We Adopted a Huge Sulcata Tortoise!
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- Опубликовано: 15 сен 2024
- This poor sulcata tortoise was abandoned in front of another animal facility, so we were asked if we wanted to adopt her. We quickly renovated part or our zoo to make her new home! Everyone meet Sharon!
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831 Century Ave N.
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Also, I should've mentioned it in the video, but Sharon actually eats a ton of Timothy hay too! We just didn't have it in time for filming 😅
Sharon is a boy
I have a roughly 40 pound sulcata as well that loves the mazuri low starch pelleted diet as a supplemental feed with his produce! We buy it in bulk and it lasts quite a while, and allows us to make sure he is getting a complete diet without having to spend a huge fortune on produce.
Sharon in definitely a male.
Please make it so guests can give Sharon food, like a treat for 'em
Just heard you mention the collared greens
Former tortoise owner here - combi-bulbs are not recommended for tortoises. When they dim because they’re temperature controlled (some are even only able to be on (fully) or off which is even worse) on a thermostat, the amount of UV reduces too. They’re overall not great, especially for animals that need relatively high levels of UVB. I’d strongly encourage you to find a different solution.
Unfortunately, her original owner probably passed, and whoever inherited her didn't want her. It happens A LOT with multi generational pets.
That's what I was thinking. That or the original owner doesn't know that their tortoise had been given away. I've heard some horrow stories of family of SO giving away pets while the owner was gone. Either way this tortoise is in good, caring hands now.
That was my thought as well.
Or she was stolen. That happened here once. Someone just found a giant tortoise roaming down the sidewalk at the park.
Turns out he was stolen from his front yard. They were able to find his original home though.
I think that's what happened too, especially since she was obviously taken care of very well for quite a while
I’m hoping to teach my baby to love our turtle so when we pass he will be happy to take exertal in as a reminder of his parents. We got exertal the year we got engaged and moved into our own house, he’s 5 years old now and we are expecting our first baby in April
Former grocery store employee here, used to sell carts of scraps to a guy who owned several tortoises for like $2. Just ask and see if they're able to save stuff for you. Sharon is awesome
Had a bunny some years ago , grocery store glady gave us their "scrap" ( still very good for any animals, just not consider "appealing" for human ) employees were pretty happy to know that those scraps were used to feed animals, they always had a smile givings us bag of greens :)
I work in a grocery store and we sell boxes full of "unsellable" (really it's just slightly bruised/wilted/not pretty) produce to our local monastery for like $0.50 a box. We also donate what can't be sold to our local misson. I agree that you guys should check with as many stores/restaurants as possible and see what they'd be willing to sell you. I work the floral dept of our store and would gladly give some lovely animals some flowers (whatever was safe for them) to snack on if I could. (I realize this changes from state to state and company for legality issues but sometimes it just depends on the person in charge of the location.) I grew up raising/rescuing Southern Box Turtles and a Tortoise (unsure of species) named Matty. I hope to see Sharon's personality come out. Tortoises can be quite the characters once they "come out of their shells" as Emily said.
@@BillieBillehkinzThomas Flowers produced for the wholesale/retail market are not a good choice for food. Why? Because many many chemicals, pesticides, herbicides & fertilizers are used to grow & protect those plants from seed to market. Sprayed with all kinds of things to keep bugs from chomping. All of these harmful residues can remain in the stalks, leaves & flowers/buds. Not all flowers regardless of spray are good, some very poisonous. Stay away from feeding florist flowers.
Please please ensure when Sharon is wandering around the zoo when it's open that there's an employee supervising her at all times. I've done programs with tortoises before and there have been plenty of kids who will knock on their shells, stick their hands in its face and even one who wanted to kick it like a ball. I put a stop to all of it quickly each time but it did happen at every program I took a tortoise to.
For the tortoises safety please make sure someone is around her to control the children.
I hope they supervise, kids can be the worst! they can be to young to truely understand pain or how their actions affect others.
Its not just the children... At where i volunteer there had been multiple times i had to stop adults from knocking on their shells too 🥲 also sharon isnt a big sulcata so im worried people would kick her by accident haha...
And I could imagine someone trying to take her home...
There's also a very real risk of someone tripping over her - especially if they're distracted by the exhibits
some kids just need discipline. Where were their parents in this ENTIRE thing!
I love how he just said, “hey, wanna 40pound sulcota tortoise?” And then you guys were just like, “yeah!”
I have a fairly large tortoise as well. the thing is she may be putting the brakes on the scooter because they don’t like their tummy push on. if you probably put a cushion or a pad just on the scooter she’d probably be more willing to ride on it. You also may wanna consider reinforcing all your rock where her shells going to rub. My tortoises like to take off stucco. I still love him.
I could definitely see how a cushion would b more comfortable. I kno for sure that if I were the one laying on a small platform on my belly how much discomfort that would bring.
I'm sure that their rock will be fine. Remember, Universal Rock isn't real rock, plaster, or anything, it's some sort of really strong polyurethane like material and can withstand even the claws of monitor lizards. This stuff is made to be reptile proof.
In that case get a Big Uggly polystyrene pad from your local handyman's corner
Kenan from Kamp Kenan just moves his big tortoises in a wheelbarrow 😂
@@lauriepenner350 he’s the best lol 😂
Be very, very, very, VERY careful to keep an eye on her at all times. It would be SO easy for someone to steal her if no one is looking.
That happened at a local petstore here. They had a big, 87 year old tortoise that roamed around the store and one day someone stole him and they never found him.
