I have a 2 year old african spur thighed that has just outgrown its original housing, i am trying to decide what to get next. Most of the time it just wanders free round the house but when i am out and at night i likr to put it in an area where i know where it is. Due to the size i don't want to use a tortoise table as they are mostly quiet small. I have found a housing unit and run that is designed for rabbits it is 10 ft by 3 ft and has a hutch that can be adapted as a hide at one end. Does anyone know of any reason why this could be deemed unsuitable. Also I only have one tortoise and want to put another 1 or 2 with it preferably the same type. (yes i am prepared for how big they get) does anyone know of any available or the best place to try. Many Thanks Lee

you might want to consider him living outside permently, with a heated god kennel/shed for shelter.

what are you currently feeding him and what light/heat/UVB does he have?

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I have considered this but was going to wait another couple of years as really most the time it is just wandering around the house and has the freedom of that, in the summer it,s out most the day and comes in at night. It's diet is made up of mainly grass, hay, dandelions, parsley, coriander, mustard leaves and lettuce with cuttlefish ground on and nutrabol once a week. It also has a soak and wander in the bath in shallow luke warm water once a week when i clean its shell aswell as having a cat litter tray of cold water changed daily in its pen,aswell as another full of compost to dig in. I have a infra red heat lamp that it has on about 4-5 hours a day and a ultra violet light it has a couple of hours every other day. I would rather not keep it outside as i enjoy it round the house and in the summer it has access outdoors to graze anyway. Is this all ok or do i need to change anything i took it to the vet when it was 12 mths old just for a check up and he said it was in good health, i have to take it back soon to get it micro-chipped anyway so it will get checked over and hopefully sexed then.

why dont you just build him a table 6ft x 3ft and when he gets to 12inches consider out door accomodation dont go mad and buy loads of these tortoises as they get large and can be hard to find food in winter for them

Yeah i know i don't want loads just another 1 or 2, I got plenty of land for them to roam in the warmer months, and will end up with outside brick accommodation as they get bigger will prob build it so i can get access from the house and outside so that they have access to both and it has power. I'm working on an outside enclosure of just over an acre with secure areas that i can section them in when needed and in winter months so i can keep a closer eye on them. I know some people that keep them with leopard tortoises but i would rather keep the same species together.

do not mix leopards and sulcatas

yeah i'd heard that somewhere else which is why i haven't but am surprised at the amount of people that do.

are you a tortoise trust member a good book to get the care and breeding of the african spurred tortoise by richard and robyn wilson and practical care of leopard and sulcata on dvd

Yeah i just joined the tortoise trust i do have a couple of books but everywhere i look between books and internet i get conflicting advice so i prefer to talk to people with experience, I have a really good vet thats a tortoise specialist I have to travel a bit but its worth it. I have just registered with shelled warriors a couple of days ago as well but am waiting for activation. I have been in touch with the tortoise trust with queries when i first had the tortoise as a hatchling and they have being very friendly and helpful.

I dont think you need to microchip him.

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