For 200 million years, much longer than the dinosaur, turtles have roamed the earth in search of food, a protective habitat, a safe place to hibernate and, of course, love.  These gentle creatures have hardly changed in their journey across the millenniums, but something deadly is creeping up on them.
 
Because of habitat destruction, the exotic food demand and the relentless pet trade, biologists and others who study reptiles predict their disappearance in 50 years or so.  It’s hard to imagine that this incredible survivor will be gone without a trace. 
 
Jeffrey E. Lovich, National Biological Service, examined population trends in the U.S.  He notes that there are few long-term studies.  But of
 the 55 native turtle species in the United States and its offshore waters, 25 (45%) require conservation, and 21 (38%) are protected or are candidates for protection under the Endangered Species Act.
 
Of the remaining 46 turtle species (aquatic and semi-aquatic forms), 16 (35%) require conservation action.  The percentage of U.S. turtles requiring conservation action (45%) is similar to that of the world (41%).
  
Of course, we can blame overpopulation and global warming and all the other ills affecting our planet.  Those in turtle conservation point to a more economic threat to the world’s turtles, especially in Asia.  A workshop on the Asian Turtle Trade was held in Phnom Penh, Cambodia in December 1999.  One of the recommendations was that all Asian species of freshwater turtles should be considered for listing on at least Appendix II of CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora).
 
Why Asia?  Many Asians eat turtles and think that they have sexual or medicinal powers.  So millions of U.S. turtles are being exported for food since, I like to say, the Asian nations have eaten all of theirs. 
 
According to an article in the Houston Chronicle April 15, 2007, writer Shannon Tompkins recently visited China where she was offered, live and otherwise, turtle in various dishes.  This trip peaked her interest in the turtle trade.   She discovered something those of us in the turtle rescue business have known for years…tens of thousands of Texas turtles are ripped from the wild and shipped to Asia.
 
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department which handles the permits for these transactions, said that each year about 95,000 wild-caught Texas turtles are being collected for food and for the pet trade.  Snapping turtles, red eared sliders, softshells and others are the most popular for the live food markets.  According to Tompkins, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said that “256,638 Texas turtles were exported through the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport, alone, from 2002-05” and the majority were destined to end up on a plate.
 
This same humungous harvest goes on in the southern states, Mexico and elsewhere every day throughout the year so it is no wonder that we will not see any more turtles in the years to come. 
 
But turtles are not just being eaten in Asia.  Live food markets exist in major U.S. cities and current “immigrant bashing” sentiment prevents enforcement of existing laws or confiscation.
With the burgeoning immigrant population in the U.S., many of whom do not or will not shed their third world ways, we are seeing live food markets springing up throughout the U.S. in every major city as well as small ones where there are concentrations of Asian immigrants.  Based on the idea that fresh is better (Hello?  Refrigerator anyone?), the demand for fresh killed turtles is on the rise throughout the U.S. further depleting the supply. 
 
At the markets, turtles are upside down, with no water or food, often the hot sun.  Children are seen touching them risking salmonella, or hitting them with sticks.  Cities with cruelty laws don’t enforce them even though this is obviously a violation.
 
Some cities require that the turtle be killed on site at the market but this is not enforced which means that the turtle will suffer in the hands of the buyer.  They are hard to kill quickly.    While American Tortoise Rescue and other groups have been aggressively working to put an end to this barbaric practice, we have been thwarted by the inaction, and in many cases disinterest of government bodies that are supposed to conserve wildlife not throw it to the lions.
 
What can you do?  Sign every petition that aims to protect wildlife.  Protest at Fish & Game and U/S. Fish & Wildlife meetings.  Report cruelty if you happen to see it.  Don’t buy turtles at pet stores – adopt instead.  Volunteer.  Be loud and vocal and relentless in the fight.