That also happened to a zoo near where I grew up, or at least it was attempted. The tortoise enclosure had just a waist high fence and somebody hopped it and stuffed a tortoise into a backpack. I can't remember if another guest reported it or if the backback straps broke but either way the thief didn't get away with it.
I wonder if they could attach a small gps tracker under the edge of her shell or something, if it wouldn't bother her. or maybe something that would set off a door alarm.
@@Dzaeli like a clothing tag, or detergent tag maybe? Obviously not one that needs a hole to attach but maybe a sticky one? That's a good idea
Yeah my local stores have bag bans so you can't bring in anything except a purse really. Unless you come in, talk to employees/owner for the specific reason you need a backpack or bag (such as large orders or specific things like that) then you can bring in your bag under their supervision but they don't allow customers to come in and wander with drawstrings or backpacks or anything like that.
Drawstring backpacks and other backpacks are the thieves biggest tools for stealing reptiles and birds.
@@whoahanant I don't think that anybody is going to be putting a 40 some odd pound tortoise in a backpack. Not only is Sharon a bit heavy for most people to carry in a backpack without them moving noticably slower, she's also rather large to fit in anything but a large hikinr backpack or military style rucksack, both of which are going to be very conpicuous walking into the zoo with.
Ahh what a cutie :) Long-term sulcata owner here (in AZ, mine live outside and have a dedicated stall in my horse barn) - I would consider transitioning Sharon to a majority hay-based diet, and using the greens as a supplemental treat and not the majority. They are a grazing, grassland species, so grass/hay should be the bulk of their diet. Basically, treat them like horses and they'll do great :)
I like your comment! I was actually going to mention switching to the grass-based diet as well :) With younger sulcatas, I notice that pyramiding and other subtle signs can show up within several months of feeding them nutrient-rich greens rather than a grass-based diet but I don't know how long it takes the adults to show signs. Definitely want to keep the diet balanced.
Commenting to help get you to the top 🤗 also hello fellow horse person 😁
Ohhh good comment hope they read this! Good to know.
Wow, guess you learn something new everyday. This is some awesome info thank you.
I love that you can treat it like a horse. Amazing
As someone that has worked in the produce department of a grocery store, there is so much perfectly edible produce that gets thrown away because it doesn’t look good enough. Hopefully you’ll be able to find somewhere that is willing to give you guys some
If Sharon is gonna be walking around the zoo I’d recommend maybe tying a balloon on her so that people can know where she is without looking down? She would look so cute with a balloon :)
good idea
That is a great idea. I would be worried someone will trip over her and hurt her by accident.
Yhea, I love that idea and the idea of her free roaming, but with strangers around there's endless possibilities of accidents that can happen.
That doesn't really work if she roams whenever she wants to though. She needs to be able to use her basking light after all.
We did that with our tortoise so it could walk around outside when it was smaller. Because the moment your back was turned, it would book it across to the other side of the yard and hide in a pile of leaves or long grass.
My only guess is that her original owner passed recently and the family didn’t want to keep Sharon. She luckily has wonderful new owners either way!
That's what I would guess, too. Whoever was taking care of her passed away or was forced to rehome her and the new owner decided they didn't want to keep her and just dumped her outside. :/
There have also been stories of pets being kidnapped and “given away” because someone (parents, roommates, significant others) didn’t want it around, without the original owner’s knowledge or consent.
That or the original owner(s) had to move away and weren't able to bring her with them for some reason :(
I assumed because she was well kept and was dropped at a location where the owner presumably knew she would get good care - that the owner had a change in situation and was doing the best they felt they could do with a bad situation. A lot of shelters have rehoming fees, and if the owner couldn't afford that (we used to see that a lot when I volunteered for a place) they drop them off after hours because they know they will be cared for either way
@@riyaseshadri4824 I feel that isn't the case. Considering how well cared for she was, I think if her owner was trying to re-home her they'd have done better than to dump her in a box outside (even if it was outside a potentially good place for her).
I agree with the idea that the original owner passed away, and then their family dumped Sharon. Perhaps sentiment made them decide on a place where she'd have some chance at a good life, but they didn't care enough to make sure of it
I thought I was crazy because Sharon looked a lot more like the male picture than the female one when Emily flipped "her" over. Looking through the comments, I saw a few others saying the same. Then again, it's not the first time the names have been non-conforming. Welcome, Sharon! :D
That’s what I was thinking too. 🤔.
Looks male to me
I thought i was the only one who thinks it looks more a male
My partner and I thought the same
I was looking for someone else to say this. I also think Sharon is a male.
yep same, I'd say male.
I can't believe it's been a year since Sharon joined the team. Can you do an update on her? I'd love to hear how she has adapted and how big she's gotten since we first saw her.
And we need an ASMR playlist of all the animals that eat veggies!
She made eggs? And also spends time hiding from Rafiki in Rex's tunnel
@@StonedtotheBones13 You make it sound so romantic!
@@Nemodoglmao tbh dude seems single minded in his pursuit of her. Dunno if that's normal for his species, but it seems to me a lot more like Sharon's just doing her thing and Rafiki follows with uh intent
I hope to see a little "tortoise crossing" signs around the zoo
She's so cute 😍
Yes!!!!!
OMG that's such a great idea 😂
Local pet shop has a tortoise roaming around. They have a sign like that right on the front door, and yet, people are still surprised when they're walking around and feel a light bump on their leg.
