Geochelone sulcata?

[Jakob]

So, i got offered a Geochelone sulcata turtle. I would really like to get it, but i dont know squat about keeping land turtles.
I read that i couldn't keep it in a fish tank (without all the water of course), is this true?
If it is true how do i make this sort of turtle table?

Also if anybody has experienced in keeping this turtle, all tips are gladly accepted.

 

[aidenb]

I doubt you would even be able to find an aquarium big enough, these guys get well over 100 pounds, require a very high fiber diet, and preferably a very large grazing area.

 

[Sylvias]

yeah...sulcatas get HUGE...think.. coffee table size...and they live like..forever so you would have to take care of it for the rest of your life and then pass it on to younger family that will most likely for all of their lives as well. They are great animals but they need a lot of room...preferably a yard... in which to burrow, sun and eat... as mentioned they need a lot veggies.... for a huge animal like that the cost of feeding alone is a killer. a million times worse than an iguana >.>

 

[snakefin]

A yard would be nice. They look adorable when young, but grow up to be pretty darn heavy and strong.

 

[coura]

True and you live in Ireland, to keep an adult confy you would probably need to give him its own room in your house as well as something like a heated greenhouse. Cool but major undertaking. These guys basicly have to be fed like a cow, so lots of grass, hay and vegetables are needed. And they cause allot of waste as well.

 

[RMorrow]

I have some Sulcatas that are rescues so they were essentially free. Two of them are nearing the hundred pound mark and we live in an area that has a fairly harsh winter so I have indoor and outdoor enclosures. Between the two enclosures I have spent more than $5000. They weren't really free after all. Something to think about.

 

[aidenb]

Also, remember that feeding an adult a quality diet is like adding another person to your grocery bill, please stop and consider if you are able to support one of these guys before you take it, they are a huge commitment (comparable to a larger species macaw) in terms of amount of care, time, and money you will invest in the animal through it's life.

 

[crayfishguy]

So,
If it is true how do i make this sort of turtle table?

you would need a table the size of your backyard