male last week. And a 2 year old hopefully female Karaline they are my world my reason to smile. My fiance came home from work yesterday and found Mortimer on his back in his water dish I have no idea how long he was upside down before he found him what are the symptoms I should watch for if something is wrong
Awesome Tortious!! Love this!
Knowing what you're getting into with a pet is really important
Dear GST, i am really curious about turtles and tortoises in Australia. Can you please make video about them? Thank you
How well do captive bred eastern Hermanns Tortoises adapt to south Floridas climate?
I know a lot of people that have luck with them in Florida but generally they’d be better in more
Northern areas where they can experience a winter.
@@GardenStateTortoiseThank you for responding 👍🏻
I'm surprised that the Black Mountain Tortoise didn't make the list since you no longer keep them.
They’re far more of a forgiving species than any of these in this video. They can take temps down into the 40s without issue and wet is no problem.
I'm not up to date on Canon, is there a reason he stopped keeping them?
Ive had my Sulcata Shelby since she was golf ball size. Shes family.
😳 I had no idea sulcatas could be that destructive!
What do you think of hybrids? Like how would the leopard tortoises habability issues transfer to say a sulcata leopard hybrid?
Those Sulcatas can really mow you down, at home we have Spike and Ollie, 2 adult males we have that daily will butt heads through an iron gate. And yes, they are the reason why we do not have a manicured garden. 😅
I have a 20 year old sulcata here in SoCal. Luckily mine is not a digger and can live outdoors all year round. His 50 x 50 enclosure is armored so he can't wander. And my vegetable garden? It's not for me, it's for him. LOL. He's quite a joker and everybody loves him, but the boy poops lots and lots of horse-style poop!!
Do you sell Herman’s tortoise if so where?
How big is your winter building for the tortoises that have to come in?