Yes 👍🐢
Yeaaa
it’s so cool to see ed more comfortable being on camera!! he adds so much to the channel!
I want to hug him.
Ed, we love to see him 💚
Yeah he's so silly and friendly. I like seeing them being happy with similar interests.
@𒆜𝕒𝕞𝕖ℝ𝕚𝕔𝕒𒆜 😐
I was crying of laughter when he started spinning 😭
Welcome Sharon! Make you get her microchipped, just in case she wanders out of the store or someone tries to steal her!
That’s an excellent idea!
Emily has got to be the cutest thing ever. “I’m gonna tag the whole facility!! 😈” *coughing from spray paint fumes*
😭😭😭 she’s so adorable
She is!!! I adore her so much!!! She very easily makes me smile and laugh!!! I want to go meet her, but I am probably going to have to wait until next year!! Will be worth the wait to meet such a sweet and wonderful human being, and her equally awesome husband!!
And the coolest nerd!!
She’s certainly no “thing” guys… honestly.
What the hell
The devil is not nice.
Y'all's willingness to go "this doesn't work for the tortoise that needs a home, let's tear a hole in this wall and make a new ramp and make this work" is incredibly inspirational.
I mean they did accomodate rex in their own guest room lol XD
That's one bonus of having built their own facility. They know exactly how to reconstruct it when needed. 😂
Perhaps a small little cart, like the flatbed ones made for gardening, would work better for Sharon transportation that way you dont have to bend down to push her either. Either way congrats on the new addition to the zoo, I love tortoises so it will be fun getting to see Sharon in future videos.
I was thinking that too. Like a flatbed hand trolley
I might be cheaper, if she is available, to get Mandy to do it. From what I've seen of her construction in the building videos, I think she would enjoy it... and likely make two so they could have race.... er, a backup tortoise cart. >.> yep! No unsafe suggestions here.. nope nope nope!
Sharon Transportation 😂😂😂
That's how the local museum transports their 55 years old alligator snapping turtle from the pond enclosure inside for birthday, yearly vet exam weight and length, etc.
The animal is bigger than my coffee table, and gets transported on a modified pallet jack (giving it a platform).
I was thinking like a wagon LOL
My local pet store has a Sulcata Tortoise and a Flemish Giant rabbit that walk around. They are both so adorable and friendly. It'll definitely be so cute to just have a tortoise following people around the zoo!
omg. . . They have a tortoise and a hare?
That is so cute
That sounds like it could be 'Louis pet shop' to me? I love that place lol
I had a friend who had Fleish rabbits.... one time they almost killed me in my sleep by trying to sleep on me
@@ConstantChaos1 That sounds both terrifying and adorable!
I got to meet Sharon about a month ago. I LOVE her/him!
I am so glad she came out to say hello! I want to make her a lap tortie! Lol
My main concern is a child trying to stand or sit on here to ‘ride’ her, or an adult that purposely stands on her or something. I hope people are kind to her as they walk around and they watch their step
Yeah I'd be afraid of some people's ignorance. I could imagine perhaps setting up a sign on "what not to do" and perhaps have an employee check on Sharon once in a while on busy days.
@@dashinypunnymarsking omg imagine a do's and don'ts sign on sharons shell thats amazing
I feel like maybe they should epoxy some spikes onto her shell on the top to deter idiots from hurting her. But I don’t know how feasible that is. Or how safe for her.
Omg if I saw someone do that to my huge tortoise (if I had one) I’d just about murder them.
I got to meet her a couple weeks ago and was so surprised! She made a couple rounds while we were there and the turtles were VERY interested in her.
Emily & Ed please understand that Sharon can learn words quite easily. I have one and our girl is now 35, we've had her since she was a new baby. She knows her name and comes when she's called and she knows when I say, "it's time for bed". She happily trucks to her bed where I keep a heating pad for her to sleep on and I cover her with her blanket. Even if you don't cover her you should build a heated sleeping den that you can keep her in at night. They need to be kept quite warm. They also LOVE cactus leaves big time.
We enjoyed watching Sharon travel around the zoo. Fantastic time meeting Emily and Ed. My Granddaughter will forever remember the time spent at the zoo.
I wish I could go but I’m a Brit so I can’t fly to Wisconsin and see the zoo maybe one day 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻
I'd make sure to get a pet tracker. My dad epoxyed a mount onto our sulcata's shell, and we have 2 small tracking devices that we can swap out so each can charge. We've had ours escape once or twice over the past 20 years, so it's better to be careful in case a door is left open or someone tries something.
U mean stealing?
@@Therockgotnothinonme nah he meant taking the tortoise with no permission
@@ZephVEVO tortoisenapping
@@Therockgotnothinonme it vanishes daily for secret missions for his animal agency. Sometimes the mission takes longer then a few hours so it may be noticed missing at time. Thankfully the species don’t do much so people won’t suspect a thing.
@@shadowwriter329 haha. That is the best
Ed , you’ve come so far. To hiding behind the camera to modelling a box in a tortoise den. Proud of you 😆
Ik right! I haven't watched this channel in awhile and it's changed!
Kenzie Andrew's Arm you need a binge session. They’ve come so far and I think the family a d friends that help build the facility is testament to how awesome Emily and Ed are. I’m in the uk and unable to fly but visiting the facility is my bucket list top ❣️
FYI, greens are very easy to grow, if you're interested in giving a small garden a try! If it's practical, a tortoise garden could save you some money
They have a greenhouse too! That would be so amazing for them!
