Sulcatas are remarkably popular tortoises, and it’s easy to see why. They’re not only attractive, affordable, and hardy, but they’re also easy to maintain in many ways.
But while these traits make them good pets for some situations, they’re not well-suited for all prospective owners. In fact, many people who purchase a sulcata eventually come to regret their decision.
Like most tortoises, sulcatas can live very long lives, so it’s important to think carefully before you add one to your family.
In this article I’m going to be explaining the pros and cons of sulcata tortoise pet ownership including a look at their basic biology and care requirements. My aim is to enable prospective owners to make an informed decision as well as sharing a list of questions you’ll want to ask yourself to ensure you’re ready to take the sulcata plunge.
Sulcata Tortoise Pets: The Basics
As when considering any pet, you should familiarize yourself with the basic aspects of sulcata tortoises and their care before adding one to your family.
Typical Behaviors
Sulcatas construct long, deep burrows which provide shelter from inclement weather and temperature extremes. They remain in these burrows for the entire night and during the middle of the day, and they are typically only active during the relatively cool morning and evening hours.
While hatchling sulcatas fall victim to many small and medium-sized predators, adults don’t have many threats, thanks to their large size and thick shells. Nevertheless, when frightened, sulcatas will withdraw into their shells and protect their faces with their heavily armored front legs.
Lifespan
Like most other tortoises, sulcatas live long lives when provided with good care. Many individuals reach 50 years of age, and exceptional specimens may live for more than 100 years.
Genetics play a role in an individual tortoise’s lifespan, but husbandry and overall stress level probably play the largest role. This highlights the importance of providing your pet with good care.
Temperament
Sulcatas are generally docile animals, who aren’t likely to act aggressively toward their keepers. Their typical response to perceived threats is to withdraw into their shells and protect their face with their legs.
While some sulcatas are shy (and most will spend long periods of time hiding while young), most are relatively outgoing by tortoise standards. Many keepers enjoy this, as it makes them easier to observe than some other tortoise species.
Sulcata Care Requirements
A suitable enclosure: Sulcata tortoises require proper enclosures, which will need to be very large. Additionally, it’s important to note that they’ll almost always need to be built from scratch (there are no 100-square-foot enclosures available for purchase). Generally, it is best to house tortoises outside if you live in a suitable climate.
The proper climate: Sulcata tortoises maintained indoors will need heating and lighting fixtures to provide a range of suitable temperatures and the kind of full-spectrum light necessary for long-term health.
A safe substrate: Your sulcata will need a substrate that allows for natural behaviors, such as foraging and the digging of tunnels. The substrate will need to be cleaned daily and replaced periodically.
Appropriate enclosure furniture: Sulcatas (especially young individuals) need places to hide, and many also appreciate visual barriers inside the habitat. These items will need to be cleaned regularly and replaced when they become damaged.
A healthy diet: Sulcatas require a predominantly vegetarian diet, although some keepers provide a small amount of animal-based protein from time to time. Generally, you’ll need to feed young sulcatas daily, while adults usually thrive best when fed five to six times per week.
Regular veterinary care: Although sulcatas don’t require vaccinations like some other pets, they will still need veterinary care anytime they suffer illness or injury. It is also wise to visit your veterinarian on a yearly basis for a general wellness check.
Tortoises: Pros, Cons, and Considerations
With the basics out of the way, we can now focus on some of the benefits and challenges pet sulcatas can present.
Benefits
Sulcatas have a lot going for them, hence their popularity among tortoise keepers. Some of the most notable benefits they provide include:
1) Sulcatas are usually hardy animals
This makes them capable of thriving despite the kinds of minor husbandry mistakes that beginning reptile keepers often make.
2) Sulcatas grow very rapidly
Many keepers appreciate this, as it is fun to watch your pet reach larger and larger sizes every month.
3) Sulcatas reach very large sizes
This is not always a benefit; in fact, we also list it as a challenge. Nevertheless, many keepers enjoy the fact that these tortoises become true giants.
4) Sulcatas are herbivores
Because sulcatas eat vegetables, fruits, and similar foods, you won’t have to purchase live crickets, frozen rodents, or other challenging foods like some other reptiles require.
5) Sulcatas are attractive tortoises
Of course, aesthetics are subjective, but most keepers find that sulcatas – especially hatchlings – are quite beautiful.
6) Sulcatas aren’t as timid as some other species
This means that sulcata keepers can usually interact with their pets more than the keepers of some other species can.
7) Sulcatas are widely available
Sulcatas are one of the easiest tortoise species to find, as they’re produced in huge numbers each year.
8) Sulcatas are generally affordable
Partly because so many of them are produced by breeders, young sulcatas are much more affordable than rare species, costing thousands of dollars.
Challenges
Despite the litany of benefits sulcata tortoises provide, they do present a few significant challenges. Be sure that you are going to be able to work around these challenges before purchasing one of these incredible creatures.
1) Sulcatas reach very large sizes
While this is a benefit for many keepers, the fact is that sulcata tortoises reach gigantic sizes. Some individuals reach 30 inches in length and exceed 100 pounds in weight. Simply moving your tortoise from one place to the next will be difficult and typically require the help of another person.
