hondataeg6
New Member
LOL... Nice. do you have pictures of you're tortoise you can share?
My Sulcata female laying eggs
- Thread starter Lancecham
- Start date
LOL... Nice. do you have pictures of you're tortoise you can share?
hondataeg6
New Member
at what age are they sexually active?? Yesterday I was looking at some videos on youtube, and I can across one with a small tortoise having fun with a croc shoe LOL..
fluxlizard
Avid Member
Beautiful looking eggs there!
Was your female captive-bred herself?
I have a pair but the female is not large enough for breeding yet. The male is large enough, but not the female.
To whomever asked about breeding noises- I had a friend with these and all winter they made embarrassing loud rythmic vocalisations when breeding LOL.
Was your female captive-bred herself?
I have a pair but the female is not large enough for breeding yet. The male is large enough, but not the female.
To whomever asked about breeding noises- I had a friend with these and all winter they made embarrassing loud rythmic vocalisations when breeding LOL.
Lancecham
New Member
Thanks!!
The previous owner of the tortoise told me she imported a pair around 18 years ago.
Yes, I do have to explain to friends who come over and hear the grunting noises coming from outside. They just ask me, "what in the heck is that?"
Of course! Here's Scarlett enjoying watermelon
Rhett enjoying a strawberry
Scarlett and Rhett
Next to Bebop the juvi box turtle
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Lancecham
New Member
I have read that sulcatas can be breeding around 6 to 9 years.
hondataeg6
New Member
The one im talking about might be a different species. cause it seemed to be around 12" and i know a 6-9yr old sulcata can be quiet huge...
hondataeg6
New Member
Of course! Here's Scarlett enjoying watermelon
Rhett enjoying a strawberry
Scarlett and Rhett
Next to Bebop the juvi box turtle
GREAT looking tortoise.
Thanks for sharing.
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hondataeg6
New Member
One question, do they really do alot of digging when you free range them in youre backyard??
Lancecham
New Member
Mine don't.
When I went to pick up the sulcatas at the owners house, the female had a 6 foot tunnel dug in her enclosure. I thought to myself, "what am I getting myself into." as I didn't want a tunnel in my yard.
I have three adults and none of them dig. A lot of times, digging is a way to thermoregulate their temperature or a place to hide.
I have provided them with nice and comfortable temperature regulate places to sleep. So they stay warm enough and have a place they feel is secure for them.
My backyard is also heavily planted, so even in the hot summer days, there is plenty of "cool" spots for them to retreat to when it is hot.
SInce this is provided, they do not need to dig.
I am sure there are tortoises who may dig regardless, but if the necessary steps are taken to prevent it, the chances of digging are greatly reduced.
hondataeg6
New Member
So, if they have a place to take some shade and a place where they can hide they wont dig??
I really want one, but I am afraid that once it gets big it will dig near my koi pond and tear up the liner...
Lancecham
New Member
I didn't say they wouldn't dig if you provided them a place to hide in and provide shade, but the chances of digging are reduced.
Temperatures will also play a role.
I am not sure exactly where you live, but if your summers are frequently over 100 degrees, there may be increased chances of digging. I am not sure on that as my temps in the summer are not like that.
You may want to ask Vegaschad about how his sulcatas do in the summertime.
Going back to my female.. As I stated, she used to dig where she was at. The summers there in Norco are very hot most of the summer. The female was in a 20x20 area that was fenced off. Very little shade. SO she dug. The male was in a separate enclosure that had a large tree providing shade for a portion of the enclosure and he never dug.
The owner gave me the female's sleeping enclosure , which I set up in my yard. She used it right away. So she must have felt comfortable with her enclosure where she was, but my theory was that she dug was to stay cool.
Temperatures will also play a role.
I am not sure exactly where you live, but if your summers are frequently over 100 degrees, there may be increased chances of digging. I am not sure on that as my temps in the summer are not like that.
You may want to ask Vegaschad about how his sulcatas do in the summertime.
Going back to my female.. As I stated, she used to dig where she was at. The summers there in Norco are very hot most of the summer. The female was in a 20x20 area that was fenced off. Very little shade. SO she dug. The male was in a separate enclosure that had a large tree providing shade for a portion of the enclosure and he never dug.
The owner gave me the female's sleeping enclosure , which I set up in my yard. She used it right away. So she must have felt comfortable with her enclosure where she was, but my theory was that she dug was to stay cool.
hondataeg6
New Member
I live in Ontario, last summer was hot with some day being over 100*. My backyard has a lot of trees, mostly fruit trees, so theres plenty of spots with shade through out the day.
My other concern would be my dogs, i dont think they will ever leave it alone.
Sorry to kind of hijack your thread lancecham! Hard to resist the chance to brag about my girls too.
Mine are in Texas where summers frequently get over 100 and winters freeze. My backyard is well planted so they can hide when it's hot outside. They each have a favorite bush that they've scooped out a hollow under. And they have a heated house they go in when it's cold. They come out during the day when it's warmest and after they've been nice and toasty for a while to eat and cruise a little. Then when they get cold again they go back in and just sit and watch the world. They've actually nearly outgrown it now so I'll have to build them another apartment next year! Mine really don't dig either besides their scoops under bushes. Never had them try to tunnel or anything, which I was worried about too.
