Best INDOOR Sulcata Tortoise Enclosure! (Everything you need to know + hatchling care and set up!)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 14 ต.ค. 2023
- #tortoise #sulcata #gardenstatetortoise
The Sulcata tortoise has a sad history in global herpetoculture as it has become a throw away pet. Similar to cute little ducklings and bunnies, people buy these inexpensive, small, adorable hatchling tortoises with no real plan in place for their future. Sulcatas are the world’s third largest tortoise species and they are powerful, destructive reptiles. Their outdoor requirements are tough to meet but indoors it becomes even more challenging, because as adults, they require secure, large, heated spaces. So, where do you put a 200 pound tortoise inside once it gets too cold outside? Watch this video and find out what it takes to offer the sulcata tortoise the best indoor enclosure.
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Who is Garden State Tortoise?
However you made it here, thank you and welcome to Garden State Tortoise. Garden State Tortoise is home to hundreds of animals from all around the world. We are a family dedicated to adventure, conservation of wildlife, and all things nature. We are a reptile rescue and breeding facility for more than ten years, offering refuge to those who need it, and working everyday to protect the beautiful world of reptiles in any way we can. Here on our TH-cam channel you will be able to join us on our animal adventures while learning how to care for, protect, properly identify, feed and even breed many species of turtle, tortoise, snake and lizard. We even work with frogs and salamanders! We hope you enjoy our videos and help us share them with the world so we can continue to educate people of all ages about herpetology.
Chris and Casey Leone
What do you do to keep your tortoises safe for the winter?
In the winter do you supplement heat with ceramic bulbs or is the ambient room temp okay in your reptile room? I turn the heater on inside to try and keep it around 75 but temps in my exoterra drop below that.
Mine (Master Oogway, age 5.5) lives right in the house, as part of our family. We reside in Phoenix, so he'll go outside in the day, soak up the sun, eat grass, etc, and then he goes to our back door and bangs on it to come inside, have a snack, then goes to bed. Up until recently, he went out the giant dog door on his own, in the am, but he's too large for that now, so we let him out ourselves. He does this year round, and never sleeps outside. We've got a warmer, and a furry, waterproof dog bed inside his hide for him to sleep on. When it gets too cold for him to go out, we get out his reptile light for him to bask under.
He loves it ❤️
My sulcata just showed up at my home almost two years ago. The funny thing, is that he arrived on his own 1 week after I was researching aquatic turtles (read ear sliders): which led to Google suggesting tortoises as well.
As I live in Phoenix, AZ: Sheldon lives outside year round. He did burrow the first year of me having him, but not since then. I have mostly completed his pen, but he still has access to the rest of the yard where he lives to graze on our grass.
We had been keeping our one male Sulcata in a large tortoise table, but he has basically outgrown it so we need to do something else/new this coming fall. We've just been going back and forth between either allocating part of a room in our house, or doing something external like a shed similar to your guest on this video.
If you get them as babies you should start planning their big enclosure from day one. It’s not as huge of an expense if it’s broken up into piece by piece buying. Almost no one these days can afford 15 grand right at once. But you can start getting bits of lumber and other materials a few times a year, as you can, until you have all of it. It’ll take them some time to be able to be outside full time, let alone over wintering. Look for construction sites that have materials they need to dispose of anyway and ask them if you can haul it off and keep it. There are several viable ways to mitigate the expense of animals that have more extensive housing needs. (Reptile keeper, Sulcata mom, and wildlife rehabber)
Me , my husband Gabriel, and our 2 redfoots Pheobe and Fiona say goodmorning!
Good morning!
Also love the idea of a tile floor pitched with drainage. Brilliant. Wish we would have done the same for our tortoise shed.
Excellent video!! Appreciate your advice to others to be prepared financially, and to be prepared with space for a safe and suitable habitat. You can't say that enough!!
We adopted ours 3 years ago from a friend (who could go longer care for him), but we didn't know what we were getting into either!! A few years later and $25k in yard and housing renovations later.... Here we are. But we love him so it's worth it. ❤
I don’t have turtles or tortoises but love hearing about them. ❤️ Look forward to all your new videos. 🙂
Great video as always! Sulcatas are an amazing species! We currently have a couple small ones (15lbs) in our care as well as other species. These guys are tanks for sure and require a lot of work as they get larger. I just wish people would do more research instead of just buying out of impulse. It's so unfortunate for the animals. Thanks Chris and Casey for the informative video and all of the hard work you do!🐢🔥
Excellent video. Everyone should have to watch this before ever purchasing one. 👍👍👍
Glad you liked it!
Thank you, this was a very informative presentation. It seems like we were just celebrating the coming out of hibernation and moving outside of your many charges, and here we are getting ready for winter.🖤🇨🇦
Comes up so quick!
always a pleasure to see your educational video. !!
A french fan
Great info. I’m in CA. Mine tortoise has dug tunnel. It goes under my fence and under my neighbors pool house. I have always let him this tunnel. Now the box turtles are using it too. Every year they go in and I see him in the spring.