"The turtles which outrun the hares are learning machines. If you stop learning in this world, the world rushes right by you." ~ Lucas Remmerswaal
 
The slow, funny, cunning shell-guy. That's the picture most of us carry in our minds about the tortoise--no thanks to the stories we were told as kids☺. I can hear someone ask, in this high-speed; high-tech world, why do we even need a slow tortoise around us? Why do we even go as far as dedicating a day to it on the international observance? Yes, I've got someone who has answers to all these and more questions you might have about the turtle and tortoise.
 
The American Tortoise Rescue (ATR) was founded over 2 decades ago by a couple, Susan and Marshall, their love for each other added to their passion for wildlife conservation has motivated them to save and re-home over 3000 turtles, as well as campaign for the protection of turtle habitats around the world. In their bid to take their project to the world, ATR has been sponsoring World Turtle Day since year 2000 and the global response both offline and online has been massive.
 
In course of our stroll, Susan shared her passion; the work ATR is into; and also some practical steps each and everyone of us can take to protect the tortoise and turtle for posterity. Here's my stroll with the American Tortoise Rescue; I hope you get 'edutained'.
 
Ebenezar: Thank you for having this stroll with me Susan.
Susan: You're welcome Ebenezar, the pleasure is mine.
 
Ebenezar: When I told my friend about World Turtle Day, the first thing she asked was, "Why should we have an observance for turtles?" Well, I tried my best to explain but I'm sure she wasn't convinced. So can you help me out here... why is it important that we observe World Turtle Day?
 
Susan: Many people view reptiles including turtles and tortoises as less important because they are not warm and fuzzy like dogs and cats. Typically many people donate to warm and fuzzy animal sites leaving turtles in the lurch. Turtles have outlived the dinosaurs and are a bell weather for our own future. Biologists predict that if we don’t do more to save our planet, turtles and tortoises may be gone in 50 years or less. So save their habitat from destruction and do everything you can to save them from extinction.

Ebenezar: What exactly is causing this habitat disappearance?
 
Susan: Typically it is habitat destruction, taking turtles and tortoises from the wild for the pet trade, buying an animal as an impulse buy at the pet store and then having it languish and die in a tank, smuggling of endangered species where many of them die from stress en route, long net fishing without turtle extruders, the cruel live food markets in the U.S. and other countries where demand for turtles exceeds hundreds of millions of turtles each year.
 
Ebenezar: Okay, the American Tortoise Rescue was founded 20 years ago and World Turtle Day has been observed for over a decade. What are some achievements we've recorded so far?
Susan: We were founded 24 years ago and since then have re-homed more than 3,000 turtles and tortoises to forever homes, educated people around the globe with World Turtle Day which is now celebrated everywhere from Borneo and Australia to Pakistan and the UK. We have more than 166,000,000 results on Google. That's a lot of people finding out how to save turtles and tortoises.
 
Ebenezar: Wow, that's awesome Can you share some practical steps individuals around the world can take to help support the vision of World Turtle Day and ATR?
 
Susan: Adults and children do a few small things that can help to save turtles and tortoises for future generations: Never buy a turtle or tortoise from a pet shop as it increases demand from the wild. 
 
Ebenezar: Okay? No pet turtles...
 
Susan: Yeah, Never remove turtles or tortoises from the wild unless they are sick or injured.  If a tortoise is crossing a busy highway, pick it up and send it in the same direction it was going – if you try to make it go back, it will turn right around again. 

Ebenezar: (haha) Very wise creature ☺

Susan: Yeah, extremely wise. People can also write letters to legislators asking them to keep sensitive habitat preserved or closed to off road vehicles, and to prevent off shore drilling that can lead to endangered sea turtle deaths.
 
Report cruelty or illegal sales of turtles and tortoises to your local animal control shelter. Report the use of tiny turtles as prizes at carnivals and other events. It’s illegal. Report the sale of any turtle or tortoise of any kind less than four inches. This is illegal to buy and sell them throughout the U.S.
 
Ebenezar: Wow, thanks for that insight into what we can all do to contribute to the cause. Also, ATR was founded by you and Marshall, your husband, and I'm just wondering how come you guys have a mutual love for this animal...
 
