personally i wouldnt say an indoor enclosure would be suitable..

they'd need a heated area as well as a large outside area. As already mentioned they can dig huge tunnels..and inside they couldn't replicate that.

Also you wouldn't be able to take them for a walk. At the size they get to at adults if they don't want to do something or go somewhere they won't do. Also taking them a walk in the woods you're not sure of any nasties they could come across. just my opinion though

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sureley though if i could probably offer an 8ft square pen with odviousley a basking spot an plenty of space to move around it would be enough with an out door space i didnt mean take him for a walk as like a dog sence just let it have a supervised roam also i would say theres no more nasties in a field than in a back garden really and ive never had any probs with my monitors apart from the fact they dont want to go back home at the end also an outdoor space could only be used a few months the year so it would need to be indoors alot of the time anyway please feel free to tell me to zip it and put me right though

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1.0 asian water monitor
1.0 black throat monitor
2.0 rescue corns
0.2 amel corn
5.3 royals

8ft square pen isn't very big for a sulcata.in all seriousness. I've had people be told a 20foot garden is to small before now. 8ft square pen is fine for something like a horsfield/hermanns but a large tortoise like a sulcata its much to small.

thats what i'm saying though a supervised roam..at an adult size if they don't want to come back or go somewhere you'd really struggle to make them. to get them to the vets etc u need a trailer to move them or to get the vet to come out.

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having met a few adult sulcatas I can't see 8ft square being big enough at all. Have you experienced adult sulcatas face to face before?

they need lots of space, the ability to dig (and boy do they dig deep!). Generally you'd need a large heated shed type thing for them to retreat "indoors"to, 8ftsq is no where near enough.

Mason

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so i mean these need some serious space i think this is going to take a lot of planning but slightly of topic a little can you imagine how many of these guys are kept inadaquitley in small spaces by people realisticly there isnt many people who could house one of these scary thought really i bet there is'nt many breeders who vet homes

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1.0 asian water monitor
1.0 black throat monitor
2.0 rescue corns
0.2 amel corn
5.3 royals

also i accept 8ft square is now where near big enough im sure this could be a good reason to convert another room in the near future

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1.0 asian water monitor
1.0 black throat monitor
2.0 rescue corns
0.2 amel corn
5.3 royals

I am the rehoming co-ordinator for the Tortoise Trust and have rehomed quite a few sulcatas over the last year. Last summer I had 4 sulcatas here with me as a very temp measure, they were driven from Scotland where they had been dumped at an animal rescue centre, when the owners realised what they had purchased and therefore what they would grown into. Now I have a rather large garden and my garden was no where near big enough for them to live for anything but a temp measure. These were not fully grown. You cannot simply let your tortoise roam in the woodlands as the tortoise may come into contact with excrement from other animals etc - just not acceptable.

In my opinion, getting a sulcata when you cannot provide for it's every need would be cruel. Not only would your garden not be big enough for the tortoise to roam but for the adequate outdoor heated housing it would require - when you see how much these tort poo and wee, keeping one inside will not be an option.

No reputable tortoise rehoming organisation will rehome such a wonderful tortoise to someone without the facilities. Additionally, reputable breeders will not sell to you.

Tamie

Tamie

ok thankyou for that point definetly taken so i think sulcata is out of the question as i dont have the outdoor space so could you give me your advice on what you would see as a suitable alterative

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1.0 asian water monitor
1.0 black throat monitor
2.0 rescue corns
0.2 amel corn
5.3 royals

I thought you were after a giant though? Or do you just want any tortoise now?

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Reputable breeders do vet homes.

Fortunately, when some people realise that they cannot provide for the tortoise's needs they contact the Tortoise Trust and then it becomes my job to get the tortoise to a member who can provide all that is needed!

Tamie