Using some of the greenhouse to grow produce for the critters would be so cool!
dinosaur kale would be perfect :3
up
IRL Torterra garden ^^
Aaw. I miss my tortoises.
When I was a kid, we had 3 California Desert Tortoises (adopted through a Fish & Game program to house existing pet animals that could not be released after they were listed as a Protected species).
They roamed loose in the kitchen, and for whatever reason never wanted to cross over into the carpeted livingroom area. From spring to fall, we would take them outside into the yard during the day and let them enjoy the sunshine in the lawn and shade under a big shrub or the porch.
They are greens mostly, but LOVED strawberries as a treat. They would see us put a plate down with strawberries on top of the vegetables, and it was amazing how fast they would run across the kitchen to come eat them. They would open up soooooo wide to take the biggest chomps possible of the fruit. Their other favorite thing was dandelion flowers; specifically the flowers. Such fun animals, and much more expressive than you'd expect.
That looks more like a boy to me. The bottom scoots on the female are very small and rectangular, but the male's looked more like butterfly wings to me. Idk for sure since. I don't have experience with tortoises, but that's my view of it
That is kind of what I was thinking too.
She needs a tortoise wagon. My friend's tortoise was a bit of a diva and only liked to be on a comfy bed of blankets during her ride in the wagon. She was pretty fabulous.
I know you guys are set on naming the tortoise Sharon but I looked back and forth from when you guys showed the tail area vs the picture on your phone and that looked more male than female shape wise. The two smaller parts on the bottom came out as Ed said “like a flower” (though it looks more butterfly shaped than a flower)
LOL that's what I said, looks like a butterfly. Definitely looks like a male.
Agree actually... But Sharon works as a unisex name
Glad I'm not the only one who thought this. haha Looks like a boy to me with the butterfly shape.
I saw butterfly on both too
That's what I thought too
I would love to see a long chill video with no narration of Sharon just walking around the zoo. It sounds like something lovely to fall asleep to 💕🐢
I know it's been a couple months but i just want to say: imagine a little gopro video of her wandering around! Just from her shell? Let her do her thing, watch her interact with people if she wants, who knows!
Am I crazy or did that really look like a male shell when they tipped her up? Either way super happy for Sharon, getting such a nice home.
Edit: I have done more looking on the internet, and Sharon could well be a girl. The photo they showed in the video was just a more extreme example. I have never claimed to be a tortoise sex expert, but I just want people to know that I could be wrong.
I came to look for a comment saying this, and surprisingly, there's like none. I thought the same thing XD
Same. I even paused and looked between her and the images. I think she might be a he, but I'm no specialist. xD
I also thought that Guess they'll find out if it's a male when/if it splooges everywhere like tortoises love to do(from what I've read lmao)
Totally thought she was a male
I think it’s a male too
I would love to see a safety video for Sharon. The idea of a free roaming tortoise is great, but I fear a child trying to ride her or someone stealing her 😞
I'm also worried. I have a very horrible memory of finding a large box turtle when I was a 7-8 and spending the day watching it do its thing. The older boys in the neighborhood killed it that night. I won't give any detail more than that, but it was traumatizing for me to find the next day.
@@AMNmrrll My family actually got our box turtle as a baby when a large area was going under construction to build stuff at my school. The disturbance caused her to start wandering around (thankfully, since it prevented her from getting killed). Because of this, some students found her on campus and started throwing her around and playing hot potato with her above concrete sidewalk until a classmate of mine stopped them and brought her to the science teacher. I ended up taking her in since my family has a lot of experience with animals and rehabbing injured wild turtles. My dad was thrilled, though, since box turtles are his favorite animal. She was only about the size of an Oreo then. We named her Spike and have had her for eight years now. I'm just happy everything turned out okay. I'll never understand how people can just abuse animals like that.
@@Dandylion567 yeah, its because “oh its not a dog or a human so it doesn’t have feelings.” I don’t get it either.
They have security cameras so if someone does steal her they would be able to rescue her. It would be fairly difficult to hide a large turtle being carried away. That and I would hope other visitors would help prevent this. Kids riding on her would be a different story though 😕
@@lotuslady9821 Unless the thief was walking around with their home address taped on their body, security cameras won't help
Sharon is everything I would want in a tortoise. She's just so lovely.
I adopted my Godmother's tortoise when I was eleven. Lost him when he was 98 years old. He loved dandelions and strawberries and he moved like a rocket on speed lol. His name was Sammy and loved chin and head rubs. Still miss him xxx
As a gardener I highly recommend growing your own greens somewhere. Really cuts down on cost and you know it's safe for animal consumption.
More importantly I also reccomend some kind of extra safety measures for Sharon. Thieves will definitely just snatch her. Sadly it has happened one too many times to tortoises I also worry for your open tank of turtles too.
I know a lot of local stores here have bag bans. So people cannot bring large bags/backpacks in with them to stuff animals in. You can bring in purses but nothing much larger than that.
It's gonna be pretty hard to stuff her in a bag
Oh my gosh she is precious!!! What a treat for all the patrons of the zoo to see her roaming around. Might I make a suggestion though, maybe having an employee dedicated to Sharon detail while she is roaming? To keep an eye on her, make sure kids are staying respectful, not standing on her, etc. You could give the employee dark sunglasses and a black shirt that says “Sharon Security” all cool-looking
Putting it on a rotating schedule so that all the employees can do security detail shifts would probably also make work more fun for them
Make the S in Sharon and Security with the Snake Discovery S!
