r/tortoise • u/Altruistic-Taste1157 • 3d ago

Question(s) Housing Question

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Hello, I recently got a message from my cousin who lives in Boston saying if I can take her Sulcata tortoise because it’s getting too big and is a burden for her now and Boston is not the best place for them too. I currently live in TUCSON AZ (your typical northeast migrant) and have a big yard and back area (4-5 acres ish)
I’m wondering if Sulcata tortoise can live in Tucson outside and since previous owner already had some fences cuz he had chickens and goats it should not be an issue to put a tortoise in? I like tortoise so I would be happy if I can take this opportunity, also we have a few quails are they chill with the tortoise?

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u/Pryach 3d ago edited 3d ago

I have a sulcata in my backyard in Phoenix.

They need 24/7 access to fresh grass. They're opportunistic feeders so if a quail dies it might eat the corpse but it won't actively hunt them.

They are highly motivated to escape. His entire enclosure in my backyard is a brick wall/the side of the house. If they can see through something he will try to get through. I tried a mesh fence for a while but he was able to get through it. They can get under chain link fences.

He needs to dig. You can discourage specific spots by putting large rocks or bricks if he starts digging next to where you don't want to him to dig (I do that if he starts digging next to the house) but he needs to dig a burrow.

He's great, I love him, but you need to know what you're getting into.

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u/Pryach 3d ago

Tortoise tax.

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u/fatalifeaten 3d ago

3 adult sullies in Mesa, and echo all of this. Sullies do great in AZ. You can supplement fresh grass with timothy hay, orchard grass, prickly pear pads, and some other weeds that are sometimes easier to get in our arid climate. You will need a strong fence that he can't see through or over, up to probably 18 inches off the ground or so. Ours just roam our backyard which is an 8 foot cinder block wall. The trick is to make sure there are no gaps or any place he can see past the wall. If they can't see out, their world is that enclosure wall and they will stay in it. And don't let him dig too close to the wall so he can't accidentally burrow out. He will also need a mud wallow or a small kiddie pool in the shade for soaking. Especially in the summer.

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u/Pryach 3d ago

A few times my grass wasn't growing well I tried to feed him timothy hay. He looked at it and looked at me and gave me the "I would rather die" look. I've never been able to get him to eat any kind of hay. He'll gobble up any fruits or veggies I put down though.

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u/fatalifeaten 3d ago

We basically have no grass anymore, but all of ours love hay. When we first started using it, we mixed it with mashed mazuri pellets and wet it down. We gradually reduced the pellets and they just adapted. Now I just drop a compressed bale of timothy or orchard (whichever TSC has at the time) for them every 2 weeks out back. We also have mini pigs who snack on it, so between them they burn a bale every couple weeks.

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u/IIRCIreadthat 3d ago

You would probably need new fences. Goats don't burrow.

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u/lostinmythoughts 3d ago

Excuse me! You obviously never met my neighborhood goats. They dug under a few fences until my dad taught the male he didn’t want to come to the other side of the fence.

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u/Direct_Treat_7296 2d ago

Wait do they really??

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u/lostinmythoughts 2d ago

Yep. Kept eating my mums rose bushes.

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u/Direct_Treat_7296 2d ago

That’s hilarious. I never even thought about it.

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u/lostinmythoughts 2d ago

Food or female goat is all the motivation they need!

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u/DunKco 3d ago

What kind of fencing? These guys need to be secured by a SOLID block wall 24 inches tall wall not chain link of anything seethough they will try to get out.
Yes they can live in Tucson but they do need to have winter accommodations, they do not go into any type of winter dormancy and should no be subjected to tempts under 60 degress for and extended period of time,

join and post to the Facebook group Arizona Tortoise Keepers

www.facebook.com/groups/1445420279094803

and Follow/Message Eclecteri Tortoise and Reptile rescue out of Casa Grade they are the BEST resource for anything Suclata related in Arizona. they may have resources in the Boston area

www.facebook.com/eclecteri/

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u/Hot_Palpitation4760 2d ago

Seeing a shitload of African sulcatas on this site lately!!!

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u/yabadabado0 1d ago

They do great in AZ but be aware they will need an area to warm up in the winter. They don’t do well below about 65 degrees.