Susan: I was a cat rescuer for many years and then Marshall mentioned he loved turtles. Before I knew it was a bad thing to do I bought two for his birthday many years ago. Then we started reading up on how was a bad idea as they take them out of the wild for pet stores. Then we learned there was no national turtle and tortoise rescue and a lot of animals just got dumped so we decided to start a small local rescue which grew to an international one very quickly. We became a nonprofit about six years later and the rest is history.
 
Ebenezar: Okay, and I'm just curios too, is it the turtle that brought you guys together in love? (Haha)
 
Susan: No comment ☺ 
 
Ebenezar: Awwww, I think we all know what that means (haha). The Tortoise was always a super hero in the stories and fables I was told as a child. I'm a student of Biomimicry, and I believe there are lessons we can learn from plants and animals around the world. What are some virtues you think humans can copy from the Tortoise/Turtle?
 
Susan: Well unfortunately the reputation as a super hero (like the popular Ninja Turtle movies) has caused many problems instead of being a good thing. Children demand that their parents buy them a turtle and then are disappointed when it doesn’t fly or do acrobatics. Then the turtle just sits in a tank and ultimately dies or is dumped. 
 
No turtle should ever live in a tank – it’s like you or me being confined to a bathtub the rest of our lives. And no child should have a turtle as a pet until they are old enough to responsibly care for it – 13 and up. Many of these animals can easily live 100 years... 
 
Ebenezar: Wow, that's real longevity.
 
Susan: Yeah. So when you adopt a turtles or tortoise remember that you will have to put their care in your will.
Ebenezar: (Haha) And many people never do that. Okay, What are the future goals of the American Tortoise Rescue? Do you plan to expand? Perhaps start similar organizations on other continents?
 
Susan: We already facilitate education and adoption in other countries and have for years – the internet made that happen rather early in our existence. The goal is to expand our social media outreach on Facebook and twitter so that we can educate many more people. Google is already helping us a lot. 
 
Ebenezar: Happy World Turtle Day Susan, thank you so much once again for speaking with me. 
 
Susan: Thank you Ebenezar, Happy Turtle Day.
______________________________________________
 
For more about the American Tortoise Rescue and World Turtle Day click here
 
It's really sad to hear predictions like, "This animal will go extinct in the next 50 years if nothing is done", or "that animal is the last of its specie...". It creeps me out. With the way things are going will there even be zoos in the future? We all have a responsibility to protect wildlife. Save a turtle/tortoise today. Till my next stroll on June 5th--World Environment Day--when I'll be strolling with Robert Swan( UN Goodwill Ambassador, Environmental leader, and first person to walk to the North and South pole); be good. Jesus Loves you
"The righteous care for the needs of their animals..." (Proverbs 12v10, NIV) Posted by Wikina Ebenezar at 5/23/2014 12:55:00 pm

                                                            Susan M. Tellem, RN, BSM
 
When Peter Mitchell* bought a quarter-size green turtle from a Los Angeles street vendor for his young son Danny, he had no idea he was bringing home a tiny package of life that packed a big wallop of a disease.  Within days, Danny ended up in the ICU with severe vomiting, lethargy and fever.  He almost died from Salmonella. An infant in New York City, admitted to the hospital with vomiting, chills and fever also was diagnosed with Salmonella.  Although there were no reptiles in the child’s household, her babysitter passed along Salmonella from her pet iguana. In Texas, an HIV positive, 45 year old pet store employee who routinely handled reptiles, was treated for severe Salmonella sepsis (a serious illness that results when Salmonella enters the blood stream).   
 
All over America, men and women, adults and kids are unknowingly trading, buying and giving “the gift” of Salmonella, a infection that can kill.  Reptiles, like iguanas and water turtles are purchased at pet stores, as well as *  not his real namefrom the black market, private reptile breeders and swap meets.  Many reptile sellers do not post warnings about the dangers of Salmonella even though state and federal laws require it.
 
What is Salmonella?
 
According to the New York Department of Health, Salmonella is “a bacterial infection that generally infects the intestinal tract and occasionally the blood stream.  Symptoms include mild to severe diarrhea, fever and occasionally vomiting.  Symptoms generally appear one to three days after exposure.  It is spread by eating or drinking contaminated food or by contact with infected people, animals and reptiles.”
 