Hi guys, I love your channel and have become obsessed with anything reptile (mostly snakes) because of this channel. I think it would be really cool if you guys did a “day in the life” video to see what your busy busy days look like. From feeding animals to talking to customers, I think we would all enjoy it 😊 ❤️ love you guys
They did but it was just a long time ago
@@pamdosestuff7699 yeah but that was back when they didn’t have a store or a zoo so it would be interesting to see a more updated version
That’s a good idea
Damn 😂😂😂😂😅😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😅😂😂😂😅 you doing today even if you don't know yet
you guys have given her the best life you possibly could have, shell be so happy and live the rest of her days with alllll the love and affection
Is there any room in your greenhouse to start some trays of greens? Could be a fun project to show on the channel and with guest. Helps keeps cost down and could be more sustainable then relying on outside sources? Probably just the gardener in me that wants to see it lol
That’s actually a really good idea! I hope they see this!
Was thinking the same thing and they could set up like the best worm compost bin too with all that animal waste and woodchips. Good fertilizer.
A bail of quality hay is also very good for this type of tortoise.
Good idea but at the same time: do they have the time? They have like 75 enclosures to tend already 😅
That’s what I’m building for my bearded dragon! Grocery stores won’t give out the food they scan out because of liabilities
The Sulcata that belonged to my ag teacher in HS was named Speedy. When that Ag teacher left he gave Speedy to a student, but I never heard what happened to her after that.... Sharon looks EXACTLY like Speedy, down to the crack in the shell. I will say that she loved going outside and eating grass and dandelions in the spring and summer
:0 you should def contact them! That's a wild coincidence
Watching a tortoise eat dandelions is good for the soul. 🌼
Many she is speedy?She was just dropped off at the vet alone?🤷🏻♀️
An art store near where I live has a tortoise living there. He's the store's mascot/employees' pet. They tape a balloon to him so that they know where he is in the store. I always smile and say hi to him when I visit the store. He just makes the visit to the store better.
A good way to feed large tortoises like that is with access to hay. Of course, still feed her veggies and occasional fruits with calcium powder, but adding hay cuts down on cost while still giving her plenty of nutrition. In the wild, sulcata tortoises graze on grass for most of their diet. The hay will help mimic that, too.
I wonder if Ed and Emily have considered setting up some aquaponics. They could build a rack system that could generate enough leafy greens to feed all their veggie needing animals. If they really wanted to go for it there are systems that you grow fish in to. So they could grow feeder fish maybe.
that would be so neat!!
@@nibbledrake14 it's a cool system. I have seen simple ones that are just old rain gutters. They can't do fish but can grow veggies.
They already have a greenhouse.
It’s my little brothers dream (he’s 18) to own a Sulcata Tortoise. I immediately had to show him this video. He watched the entire thing and had the biggest smile on his face the whole time.
Does/did your brother watch Dr K’s Exotic Animal ER? The vet, Dr Kelleher, has a few Sulcatas, and talks about them frequently on the show.
@@khills I’m not sure! I know he watches The Tortoise Whisperer. He knows literally everything about Sulcatas.
Hopefully he can take in a rescue one day! They’re such cool animals
Ed gives me major cool fun hugable uncle vibes like u would go up to him when ur sad and he would make u better and when he’s sad it would make u sad
A free roaming tortoise sounds amazing! I’m personally just a little concerned with how easy it might be for her to leave the facility via the back or front doors, or get stuck in any particular back area or room, but I’m sure you guys have plans for that. Can’t wait to visit!!
It would be pretty simple to add ledges by the doors so Sharon can’t get out and then just signs saying keep the tortoise inside.
Id be more concerned about people standing on her or kicking her on accident.
@@SaviourInDistress or on purpose (particularly unruly children)
@@MazTheMeh16 yeah didnt want to say cos i dont wanna be presuming the worst but yeah 😔 some people are awful and kids just dont have empathy at certain ages. Facts of life.
@@SaviourInDistress I saw a very silly TV show with a rude name, where a character is scared he might step on his pet turtle, so he ties a balloon to her shell. The balloon would float at human eye level, but wouldn't bother the turtle.
I feel so bad for her, she looked so depressed. I’m happy she was able to “come out of her shell” 🥰 She got a long life journey ahead of her
Her pressing her face to the wall reminds me of how some dogs will do that after being traumatized. She's safe now, eventually she'll know it.
@@johnDoe-gv8si one of my cats does that when I move. I've tried to make it easier on him each time but so far nothing has worked. I just keep him in a small room and cuddle him a lot until he relaxes. It makes me really sad to see him so upset :(
Nice to see a sulcata getting a permanent home! As a fellow suclata owner, I'd advise pulling back on the treats feeding her. They really need a grass diet, garden weeds and the occasional leafy green veg as a treat. But grass is the way to go in the longterm
Rewatching this video again and just noticed the "Isopod Discovery" sign in the background on a rack 19:12. I love it. I am really hoping for another set of videos showing off all the animal species/genus/morphs they currently have, including that entire rack of isopods.
Some grocery stores do give their produce off-cuts/rejects to programs for recycling food waste or customers who request it, but I think a lot of the large, chain stores won't. It can be a huge liability issue with people potentially claiming they got sick by eating the unsellable bits. Smaller stores or smaller produce farms (who don't have many animals) would probably be the best places to look, since they are less likely to be targeted by those scammers.
