Zach,
I breed snakes and frankly know more about reptiles than I do fish.
Allow me to help you as much as I can.....
A lot more...
Sulcatta Tortoises are also called Spur-thighed Tortoises because of large spurs that are present on their front legs. They get large and eat like pigs. They are commonly sold in reptile shops and petshops nationwide. They are striclty vegetarian in nature and need a LOT of food. JUVENILES need to be kept in aquariums with vitalights or artificial lights that mimick the u.v. rays of the sun. They can be kept on alfalfa pellts as a substrate. They need a warm spot(More on this later)
Things to consider BEFORE getting one:
A) At about the 6 inch size they need to be kept OUTSIDE, so that they can get direct U.V. exposure. they also need ROOM to move around in, but at this age they also NEED(Pain in the butt fact) PROTECTION from CROWS, RAVENS and the neighbors KIDs, who will take them away and try to eat them or keep them as pets. Setting aside a portion of the yard and fencing it in with boards and overhead chickenwire should keep most of the predators out. Until the tortoises get biger.
B) They GROW FAST. If you feed them a HEALTHY diet they grow extremely fast
C) They get HUGE,,,esp the males, and once full grown you will need a small YARD to keep them in that has REINFORCED boards in the ground so that they cant dig their way out(Dont laugh it happens!) Chickenwire around the periphery of the yard, dug down to 12 inches below surface works well also.
Still want one?
Best place to buy one is DIRECTLY FROM THE BREEDER.
Here is the name of a local San Diego Breeder that I know:
RENEGADE REPTILES
You can access his site by going to www.kingsnake.com and going to the breeders listings under Renegade Reptiles. Contact Rick from Renagade, tell him that AZTEC FRED from Aztec Reptile ssent you. $96.00 is a little steep
More info.
NEVER feed these tortoises a meat based diet. This means MONKEY CHOW, which is popular to feed these nice animals. It screws them up and causes shell scalloping. (Bad shell growth and growth that isto fast for the animals well being)
They need to be fed Kale, Endive, Chard, Brocolloi, Fruit, green leaf lettuce, bok choy, squash, zuchini...hay, alfalfa......you get the idea.
If you go to www.kingsnake.com you will se forums, go to the tortoise forums and read about Sulcattas. They are a a neat tortoise,but you have to be prepared for what they will become.
Best of luck and PM me if you have ANY questions,
Sincerely,
Aztec Fred
Aztec Reptiles
I breed snakes and frankly know more about reptiles than I do fish.
Allow me to help you as much as I can.....
A lot more...
Sulcatta Tortoises are also called Spur-thighed Tortoises because of large spurs that are present on their front legs. They get large and eat like pigs. They are commonly sold in reptile shops and petshops nationwide. They are striclty vegetarian in nature and need a LOT of food. JUVENILES need to be kept in aquariums with vitalights or artificial lights that mimick the u.v. rays of the sun. They can be kept on alfalfa pellts as a substrate. They need a warm spot(More on this later)
Things to consider BEFORE getting one:
A) At about the 6 inch size they need to be kept OUTSIDE, so that they can get direct U.V. exposure. they also need ROOM to move around in, but at this age they also NEED(Pain in the butt fact) PROTECTION from CROWS, RAVENS and the neighbors KIDs, who will take them away and try to eat them or keep them as pets. Setting aside a portion of the yard and fencing it in with boards and overhead chickenwire should keep most of the predators out. Until the tortoises get biger.
B) They GROW FAST. If you feed them a HEALTHY diet they grow extremely fast
C) They get HUGE,,,esp the males, and once full grown you will need a small YARD to keep them in that has REINFORCED boards in the ground so that they cant dig their way out(Dont laugh it happens!) Chickenwire around the periphery of the yard, dug down to 12 inches below surface works well also.
Still want one?
Best place to buy one is DIRECTLY FROM THE BREEDER.
Here is the name of a local San Diego Breeder that I know:
RENEGADE REPTILES
You can access his site by going to www.kingsnake.com and going to the breeders listings under Renegade Reptiles. Contact Rick from Renagade, tell him that AZTEC FRED from Aztec Reptile ssent you. $96.00 is a little steep
More info.
NEVER feed these tortoises a meat based diet. This means MONKEY CHOW, which is popular to feed these nice animals. It screws them up and causes shell scalloping. (Bad shell growth and growth that isto fast for the animals well being)
They need to be fed Kale, Endive, Chard, Brocolloi, Fruit, green leaf lettuce, bok choy, squash, zuchini...hay, alfalfa......you get the idea.
If you go to www.kingsnake.com you will se forums, go to the tortoise forums and read about Sulcattas. They are a a neat tortoise,but you have to be prepared for what they will become.
Best of luck and PM me if you have ANY questions,
Sincerely,
Aztec Fred
Aztec Reptiles