Reptiles are more popular than ever.  According to the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council, there are between seven and eight million pet reptiles owned in about three percent of America’s households.  Reptile ownership is on the increase. U.S. Fish and Wildlife reports while about 27,000 iguanas were imported in 1986, the figure increased to almost 800,000 in 1993. Upwards of 80 percent of the imported iguanas carry Salmonella, according to Richard Evans, DVM, Chief of Veterinary Services, Veterinary Public Health, Orange County (Calif.) Health Agency.  “If you bought an iguana, you bought the wrong pet,” he says emphatically.  “There is no known treatment for Salmonella in the iguana (or turtle).  Even if you treat the Salmonella in your pet, it returns.” 
 
While most healthy adult owners show no symptoms of Salmonella even if they are infected, Dr. Evans says children under five, pregnant women and the elderly as well as those whose immune systems are compromised such as those with AIDS, kidney transplants or people undergoing treatment for cancer are at risk of serious illness or even death from Salmonella infection.Dr. Evans warns teachers that reptiles (and other animals like chicks that also carry Salmonella) are not appropriate for classrooms.  “Show them pictures,” he says. 
 
A teacher is a sitting duck for a lawsuit should any of the children in the classroom get infected.  “Teachers know the risks, so if a parent were to sue for a million dollars (much more if the child dies), the parent will win.”  It is not worth the risk he says.
 
Turtle Invasion
 
During the 1970s, millions of tiny baby turtles were sold throughout the United States as pets. By the mid-70s, a quarter of a million children and infants were diagnosed as having turtle-associated Salmonella.  In 1975, the Food & Drug Administration, in an effort to stop the problem, prohibited the sale of any turtles under four inches in length.  This law still stands but is poorly enforced.
 
According to American Tortoise Rescue (ATR), Los Angeles, and the New York Turtle and Tortoise Society, throughout the country, tiny turtles called red-eared sliders are being sold by vendors on street corners, in shopping malls, in front of museums and even at pet stores.  Typically ranging in price from $2 to $10, turtles imported from Mexico and harvested from Louisiana are often infected with Salmonella.  “Buyers tell us that none of the black market vendors ever issued a health warning with the sale of the turtles,” says Marshall Thompson, co-founder of ATR.
 
Unsupervised children are frequently at risk with these small turtles because they can easily put them in their mouths.  “We’ve been in pet stores where illegal turtles were for sale,” says Thompson.  “As we watched, children under five fished out the turtles from the tank where they were for sale and never washed their hands afterward.”
 
Protect Yourself
 
According to national reptile specialist, Walter Rosskopf, DVM, who runs the Avian & Exotic Animal Hospital in Hawthorne, Calif. “Reptiles can be kept by responsible people who take strict precautions.”  He is opposed to children owning reptiles because of the health hazards.Says Dr. Rosskopf, “Salmonella, in my experience, is seen most commonly in water turtles, boa constrictors and iguanas.  The infected reptile frequently shows no symptoms, and culturing stools to identify Salmonella is a hit and miss proposition.” 
 
Dr. Rosskopf gives good advice for those who currently have reptiles as pets or plan to purchase one. 
 

• Wash your hands with hot, soapy water (preferably antibacterial soap) after handling the pet, its cage or cage accessories.

• Wear gloves and face protection when cleaning a cage or changing the water in a tank, pool or pond.

• Always supervise and minimize a child’s handling of a reptile.

• House reptiles away from the kitchen, dining room and food preparation areas.

• Keep other pets away from reptiles, including their cages and water bowls.

• Make regular reptile veterinary visits and have laboratory screening tests done.

• Do not us the bathroom sink or shower as a reptile soaking area.

• Do not eat, drink or smoke while handling the reptile or cleaning its environment.

• If your reptile injures you, clean the wound thoroughly and consult a physician.  Reptile injuries can become easily infected.

 
Although it might be tempting, Dr. Rosskopf also warns, “Do not kiss your reptile.” 
 
