Hank Sulcata Tortoise Tortoise Sulcata Baltimore, MD

I've been adopted, but MATTS might have another sulcata like me for adoption. If they don't, MATTS can put you on a waiting list for a sulcata.

I'm a 4-5 year old sulcata tortoise who was for adoption in the Baltimore area. While I'm only about 10" now, I could end up over two feet long when full grown. I eat grass, hay, edible weeds, and, in the winter, Mazuri tortoise pellets mixed with my hay. I need it warm all year, so when I'm indoors I'll need heat lights AND a UVB light. Full grown sulcatas (which can weigh between 70lb and 200lb) need a large, fenced-in area to roam and graze in the warm weather (at least a 1/4 acre), and a VERY large heated enclosure in the winter, such as a heated shed, barn, green house, or specially constructed enclosure in a basement.

I'm still a bit too small to tell sex. Usually sulcatas have to be 12-14" long before you can tell if one is a boy or girl. Boys are larger when full grown.

Sulcatas can grow to 100 POUNDS OR MORE more, and DO NOT hibernate. Homes in southern climates are preferred but if you have mad carpentry skills we'll consider homes in the mid-Atlantic. Smaller tortoises (1 lb to 30 lbs) can be kept in various sized Rubbermaid totes or plastic stock tanks (which come in up to 300 gallon sizes). Shipping is an option IF TEMPERATURES ALLOW, if an adopter is willing to pay for shipping, which typically runs $100-$200 depending on your location. Shipping is usually through FedEx next day for smaller tortoises, or Delta Dash for those over 20lbs, which requires pick-up from an airport. Our sulcata tortoises come with a NO SALE/ NO TRADE/ NO BREEDING ADOPTION CONTRACT, and the marginals are notched for ID.

THESE ARE COWS WITH SHELLS THAT DO NOT HIBERNATE. They eat like cows, and what goes in must also come out, if you get the idea. When they're about 40lbs, they can go through chain link fencing and dry wall. Visual barriers around the enclosure will help so that they don't try to get out as much.

When indoors, I'll need a substrate (bedding) of plain top soil mixed with coconut coir and/or less than 50% play sand, and the substrate should be kept slightly damp on one end. A hide spot not much larger than me will help me feel safe. I'm too big already for those store-bought "tortoise tables".

This is a good Facebook group for learning more about these tortoises. https://www.facebook.com/groups/682548225197286

If interested in a sulcata, please REQUEST AN ADOPTION APPLICATION FROM
matts_adoptions@hotmail.com - make sure to indicate YOUR CITY and STATE in the email, and with what size of sulcata you'd be willing to start, and gender if known. Keep in mind that males often fight other males and may harass a lone female. If you have a male and female together, we do ask that any eggs produced are destroyed immediately.