Love the channel. I have a sulcata here in W. Texas. My Mom lives outside of Philly. Next time I’m up that way I want to visit your place. Bless y’all for what you do.
Just amazing. A vid like this on leapard torts would be appreciated 😊
Thank you 🙏🏻
Thank you for all of your helpful information!! I know it must be a lot of work to put all of this together for the community😄
It’s worth it. Thank you!
@@GardenStateTortoisedid you go to the university of Maryland.
Another great educational video. I don't keep reptiles but I enjoy watching youjr videos. I always learn something new.
I appreciate that!
Thank you for making this video! It answers alot of my questions about how to house giant tortoises in the colder weather.
Glad it helps!
Al has a awesome place i watched Kenans video last month when he went there. His shirt said Travers City it's one of the best places in the country to visit. Another great video thanks :)
Thank you and yes he does!
That's a super cool idea to drop a hole in your building for the tortoises to nest right in the ground.
Definitely. 👍🏻👍🏻
I’d love to have an Aldabra. Or a whole “herd” of Redfoots. I have the space and I live in Florida but I’m too old. That was the reason I decided against it. I didn’t want to have to worry and stress out over where my tortoises would live after I’m gone. So much to consider but with channels like yours, we can make informed decisions for the well being of the animals. I am, however, getting my third Ball Python this coming Thursday. So excited! It’s a 0.1 Clown-Pied. She’s beautiful!!🐢❤️🐢
That’s awesome Lori!
th-cam.com/video/Ns5t5sDI3ec/w-d-xo.htmlsi=2fdZmorM3CivORPU 🌼🌹
its always stressful this time of year. We've had some cold really rainy nights, Felt bad but I pulled my tortoises in sooner than I wanted. They love being outside but its not worth the risk
👍🏻👍🏻
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and enthusiasm for these incredible creatures!!
Al Roach is beautiful!! ❤❤
Thank you for this amazingly informative video!
I would really love to see an in depth video about the elongated tortoise!
Love Al’s set up 👏🏽
👍🏻👍🏻
Just thank you!
Great video. Personally, I would love to see some videos on the Chaco.
Thanks for all you do for the Tortoises and the community!
Learning so much. Your videos are invaluable to someone who has a baby sulcata
Thank you 🙏🏻
Thank you for your knowledge in your videos
My pleasure
Great info. & visual examples.
Glad it was helpful!
Great informational video on this wonderful species! Great animals but you must do your research before getting that cute baby. We have several males that were purchased as cute babies but quickly outgrew their homes.
👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Great videos, Thanks
Thank you 🙏🏻
awwww i see an aldabra there too, love them 😊💚🐢
Liking Al's Traverse City Beach Bumbs tshirt!!!
👍🏻
Love ❤️
Can we get a burmese mountin tortise care video next🤝
I’m about to get a baby! I’m glad I don’t need to worry about them getting cold in fl. Just too hot.
Just keep in mind that most portions of Florida are still a little too chilly in the winter for them and most keepers there still have to bring them in for at least short periods. Congrats on the baby!
It’s nice to see your commitment for your animals. I just wonder about the differences in different localites? How do you know it is from Sudan and not from Senegal?
I’m always looking forward for next episode👍🏻
Thank you so much : just a question, what is the temperature when you keep them indoor during the winter ?
Great video i'd like to see the same thing about the leopards!
👍🏻👍🏻
Leopard tortoise please ❤
Can you make a video about a long-term indoor habitat for the western Hermann's tortoise?
The beak on that last tortoise was so long
Hey, Great video. Really enjoying your Channel. Could we have a Marginated Tort video? I have two. They are about two and a half now and we’re approaching winter in the UK was wondering on hibernation, what age to start and for how long etc. thanks in advance from across the pond
I’d love to see a video about indoor enclosure lighting. There’s so much conflict info out there. Thank you.
If they’re outside for at least 6 months a year it is absolutely not required.
I would like to see something about the endagered bog turtles. 🐢
How did you do the lamps fixtures on the plastic lid?
Please do a video on what it takes to raise and care for a Marginated tortoise, like what you did with this video for the Sulcata tortoise. Thank you. I live in South Carolina, what would I need to raise a Marginated hatchling or baby and care for it when it becomes an adult?
Hello,
I love your channel. Could you do a video on Burmese Brown tortoises? I have a female and don’t hear much about this kind of tortoise. I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you:)
❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
We are in VA building a new indoor and outdoor Sulcata enclosure similar to like what we see in your videos. We have grass outside should we pull out our topsoil and put down sand prior to fence in our area? The female we have we were told has never laid eggs in 7 years she is 35. Should I still prepare her a nest box area?
What substrate do you recommend and which substrate are you using in the baby sulcata enclosure?
Thank you!
Do you ever book paid consultations via zoom?
What about Arizona based sulcatas
How often do you soak your Sulcata? Mine is showing dried seams on her shell.
What type of UVB bulbs are you using? & where are they?
For the baby hatchlings would it be ok to put a reptile humidifier in her turtle box?