Want to Know More?
The Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta publishes a free brochure on Salmonella.  Write to CDC, MMWR MS (C-08), Atlanta, GA 30333.
 
For free information on Salmonella, contact American Tortoise Rescue at info@tortoise.com. 

About the author:  Susan Tellem is a registered nurse and executive director of American Tortoise Rescue in Los Angeles.  She founded the nonprofit sanctuary with her husband, Marshall Thompson, in 1994.  Together, they rescue and rehabilitate all species of turtles and tortoise.  Neither has ever had Salmonella.

For your fact checking: 
Richard Evans, DVM                  714-935-6931
Walter Rosskopf, DVM              310-679-0693
Marshall Thompson                   213-934-0336
Allen Salzberg                          718-275-2190

African Tortoises Have Very Special Needs

The African Spurred known as a sulcata is a herbivorous tortoise, thus a high fiber intake of grasses, hay, weeds or roughage should form the bulk of its diet. Wild tortoise feces are generally well compacted, well formed, and very high in varied grass content. In captivity a variety of vegetables and some fruit can be offered. Although sulcata  will eat animal protein, it should be avoided as it will cause carapace deformity. It should be noted that excessive quantities of beans, bean sprouts, peas and similar rich protein rich vegetables can lead to scute pyramiding. An overall high protein diet will cause rapid growth, kidney failure and a shortened life span. Other cautions are excessive goitrogenic vegetables such as broccoli, brussel sprouts, kale and varieties of cabbage which can lead to goiter and hypothyroidism. Feeding too many greens high in calcium oxalate such as parsley, spinach, collards and carrots can bind calcium which could lead to disfiguring and deadly metabolic bone disease (pictured at the end).
 
The mixed green-leaf vegetable base should comprise > 90% of the dietwhich includes course mixed grasses such as grass hay (lower in protein), sow thistle, clover, dandelion, edible flowers, dark green lettuce such as romaine, (no iceberg), escarole, endive, chard, squash, pumpkin, corn, and turnip greens. Cactus paddles are great as are prickly pears (the fruit).
 
A lack of dietary fiber or roughage will lead to diarrhea as will feeding fruit which should be avoided. Cucumber, zucchini, red and green sweet peppers may also be included. Try to provide a wide range of suitable foods as possible, avoiding too much of the right type or staple food as tortoises can become addicted. To summarize, the ideal diet for herbivorous tortoises should be:
 
Water should be available at all times either in clay saucers or metal backing pans.
For the first year sulcatas should be fed daily,thereafter 3 times weekly.Remembering this tortoise comes from the sub-Sahara where habitat is semi-desert and where food is not always plentiful. Overfeeding these enormous eaters in captivity will cause problems.
 
Health
A healthy tortoise will have good weight, muscular vigor, and a good withdrawal response when a hind limb is gently pulled. The eyes should be wide open when awake, slightly rounded cheeks, and a bilaterally symmetrical head. The vent area or cloaca at the base of the tail should be flush, not swollen or crusty and without smears of watery feces. If a tortoise appears healthy but has watery feces it could be a sign of a parasitic disease and should be checked and treated. A nasal discharge and watery eyes may be a sign of a respiratory infection. Gaping and forced exhalation are common symptoms of pneumonia. Such cases require antibiotic therapy, warmer temperatures and possible hand feeding in the case of lethargic or anorexic animals.
 
Breeding
Don’t!!!!!!!  We do not recommend breeding as there is an enormous number of sulcatas for adoption.  Sulcatas are prolific breeders in captivity with males reaching sexual maturity at about 14 inches (35 cm.). Aggressive behavior may take place with repeated ramming by the males sometimes ending up in bloody limbs and heads. In southern California breeding usually occurs during hot days and months of the year with egg-laying occurring during the following late winter or spring. 
This is a good time to say stick with one sulcata – they fight, breed and overall destroy the environment as they get bigger.  One is enough and they won’t get lonely.  Trust us.
 