Yeah the stores here will not give away anything and lock the trash cans. My uncle works for one and he can’t bring any of the stuff home that he scans out unless he pays for it or they will fire him lol
@@lizzw4216 the last store that I worked at was a really small store so we were actually able to be a bit more generous, being able to donate stuff to local charities or just locals with interesting animals (rabbits, horses, peacocks, etc). The store i work at now is much larger and way more controlled about damaged/unsellable items
@@SashaSRenee small stores really are better haha
I was thinking the same thing. I used to work in a grocery store and anything that was about to expire (in our bakery and produce department) we’d put in shopping carts each night and take it to the homeless shelter. But we would never give it away to individual customers.
The grocery stores here do, we had Costco and publix donate to our zoo.
She's so cute! I love her so much! About the veggie thing, greens are actually really easy to grow! It would cut down your bills and make sure the veggies that you get aren't treated with anything dangerous.
There did used to be a greenhouse on the side of the building!
More than that, they should be growing grass. Sulcatas are grazers; most of their diet is supposed to be grass and hay. Maybe they should install recessed flowerbeds sprinkled around the zoo and grow grass in them? It probably won't be enough for Sharon's daily needs, but it would top her off and also provide enrichment. For her primary diet, they should look into sourcing hay
I have been in a coma for a year and a half after a horse riding accident. I woke up a few weeks ago and found your vids again and I’m so shocked at how much has changed! I remember being at your house with the snake room and Rex 🥺 and now you have a zoo!!!
Hey! You missed a lot, but I hope your taking it all slow and best of luck!
@@jennifer7685 yeah shes right!
Holy cow! That is a really long time to be in a coma. I'm glad you are still with us! Hope you are doing well!
OMG!!!! I'm so glad you're okay!!! Welcome back 😭😭❤️❤️
@nevebutcher1790 glad you are okay now. Hope you had a good recovery from it all.
I’m a little bit worried that someone might be looking at an animal in their enclosure and not see Sharon and trip over her. I see a lot of great suggestions in the comments, I’d like to add maybe giving her a walkthrough exhibit type area for people to focus more on her. Or she could just be in a different area of the zoo than the main room :) I’m so excited to see where things go with Sharon!
Am I losing my mind or is Sharon very, very clearly a male tortoise using the pictures you showed? The males had pointed scutes at the back with roughly square scutes above. The female had curved scutes with non-parallelogram scutes above. "Sharon" was 100% the former and not the latter.
17:00 The image showing how to identify male/female
17:30 It's a boy!!!
Wow, now that you mentioned looking at the square scutes right above it, it really does look like a boy. Oh well, wouldn't be the first time they accidentally sexed a critter wrong! Lol
I thought it was more about the hole shape. The females is egg shaped and the males is like three slots. I think they are right she is female
The pictures they showed aren’t the best examples IMO. Males have wider openings, and the anal scutes tend to be curved and to flare out. Females tend to have smaller openings, and the anal scutes tend to be straight. Females can have long anal scutes though they usually grow against the body (curving up) vs the males whose flare. The plastron looks fairly flat as well. I’d have liked to see the tail, but I think it’s a female.
@@juliedoesharry I agree. The female in the image had really short anal scutes, and it’s giving people a false sense of what they might look like. I saw someone talking about how the way the plastron curves out above them is a male trait, but females with long straight anal scutes develop the same thing.
like the previous reply says, those images are t the best example. I feel as though Sharon is a female, as the hole size is rather big compared to the male’s image.
My first thought was that you might want to create some form of gate on her enclosure to discourage people just going into her safe place (Especially if they already use that space as a bench, they might not realize the boundary),
second (as some other people have mentioned) making sure that people are aware that there is a loose tortoise in the zoo to avoid people stepping on her/tripping over her,
third was making sure that you have some sort of security in place to make sure no one deliberately tries to take her/harm her, and that if it does happen you have evidence
fourth is to have a plan for people who will want their kids to ride her. I can easily see people telling their small children/toddlers to get on her back for a picture or so that the kids will be entertained.
Oh, also I might not know much about sulcatas, but shouldn't she have a hide somewhere in her enclosure? Somewhere where she can get away from all the people? IDK just a thought.
Just some thoughts and potentials issues y'all should think over! Mostly, I love Sharon and think her free roaming is a great idea with precautions!
I love how comfortable Ed is on Camera now, character evolution in real life. Also, welcome Sharon! You came to a great home and will be loved so much!
I now really want some merch saying “You’re da food bringer, where’s ma food?” with Sharon on it
I’m interested about the logistics of a free roaming turtle in the zoo? And also the open turtle tank? I’d love to see a video about safety measures you have in place and other such things!
They wouldn't be able to cover the measures they have in place for anti theft (like with the turtle pond) because that would give thiefs exactly the info they need to steal her.
Tortoise
@@ElfsArt24 a tortoise is a type of turtle
@@PieSpie, Turtle = water, tortoise = land
I know that they are all turtles but people that are more educated don't use the word turtle for a land animal. Once you know, you don't revert. It's like once you know the difference between poison and venom, you don't interchange them. So you correcting, someone that is correcting, is like telling people, it's fine call it what you want. Yes, do as you want but people will automatically talk to you in a way based on the words you choose.
What a lovely girl! I coulda sworn I was looking wrong though... not a male? Coulda sworn I saw more of a 'flower' instead of a 'W' in how Ed was comparing them :)
Not that I'd know lol I have no clue about tortoises! But what a gorgeous creature!
i feel the same, the bottom plates were not connected on the edge which is the male trait
I thought the "flower" looked more like a butterfly :) But yes I agree, Sharon looked like a male.