My dogs barked every time they moved for the first few months, now she doesn't even look at them. But I have seen tortoises and turtles with mangled shells from being dog chew toys. It looks awful and is painful for them. The shell is not like fingernails like some people think.
fluxlizard
Avid Member
I keep mine outdoors from May until October and indoors in a large pen in my lizard building the rest of the months when it is cold here. I don't think these tortoises are right for you if you cannot put up a large pen outdoors (my pen is ~45' x 30' and I'm thinking I will expand it when they are grown a few more years) and an outbuilding for the winter. Mine mow the pen for a few hours each morning and afternoon with a siesta in the middle. Like cows they graze constantly during the day and poop constantly too- poops the size of your fist from my larger male, and he's not even fully grown yet. Which is why I would not have them if I had to keep them in my house- space and poop (my indoor pen is smaller at 8x16'- 8x8 worked for a friend but was much messier and doesn't give the big torts much room in the winter).
My male dug a tunnel for the first time this year. He didn't do it until the last few weeks I had them outside for the summer before bringing them in for the winter and I guess he was doing it to escape the nights which were mostly in the 50s. He dug it at a perfect angle to the sun so that he could go into the tunnel in the late afternoon and bask for a couple hours there before dark, and then he would go several more feet down to a chamber he had dug at the end of the tunnel around a corner for the night. The entire tunnel was dug at the same angle so I could see down it when the sun shone at the right time of day all the way to the entrance to the chamber at the end when he wasn't in there. I was very surprised at how fast he dug the tunnel- took only a couple of weeks. And he moved that dirt- holy cow- he could send it flying several feet out of the entrance of the tunnel. I've had them for several years and neither of mine ever dug a tunnel before this. Mostly they sort of scoop out a little spot at the base of a large tuft of grass to sleep in... For whatever it is worth I think I could have filled the tunnel in early on and it would have discouraged the behaviour enough that he might have given it up. I wanted to find out what he was going to do though!
Breeding age- In nature it takes 18-20 years according to a book I have. But in captivity, I've seen them big enough in 4 or 5 years sometimes. In the wild they may live in areas that sometimes do not rain some years and have to make do on dry grasses and such for long stretches of time.
I'm in no hurry with mine and feed a forage based diet in the summers (I planted their pen out with pasture seed for horses and cattle and whatever else I pick up seeds of and put in there each year) and in the winters it is hay based with a supplemented salad 1x per week just to make sure they get the nutrition they need. They are now 8 or 9 and growing slowly and steadily like wild ones. My male is 60 or 70 lbs, female much less maybe 15 or 20.
I've heard that the captive bred ones like mine may not be very good at making viable eggs. Don't know if that is true or not. Guess I will find out someday.
How did you guys make your pens?
I used 5' hog fencing and buried below ground a couple of feet. Then from a couple inches below the surface to near the top I attached corrugated pvc roofing so the torts can't see through the fence. Has worked great- they never try to leave the pen because they can't see the other side...
Those really are beautiful torts and eggs lancecham. Congrats again!
My male dug a tunnel for the first time this year. He didn't do it until the last few weeks I had them outside for the summer before bringing them in for the winter and I guess he was doing it to escape the nights which were mostly in the 50s. He dug it at a perfect angle to the sun so that he could go into the tunnel in the late afternoon and bask for a couple hours there before dark, and then he would go several more feet down to a chamber he had dug at the end of the tunnel around a corner for the night. The entire tunnel was dug at the same angle so I could see down it when the sun shone at the right time of day all the way to the entrance to the chamber at the end when he wasn't in there. I was very surprised at how fast he dug the tunnel- took only a couple of weeks. And he moved that dirt- holy cow- he could send it flying several feet out of the entrance of the tunnel. I've had them for several years and neither of mine ever dug a tunnel before this. Mostly they sort of scoop out a little spot at the base of a large tuft of grass to sleep in... For whatever it is worth I think I could have filled the tunnel in early on and it would have discouraged the behaviour enough that he might have given it up. I wanted to find out what he was going to do though!
Breeding age- In nature it takes 18-20 years according to a book I have. But in captivity, I've seen them big enough in 4 or 5 years sometimes. In the wild they may live in areas that sometimes do not rain some years and have to make do on dry grasses and such for long stretches of time.
I'm in no hurry with mine and feed a forage based diet in the summers (I planted their pen out with pasture seed for horses and cattle and whatever else I pick up seeds of and put in there each year) and in the winters it is hay based with a supplemented salad 1x per week just to make sure they get the nutrition they need. They are now 8 or 9 and growing slowly and steadily like wild ones. My male is 60 or 70 lbs, female much less maybe 15 or 20.
I've heard that the captive bred ones like mine may not be very good at making viable eggs. Don't know if that is true or not. Guess I will find out someday.
How did you guys make your pens?
I used 5' hog fencing and buried below ground a couple of feet. Then from a couple inches below the surface to near the top I attached corrugated pvc roofing so the torts can't see through the fence. Has worked great- they never try to leave the pen because they can't see the other side...
Those really are beautiful torts and eggs lancecham. Congrats again!
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Mine have the whole backyard so they're fenced in with the usual 6ft wood fencing. That's it. They're far to big to fit under it anywhere and have never tried since they can't see anything on the other side.