Hatchlings
Hatchlings measure approximately 45-50 mm long, weigh between 25-30 grams, and are a uniform pale yellow-ivory color. However, much darker examples may be encountered. The scutes have narrow brown borders with a serrated periphery of the carapace. When housing hatchlings, the enclosure must have a warm side and a cool side for thermoregulation with a provision for UVB producing fluorescent lights. Temperatures are much the same as explained earlier or slightly on the warmer side. Growing tortoises, when not provided with enough heat and fed excessive calcium, vitamin D3, and or protein, may develop deformed shells. This disproportionate growth may be linked to protein availability in relation to calciumandD3, but temperature is now considered a critical factor in this syndrome.
 
Offering a balanced diet and providing a heat source are main factors for successfully raising healthy tortoises. Diet is similar to that of adults. Chop the food into bite-size pieces, approximately the size of the head.
 
Clean water should be made available at all times. Young individualsshouldbe soaked at least once a week for 15 minutes in a shallow bath of warm water to prevent dehydration.  This will also encourage the elimination of waste products.
 
Sulcatas come from some of the Sahel, the hottest, driest area in Africa. Some regions may not get rain for years. To make the most of available moisture, their skin is resistant to fluid loss but, when exposed to moisture, may become highly permeable. Towards this end, they will excavate pallets or burrows in the ground to get to areas with higher moisture levels; in the wild, they may spend the hottest part of the day in these microhabitats. Burrows may average 30 inches in depth; some dig tunnel systems extending 10 feet or more underground. Sulcatas are, like most turtles and tortoises native to dry areas, extremely efficient in their use of water. A sulcata may urinate just 0.64 ml a day, significantly less than their spur-thighed cousins living in the relatively lush Mediterranean countries who may urinate 1-2 ml a day. A danger, then, in captivity is that too much water may be given or made accessible which may lead to health problems including skin and shell infections and kidney problems.
 
In captivity, a similarly hot and dry environment must be provided year round. Unlike the California desert tortoises, the sulcatas do not hibernate. While they can tolerate some surprisingly low temperatures, they cannot be allowed to get both chilled and wet or kept outdoors in chill, damp weather.
 
Housing
Daytime temperatures during much of the year should range from 85-105 F (29-40 C) during the day. At night, temperatures can drop into the 70s F (21-26 C) in their enclosure. They must be dry. Provisions must be made to house them safely during rainy weather and in places where the nights are cold and/or damp.
 
Outdoors
Sulcatas can be housed outdoors only if they are provided dry, heated housing into which they will retire at night and during inclement weather. If they will not come out and go in on their own, they will have to be directed or physically moved. (Note that while this may not be a problem when the tortoises weigh less than 25 pounds or so, it can become quite problematic when they weigh 90 pounds or more.) In sufficiently dry areas that are protected from predators and humans, sulcatas may be kept outdoors at night as well, with living in-ground trees and shrubs providing the shelter over their pallets they require. We recommend that fencing surrounding the compound be solid – several layers of concrete blocks do the trick: if the sulcatas can see through it, they will try to plow through or burrow under it.
 
A dog house or one you build yourself (see picture below) make suitable houses for sulcatas. They must be raised up off the ground and must be supplied with heat during colder weather. A wide ramp must be constructed for them to move easily in and out. Make a wood door that slides off to cover the opening. It will also help insulate the house by reducing heat loss. During the winter months, we use radiant heat panels screwed into the roof as overhead heat suspended from the ceiling of the house and safely out of reach of the tortoise. One or more Kane heat pads or pig blankets - rigid heating pads made for pigs to lie upon - can be used inside on the floor. Both of these heating elements can be purchased from www.beanfarm.com.  Neither heat lamps or ceramic lamps should ever be used as they cause fires easily and since this happens frequently, we insist that you never consider them.
 
A shallow water bowl – we use a large aluminum baking pan from a kitchen store - , with sides low enough for the tortoise to reach into, should be available at all times if there is no wallow available. Tortoises do not swim, they sink. You need to make sure they can easily access the water but that it is not any deeper than the tortoise's bridge, the section of shell that joins the carapace (top shell) and plastron (bottom shell). A bowl or flowerpot saucer (plastic or glazed ceramic) may be fine for a larger tortoise; it may need to be sunk slightly into the substrate for smaller tortoises. Be prepared to refresh daily and clean frequently.
 