2) Sulcatas require spacious enclosures
While a young sulcata tortoise may live comfortably in a tortoise table or small enclosure for a year or two, he’ll eventually require a room- or yard-sized enclosure. As a rule of thumb, sulcatas will eventually need at least 50 square feet of space, with 100 to 300 square feet being preferred.
3) It can be difficult to find a veterinarian who will care for a sulcata
This is an especially important consideration for keepers living in rural areas, which don’t always have many veterinarians at all.
4) Sulcatas require quite a bit of care and maintenance
While they’re not as labor-intensive as dogs, cats, and similar pets, sulcatas still require daily care, which may involve enclosure cleaning, feeding, temperature adjustments, and more.
5) It can be expensive to maintain a sulcata
In addition to the costs of the actual tortoise, your new pet’s enclosure and on-going care will represent significant costs, which some owners have difficulty affording.
6) Sulcatas can dig very long, damaging tunnels
These tunnels can lift concrete walkways, undermine foundations, and damage buried utility lines. And because these tunnels are so integral to the species’ behavior and lifestyle, you don’t want to prevent them from tunneling. Accordingly, you’ll simply need a place where they can dig without causing problems.
Cost of Ownership
While tortoises often cost less to maintain on a yearly basis than warm-blooded pets like dogs and cats, they still present significant costs to the keeper. While these costs will vary based on a variety of factors, the following provide a reasonable estimate:
- A young sulcata will usually cost between $50 and $200 dollars, depending on the breeder or retailer, your location, and the individual characteristics of the tortoise (for example, especially attractive individuals will likely cost more than typically marked individuals).
- The initial habitat will likely cost between $50 and $500, depending on the type of enclosure you select. Storage tubs and stock tanks tend to fall at the affordable end of this range, front-opening plastic enclosures fall at the expensive end, and tortoise tables are usually somewhere in between.
- Lighting and heating devices will usually cost approximately $100 to $200, depending on the specific styles you select. Just note that these costs will be significantly higher for large enclosures.
- The costs associated with substrates, enclosure furniture, food dishes, and water dishes vary significantly. If you rely on very low-cost versions (such as by using soil from your yard, collecting natural hiding places, and using very low-cost feeding dishes), you may be able to gather these supplies for less than $20. On the flip side, you could easily spend hundreds, if you opt for things like commercial substrate and corkbark hides.
- The cost of your sulcata’s food will vary based on his size, the exact vegetables you select, and your location. For a hatchling, this may only amount to a few dollars each week, but it is obviously much more expensive to feed a 100-pound animal – even if it only consumes produce.
- Veterinary expenses can also vary significantly, so keepers are wise to set aside at least $1,000 for unexpected, “emergency” care. And even this may not cover serious injuries or illnesses, such as if your tortoise consumes something that leads to an intestinal blockage.
Compatibility As a Family Pet
Sulcatas generally don’t present many compatibility issues, aside from those arising from their size, space requirements, and tunneling habits.
It is important to note that sulcatas – like all turtles and tortoises – can harbor germs, including Salmonella. Accordingly, you should always wash your hands and husbandry tools after caring for your pet. It is also important to exercise discretion with regard to young children, the elderly, and immune-compromised individuals. People in these vulnerable groups are more likely to experience serious illness if exposed to tortoises than healthy adults are.
It is wise to consider the way your existing pets, including dogs, cats, or other predators, will interact with your sulcata. Large sulcatas are unlikely to suffer serious injuries from these pets, but small individuals are vulnerable to these kinds of animals and will need to be housed in secure enclosures.
Sulcatas are unlikely to be aggressive toward other family pets, though their size can inadvertently lead to injuries, so care is still required.
Legal and Ethical Considerations
Captive-bred sulcatas are legal pets in most portions of the United States, though the laws vary in some states, counties, and cities. So, always check the local laws and regulations regarding exotic pets before adding a sulcata to your family. Additionally, some neighborhood homeowners associations and landlords have rules regarding pet ownership, which you’ll want to investigate.
Wild-caught sulcatas, on the other hand, may not be legal to buy or sell, depending on myriad factors, such as the origin of the individual tortoise and the export and import laws in effect. Fortunately, this is rarely necessary, as captive bred sulcatas are widely available (and make better pets).
It is also important to note that the sale of tortoises measuring less than 4 inches in length is prohibited across the United States, except when tortoises are sold for bona fide scientific or educational purposes. In practice, this is generally only a concern for the seller and this law is not always strictly enforced – you can find small tortoises for sale from numerous sources. Nevertheless, it is a fact that keepers should be aware of.
Ethically speaking, captive bred sulcatas don’t cause harm to wild populations nor the broader natural environment. Additionally, and unlike some other reptile pets, they aren’t likely to become invasive if they escape.
However, you should consider whether you can adequately care for the tortoise before adding one to your family. As mentioned, sulcata tortoises do have elaborate housing requirements, which not all keepers can satisfy. Purchasing an animal that you can’t properly maintain is never ethical, but if you are certain that you can provide everything your new sulcata requires, there is nothing ethically wrong with keeping one as a pet.
Citations
- Maryland Zoo – Sulcata Tortoise
- California Turtle & Tortoise Club – Living with Sulcata
- Arizona Exotic Animal Hospital – Basic Care: Sulcata Tortoise