Higher up from the 'flower' also has more of a squared off look like the male example, rather than a straight line down to the W shape on the female example :) I think Sharon might be a boy lol
Yup, I also think Sharon is a male 😂
That’s what I thought too. My kid and I both immediately went “oh, male!” So we were surprised when Emily said she was female.
But I also figured Emily and Ed know more about it than me.
I’m guessing maybe they were going more off the scutes by her neck than the ones by her tail?
I’ve seen those long scutes on males Emily was talking about and they’re definitely noticeable in adult tortoises. They look like they’re constantly at risk of stabbing themselves in the throat, lol.
I love to see Ed is comfortable with being seen on camera and how much effort you both put in all of your animals
It makes me so happy to see how Ed changes from the first videos to the last, i love seeing him goofing around and having fun with Emily. 10/10 wholesome
Love this. Our local pet store has a set up like this. Most of the time when we visit he is sleeping, but we have seen him roaming around. It is so fun.
If you haven’t found a solution to your produce issue you might want to check your local Trader Joe’s. My daughter used to work in one of them here in New Jersey and she said that leftover produce and fruits used to be donated or thrown out every night. Produce sold is organic so it has no pesticides so it should be safe for the animals.
This is a good idea! And I don’t like to be this person, but organic produce can still have pesticides. They just have organic pesticides. They can be just as dangerous as traditional ones, so please wash all of your produce thoroughly before consumption 👍
Shops were they sell broccoli and cauliflower that usually comes with they leaves still attached so before it go on shop (it’s a good way on Transporting them) it needs to be cut off and usually throw away so it’s also a good idea to check this on your local supermarket or Veggy shop.
Just a reminder to be careful and safe when you're doing your DIY stuff! I'm not sure if you were using spray paint or some other spray adhesive thing but if you're working up close or in an enclosed space you should definitely be wearing a mask or other breathing protection so you don't inhale those fumes. Congrats on the new addition.
Sharon looks so taken care of. It makes me think 1) she escaped and a Good Samaritan picked her up, 2) an emergency situation came where her family had to move 3) someone stole her and got rid of her without her caretaker knowing(which I know happens a lot,at least with dogs)
Welcome to the MN sulcata family Emily, you are going to love having a sulcata tortoise. They are such characters and once she does get friendly they are the next best thing to a dog. Also a warm welcome to Sharon for my sulcata Bowser.
You can use a small amount of clear epoxy to attach a name tag (avoid the growth areas between the scutes) to her shell. I saw this recommended by a vet in Southern California when I was at a conference and decided that taking a class on chelonian health would be fun even though the clinic I work in only sees dogs and cats. XD (It was super fun)
They can be RFID chipped too, right?
@@khills Yes, though I worry that someone finding a tortoise wouldn’t know that was a possibility and might not know to have them checked for a chip.
@@ThKiwi oh, I’d definitely do both! I figure if there’s a name tag, that’ll encourage someone to think about a chip (like a name collar for dogs makes it more likely someone who finds them thinks to take them to a vet to be scanned)
This is so cute. I’m just worried about bad people messing with her
This is my main concern as well..or kids going in her space/home 😔 I worry about parents also encouraging that bad behavior and the tortoise getting hurt.
I'm hoping they have a wrangler with her during open times to keep kids off of her. That would be my guess as to what they'll be doing.
Or someone stepping on or trying to ride her. Or stealing her all together. Hopefully, they will keep an open eye out.
I would be putting alarm on her (like on expensive stuff in stores).
So the alarm sounds if she goes beyond set points so the doors and the little step Ed was worried she will get stuck in.
Stops anyone being able to take her and her getting stuck.
I love how they are so hands on on everything, and I mean everything.
A tip for buying produce: reach out to any local restaurants or possibly grocery stores and see if they'll sell you some of their extra produce for cheap. You can even specifically ask for produce that doesn't look good enough for them to use in their food but is still perfectly safe to eat. You'd be buying what would be wasted which is a win for both parties. You get a good deal on produce and they get to slightly reduce their produce costs.
I've heard of some places that will also just give reptile keepers the waste, but I think it's better to ask around with the intention of purchasing it from them. You're more likely to find someone willing to sell to you than you are to find someone who is willing to go through the trouble to give it to you for free. Since they likely would toss the produce out with all the other trash.
My tortoise loves dandelions so wildgrowing plants could be an option or variation, as long as they aren’t sprayed
@@katarinawikholm5873 I think it's a bit too cold for them to try growing anything right now. Although using their green house to safely grow some food is a good idea once it's warm enough for it
In multiple UK supermarkets they have a “wonky” fruit and veg section which contains less appealing looking produce for a reduced prices so I support this idea! They would definitely be able to ask for wonky produce at a store
@@itz_elioftw I mentioned restaurants mostly because they're able to sell the produce easier. A lot of chain grocery stores can't sell any "bad" products because of cooperate policies due to possibly liability. Which sadly is often followed for items that look bad but are still perfectly edible.
There have been companies that will take wonky produce and sell it to you but the main ones have all been online focused. Getting the produce shipped to them would be way worse for the environment than buying the stuff already available in their area.
@@zebraloverbridget In the UK we can just go to the local Morrisons or Lidl (there are likely other places too but they’d be too expensive for me, so I’m not certain of others), but from what you said, it sounds like the majority of wonky produce places are online in the US. I didn’t realise it was less common to go to a physical store and buy wonky produce over there.