A note on predators and other harmful species
Animals such as raccoons or coyotes may prey upon sleeping tortoises. Dogs may harm tortoises just by being inquisitive or playful...small tortoises look, smell and taste too enticing to not be a chew toy! Tortoises kept in front and easily accessible side yards are enticing to unscrupulous members of a two legged species: many tortoises have been spirited out of their yards by humans. Make sure all fencing is secure, both to prevent the tortoise from barging through it or digging under it, and to prevent unwanted visitors from coming in or accidentally letting them out.   We use electric fencing throughout the rescue.
 
Indoors
Given the tremendous amount of room these tortoises need to roam, maintaining them inside year round is not advised. Temporary indoor housing, as for hatchlings (see section on hatchlings below), sick individuals or during inclement weather, can be set up. Such indoor housing must include both basking and cooler retreat areas, and a den box or trash can on its side in which to burrow. An area for feeding and a shallow water dish must also be provided. Ultraviolet B lighting must be provided as well as suitable temperature ranges during both the day (80 F (27 C) with a basking area (100 F (39C)) and turn off all lights at night but keep temps at (72 F (22 C)).
 
Behavior
Sulcatas like to move around and are very strong -- they must have a large area in which to freely and widely roam. Sulcatas also need to burrow away from the heat and do so by retreating to their pallets or into muddy wallows where they will stay for hours, flipping cool mud up onto their backs. When temperatures exceed 104 F (40 C), they will begin to salivate heavily, smearing the saliva on their forearms to help cool themselves down.
 
Whether housed indoors or out, Sulcatas roam about and are voracious eaters. Like many tortoises, they are also climbers. Care must be taken to assure they are not given the opportunity to climb things that are too steep resulting in their toppling over. If they flip onto their backs and are not able to right themselves, they may die of hyperthermia if they do it during the hottest part of the day. They may also choke or drown on their own vomit if they panic. They may lose precious water by voiding urates and thus become seriously dehydrated. Suffocation is also a possibility if they are left upside down too long as their lungs, which are near the top of their carapace, are compressed by the weight of their internal organs.
 
Keep dangerous objects out of their area. Steps, dogs, raccoons and children are among some of the dangers that must be guarded against. So too human and animal hair, pesticides and herbicides, small plastic, glass and metal toys, and toxic plants. Sulcatas are voracious, if not always smart, eaters and will ingest anything small enough and colorful enough. That includes painted toenails.
 
Provide variety and security.  Provide a cluster of sturdy, low growing plants they can crowd in amongst. Provide an interesting terrain by leaving (or building) some low hummocks, smooth rocks, pieces of wood, clumps of weeds and edible plants.
 
Below is the house we built for our sulcatas.  It is fireproof and almost indestructible.  We built a cinderblock and rebar house with a removable roof for cleaning and a removable door for closing as well as a wind barrier.  The roof has a radiant heat panel screwed into the underside for heat from above and the floor is made up of pig blankets (made for pigs so they can take the weight) called Kane heat pads – both are available from www.beanfarm.com. Never use any lights – they cause fires.  Never cover the pig blankets with any substrate or hay.
 
Check out this Buzzfeed article – https://www.buzzfeed.com/catferguson/a-reptile-dysfunction?utm_term=.wlK66wDRwr#.vr800DxaDG – tells it like it is.
About Us
American Tortoise Rescue is a nonprofit founded in 1990 for the protection of all species of turtles and tortoises. We have rescued more than 4,000 since our inception. Foundlings that cannot be adopted because of ill health remain in the care of ATR for the remainder of their lives. Celebrate World Turtle Day every year on May 23rd!
 
Contactsamerican tortoise rescue, 30745 PCH, #243 Malibu, CA 90265
http://www.tortoise.com info@tortoise.com www.worldturtleday.org
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