Sulcata Tortoise — care sheet

Advanced. A hardy animal, but rated Advanced for one reason: scale. A sulcata sold as a palm-sized hatchling becomes a 70–110 lb, yard-sized, 70-year commitment that needs a large outdoor pen and, in cool climates, a heated shed for winter. It is one of the most-surrendered reptiles precisely because people underestimate that.

A grazing HERBIVORE built for high-fibre, LOW-protein, LOW-sugar forage: grasses and grass hay, leafy greens, and edible weeds (dandelion, clover, hibiscus, mulberry and grape leaves, opuntia cactus). Variety is the key to good nutrition. Young sulcatas eat as much as they can daily; adults get a roughly shell-sized portion daily to prevent obesity. Offer food on a tray to avoid substrate ingestion. NEVER feed fruit, and never a high-protein diet.

Floor space is everything, and an adult outgrows any practical indoor setup. A juvenile under 10 in needs a minimum 7×3.5×2.5 ft (about 24.5 sq ft of floor) with a 6–12 in opaque front barrier to stop pacing. An adult needs a large, predator-proof OUTDOOR pen — the tortoise-length formula (8× shell long, 4× wide) works out to roughly 20×10 ft (~300 sq ft) for a 30 in adult. Walls must be strong (cinder block, not wood) and sunk ≥12 in to stop it digging out.

Basking area 100–105°F (38–41°C) for a juvenile, from an overhead halogen on a thermostat. Older sulcatas tolerate a broader range.

Ambient / cool zone 80–90°F (27–32°C), giving a full gradient.

Night 70–75°F (21–23°C). Outdoors, if nights drop below 50°F (10°C) it needs a heated shelter (ceramic heat emitter or radiant panel) set to 70–75°F.

Strong UVB for a full-sun grazer: a T5 HO bulb (Arcadia Desert 12% or Zoo Med ReptiSun 10.0) giving a UVI of 4.0–6.0 at the basking spot (Ferguson Zone 4). Mount it warm-side, roughly half the enclosure length, and replace every 12 months. Add a bright ~6500K LED for daylight. Run ~13 h in summer, 11 h in winter. Outdoors, natural sunshine does the job for free.

Higher than "desert" suggests. Juveniles need humidity above 80% (higher at night) with a humid hide always available — chronic dryness is a leading cause of a bumpy, permanently "pyramided" shell and can be life-threatening to a baby. Adults are more resilient, but still give a humid hideout. Hatchlings are soaked in shallow 85–95°F water for 20–30 minutes daily to stay hydrated.

A deep, diggable mix — 60% organic topsoil / 40% play sand (or coco fibre / cypress mulch) — that holds a little moisture. Layer it ≥6 in deep for juveniles and up to ~24 in for adults. Sulcatas are powerful, committed diggers and burrowers.

Keep a cuttlebone in the enclosure at all times — a calcium source that also keeps the beak trimmed — and lightly dust food with a multivitamin (e.g. Rep-Cal Herptivite). Provide clean drinking water in a shallow dish no deeper than its knees, changed daily (they foul it fast).

24–30 in (61–76 cm) shell; 70–110 lb (32–50 kg) — large males can top 40 in / 200 lb

Commonly 50–70+ years — one of the longest commitments in reptile keeping

See a reptile or exotics vet if you notice: A soft, lumpy, or badly "pyramided" shell, or a rubbery beak (signs pointing to metabolic bone disease / husbandry problems).; A runny or bubbling nose, or open-mouth breathing (possible respiratory infection — common in chilled or damp tortoises).; Straining to urinate, or gritty/chalky urates (sulcatas are prone to bladder stones, usually from chronic dehydration).; Soft, discoloured, weeping, or foul-smelling patches on the shell (possible shell rot).; Not eating with lethargy or straining, an overgrown beak or nails, or any tissue protruding from the vent (prolapse)..