How to Adopt Sulcata Tortoises

How to adopt sulcata tortoises? Before comparing the benefits of adopting tortoises from rescue centers and purchasing from hobbyists or legit breeders, it’s probably best to first address why buying from pet stores is somewhat discouraged. How to adopt sulcata tortoises? We all know that pet shops are the go – to place when it comes to purchasing different kinds of animals like sulcata tortoises but the main downside in buying from such pet stores especially those that are not locally recognized shops is that there’s a nine of ten instances that these local pet shops don’t really care about the pets that they sell.  In this article, you’ll live how to adopt sulcata tortoises?

What You Need to Know

How to adopt sulcata tortoises? Based from many experienced keepers, these pet shops are only selling pets for the money. Of course, it’s still a business but the thing is that you can’t be assured of the pet’s health. I’m not saying that all local pet shops are selling unhealthy breeds but most of the time they don’t really care for this pets which should be your top most concerned as a potential keeper.

You would want to acquire a species that is a product of good breeding practices to ensure that they are not sick or doesn’t carry other diseases which could affect your collection (if you have one) and to also ensure that they are not illegally obtained. Pet stores housing sulcata tortoises with other exotic animals from other countries is also to be avoided as these exotic animals could be carriers of diseases which could be passed on to the tortoise. 

Rescue Centers

How to adopt sulcata tortoises? As much as possible, acquire a pet tortoise from rescue centers, from legit breeders or even hobbyists found in reptile conventions because it eliminates lots of risks in terms of breeding and husbandry in the long run since legit breeders are passionate about raising such animals.

In terms of adopting adult and even hatchling sulcata tortoises, you can have a hard time finding them because there are some rescue centers that doesn’t cater to tortoises or other reptile species since these creatures gets bigger; these centers obviously cannot provide enough housing space.

Pet Shelters

How to adopt sulcata tortoises? There could be pet shelters and a rescue center that accommodates sulcata tortoises but that depends on your location. The reasons why these adorable creatures end up in rescues is because they could have escaped its confines or most of the time an overwhelmed hobbyist may have bitten off more than what he/she could chew and couldn’t take care of the pet properly. Adopting from rescues is not only a good way to give the tortoise a new loving keeper, but it also discourages the purchase of hatchlings from indiscriminate tortoise breeders who are only out to make a quick buck.

The best part is that if you have found a healthy and sweet looking sulcata from one of these rescue centers, they could be much cheaper to buy compared to acquiring one from a hobbyist or a legit breeder.

Where to Acquire or Adopt Sulcatas

How to adopt sulcata tortoises? It’s best that you also consider acquiring one from a hobbyist either directly or through pet conventions so that you can have more options. The great thing about hobbyists is that you can ask them questions about how they raise these tortoises, the requirements and specifications they would need as well as why they’re doing it.

You can easily see why it’s better to buy one from them than from a pet store because these breeders are passionate about their pets and very knowledgeable about them; after all they’re the ones who raised them.  However, you should also look out for private breeders that are just looking to make cash out of these creatures because they could be breeding for breeding’s sake.

Pre – Matured Sulcata

How to adopt sulcata tortoises? You don’t want to get a tortoise that are pre – matured or somewhat sick looking due to bad breeding practices or poor husbandry. Be wary of such breeders, who are claiming to be hobbyists, because there are a lot of them out there. They could have smuggled pets from foreign sources or must have picked them out from the wild which is illegal based on several wildlife organizations.

When it comes to purchasing pet tortoises, always buy it from a breeder that is reputable, trustworthy, truly passionate and also a professional.

How to Find a Good Breeder

How to adopt sulcata tortoises? It is quite challenging to identify a reputable reptile breeder from “fake” breeders. These are common when tortoises are bred in captivity. Most breeders today breed African spurred thighs because it’s an increasingly popular household pet. So it will still be largely up to you to research and seek out the best breeders who are open to answering questions about the origins of the tortoise, the methods employed during production and hatch period as well as other important husbandry practices he/she have done.

If a breeder lets you walk – through in their facilities to see the conditions and living environment of the animals housed within their site, that’s a great indicator of a legit breeder; all these could indicate a breeder who aims to follow the protocol for breeding these tortoises. Stay away from super discounted sulcata tortoise traders since the discount itself could be a giveaway of an abundance of pets resulting to slashed prices in order to get rid of excess hatchlings.

Selecting a Healthy Sulcata

How to adopt sulcata tortoises? After determining your reputable breeder, and assessing your financial capabilities, you will have to conduct a very simple physical exam to ensure that the species you will get is worth the investment. 

Sulcata tortoises should be alert, active and inquisitive. They should not appear lethargic and if you give them food, they should at least have an appetite for it. Pick up the turtle and determine whether it weighs heavy or light because a light turtle may be ill. The next test is to gently tug at one of its legs.

Keep in Mind

How to adopt sulcata tortoises? The reaction of an ill turtle will be slow and less vigorous whereas a healthy turtle will be quick to react strongly. You should also scrutinize the top and bottom halves of its shell. They should be sandy or smooth, hard and has yellowish or light brown shaded plates with furrowed but spiny looking legs.

If the shell is soft once you touch it, this could indicate shell rot. Take note of the occurrence of open wounds, discharge from eyes and their interaction with other pets.