Only if it’s overly dry
Hey guys, I got a storage tote for my baby tortoise enclosure but I’m concerned if I need to put in any additional holes for them to breath or is it just fine as is?
Do you house the redfoot in the same room? i want to do somthing similar to my redfoots, thank youuuu
Question we have a sulcata turtle it's about 3 years old . We live in Southern California he's an in and outside in closure. We put a little blanket underneath and a heating element on top of his enclosure. Is that too unsafe? Enclosure is too big to bring in a house what can I do
Do they do ok as a single tortoise? Is having another tortoise beneficial for them? Also, I saw your comment about Hernanns hibernating in Ohio. Are they the largest tortoise than can overwinter outside in those temps?
How long do the hatchlings stay in the closed containment?
In tropical countries, is it okay for sulcata hatchlings to be in an outdoor enclosure like the one in your other video? Like 24/7.
At what age can they start laying eggs? I have a 4 year old 30 lb female and want to make sure she has a suitable laying area. She has half of my walk out basement as her winter home because we live in Missouri.
I'd love a video about leopard tortoises. I live in Arizona and want a large tortoise but I really couldn't handle the kind of burrowing that comes with a sulcata tortoise
Thanks for the idea!
Your videos are the best; tons of information to help people make proper decisions in reptile care.
I have 5 baby turtoises ( with 2 adults) ... the small ones i find them really sleepy they don't want to move much ... i'm worried if they are sick or something and i don't know if i'm doing something wrong
I live in Central Ohio and the winters get too cold up here for my Eastern Hermann's tortoise but what are the average lows in your area ?
Central Ohio is not too cold for any Hermann’s tortoise as they can take it down to below 0 as long as they have a safe place to hibernate that doesn’t flood or pool. Here we drop to sometimes the teens at night but it’s very rare and only for short bursts.
How deep dose the Sulcata lay its eggs?
Sulcata may be the favorite for pet lovers of big tortoises.
But you said "most famous" that would have to , unequivocally, be the Galapagos. Since Darwin and all that they are what pop's into most normies head when you say giant tortoise. ❤
Holy cow im looking at his tshirt and it says traverse city Beach bums. Im from TC. Born and raised.
⚾️
@@GardenStateTortoise really cool to see it represented
How about the Gopher Tortoises
I have rabies yes !
How much food does my tortoise need(quantities)I'm afraid I over feed it he's 4 years old
Also, I forgot to mention that she is 10 years old.
Are there programs to release the Sulcatad young back into their native wild?
I was wondering that, too. I suspect that if their habitat has been destroyed or encroached upon, first things first would be to ensure a suitable space where they would have room to live safely in the long run. That might also include protection from poachers who sell the young as pets or adults as food.
What about necessary UV rays in winter?
Not necessary at all for tortoises that spend half the year it more outdoors. 👍🏻
Where is Al located?
Video abaut red box please ❤ yuor garden stata tortoise
There is no such thing as a red box but thanks for watching!
Y
How many are they ?🤨🧐
17:12 is it Wallah ? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wallah_(disambiguation)
I wanna see an Aldabra video jus got my first 2 aldabs and still wanting to learn more about them cause I’m sure I’ll need it!! Lol thank you 🙏 I live in Kansas so I can’t wait for what the winters challenges will be for me 😆😆
Hello I have a desert tortoise that I cannot take care of anymore sense im going to college if u would like it u can its a male he hasn't bite me but im not for sure about other people but if u would like to have him it would be great .
Do you Rescue? 60 lb tortoise in need😥
Can you see the flies in the shed?
Normal occurrence in the fall when animals first come inside. That’s what fly tape is for. 👍🏻
What are you feeding Sulcatas in the winter? I have a 77 pound adult and running out of ideas. Everything I see other people feeding their adults is a no-no according to the Tortoise Table App.
Depending on your setup and climate you can always grow grasses indoors. I believe Tortoise Supply sells an African grass seed mix. You can buy some 1020 trays and keep a constant supply. Throw on some dried Timothy hay for bulk. Works with even a simple grow light (or very bright window light)
Does GST house any Russian tortoises?
Yes we’ve done Russian videos too 👍🏻
A heard of turtle's. 😂😂
I"m not a fan of hearing how pressure treated lumber is used for everything indoors. It's soaked with chemicals which can be very harmful and not meant for indoors where any fumes can't gas off.
I didn't have a proper enclosure for my sulcata, so he escaped...
Sorry to hear
Have any of your sulcata tortoise's ate an Earth worm ??? Asking for a friend :l
Sulcatas are underpriced. They’re going extinct in their native range and are unavailable/illegal to import anymore. The genetics we have are what we have. We need to focus of quality not quantity. If animals getting surrendered is an issue then crank the barrier to entry up. You’ll never in your life find a Aldabra or Galapagos in a rescue. Why? Because of what they cost. The people that buy them are serious, period. If a $50 turtle you bought 5 years ago is too much to handle now, oh well send it to a rescue it was $50. That stops when the price is $500
You need 6 bedrooms ( minimum ) 4 bathrooms two luxury bedrooms & 3 greenhouses growing vegetables & fruit the end
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