Please correct me if I’m wrong
Get a UV monitor for reptiles so you can test the bulbs to see if they actually need to be replaced. costs $150-200 and will be more than worth it for the number of lights you have. I find that the UVB mercury vapor bulbs are actually good for a year to a year and a half, not six months, but testing them will give you greater accuracy.
For sure! I'm honestly surprised they haven't already gotten a solarmeter with the number of enclosures they have. It's just as useful for reptiles as a temp gun (if not more so because you can't feel UVB the same way you can feel heat). Like you were saying, the Powersun type bulbs tend to last a year or more while still providing good UVB output.
i’ve always wanted to see a tortoise on this channel i’m so happy to see it happen
I was actually so excited to see another build! I really enjoyed watching the process of the zoo, and the little projects that come up after.
I'm pretty sure that Sharon is a boy. It didn't look like a girl under her, but it did have the Flower/Butterfly shape the boys have.
It's really sad that she was dumped outside, but also amazing how perfectly it worked out in the end. Welcome to the fam, Sharon!
I think the sulcata is a male based on the pictures they looked at, looks like a butterfly/flower and not a W
I remember you guys having this alligator however long ago, just in your house…. And now you’ve got this big place to have a bunch of great animals.
I was hoping the sulcata would be a female!! Now there's a big girl squad at the zoo: Rex, Chloe, Cheyenne, even Phoenix could be included, and now this tortoise! I love these ladies 💞💞
Dont forget allie!
Rex, Chloe, Cheyenne and Allie! And Brad 🤣
@@cheese9147 Ally*
It might be good to post a “Have you lost your tortoise?” thing and direct people to the zoo so they can take a look. As some other people in the comments have said, there’s a chance that somebody’s family decided release this tortoise while that person was away for whatever reason. If that’s the case, you’d save someone a lot of heartache.
That’s so funny my grandma just re-homed her 65 pound tortoise and I saw this video pop up and was like “how did Tillie get there from California so fast?” 😂😂
What's so cute is that I have a soft shelled tortoise in the Animal Crossing New Horizons museum! :D
There was a pet store i used to visit as a child when I lived in Florida that also had a huge tortoise that roamed freely. It was awesome, but he was known for trying to eat brightly painted toenails because they looked like food
Sharon is so awesome! I'm looking forward to seeing her in videos in the future! Instead of using a little scooter for Sharon, why not use a child's wagon? Should be big enough, and low enough to the ground that she doesn't have to be lifted too high, and she'll be contained for the duration of her ride! Hope that suggestion helps! Take good care and stay safe!
I love Sharon already xD Maybe you can string a chain across the entrance to her sleeping area and hang a little sign on it saying "keep out! Sharon's room" something. Or a string of vine/leaves will do, even without a sign. That way it'll be clear people aren't supposed to go inside, be too high up to bother Sharon, but easy to take on and off.
I have one of those Powersun bulbs for my beardie. He loves it.
So glad you guys were able to take in Sharon. I don't understand how people breed sulcatas at the capacity that they do. Last weekend I was volunteering at a local reptile show in Indiana and a new vendor getting into the hobby was selling all sorts of baby tortoises, including 6 baby sulcatas, which ALL sold. And I had such anxiety seeing them all go because I don't know if the vendors were warning people that they were going to grow up to be 150lb bulldozers that will outlive them. 😳
They could always use the greenhouse as a outdoor pen for Sharon when it gets warmed out. Cause the panels above opens where she can get sunlight and fresh air.
Me: **trying to fall asleep**
Emily + Ed: **Posts**
NO TIME FOR SLEEP, ITS REPTILE TIME BABYYYYYY
Me toooo
Same
Seriously, I would be all for a 'Sharon eating her greens' ASMR. As for eating produce, you can ask to buy the extra veggies from nearby restaurants. 🙂
Will a low wagon work for tortoise transportation? Because that's what I've seen the delivery guys at our grocery store use to lug heavy produce, like pumpkins.
Not sure if it would work for a sulcata this large, but I know some people use low-riding modified wagons or reinforced produce carts to move around smaller tortoises if necessary to take them to a car for a vet visit, or to lug them about short distances. Maybe a nice big one can be made for Sharon?
i would love to see a tortoise in one of those metal red wagons
I've spent a lot of time working with animals and honestly you guys seem like the best employers ever.
I think it’s a boy. It looked like the boy picture, Boy Sharon could be Shayne 🤷🏻♀️ just in case.
You could use a plant vase roller for Sharon. They have loads of different sizes and can actually hold a lot of weight. Oh and definitely use a cusion or outdoor pillow to wash off any dirt or poo under her so she is more comfy
Am I the only one who thinks Sharon is obviously a male?
If you look at the scute shape, it's identical to the male one. Kinda looks like a butterfly to me
I thot the same!
Yeah😄
Best part about this is that while The timelapse is happening we can see the Workers just chilling.
I remember when Ed used to run from the camera, love how comfortable he seems in front of it now 😊
I love Sulcata Tortoises!! I'm sure people will adore her
A small idea that may be fun - get some brushes for Sharon! Either for the inner wall of her "enclosure" or for kids to get to give her a little brush. I don't know for sure if tortoises enjoy them, but especially if it's wall mounted, that just allows for a bit of fun choice!
I've definitely seen videos of tortoises enjoying brushes!
I love it. Our local pet store has a sulcata in the store. They have a type of heat mat along with the light. I love tortoises.