The Truth About Sulcata Tortoises

Kenan returns to his friend Bob Blome's place in Arizona to hang out with some of the largest Sulcata Tortoises you will ever see. There are hundreds of them here and the burrows are massive. But keeping big torts can also be a big headache as we'll learn in this episode of Kamp Kenan. Check it out!
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We are Reptile enthusiasts, We know a lot about Lizards, Snakes, Turtles, Tortoises, Crocodiles, Alligators and all sorts of scaly & misunderstood creatures. We also love to learn from other animal experts who are happy to share knowledge. That’s what Kamp Kenan is all about. We love animals and we know you do too. This is why we do what we do. Animal Conservation in the Modern World matters, we're out there living it and doing it every day. This is real life, these stories are real, and our sole purpose is to educate you so that you can learn something new every day and one day perhaps get involved yourself. It's that simple.
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[@shannonrickard8605]

I never knew sulcatas got so big until I started watching your channel, and now that I know that, I cannot believe there are SO MANY people who get these animals. A lot of the pet youtubers I watch have them, they sell them readily at pet stores, people buy them for their kids. Like...why?? I feel like they are an animal that few people will have the ability to care for properly. I feel like the vast majority of people who buy them either don't know how big they get or they know, but they buy them with the mentality that they can just get rid of them when they get too big which is a terrible way to go into owning an animal 😭 I don't understand how sulcatas have gotten to be such popular pets when there are some really beautiful and amazing species of torts that stay small!

[@WhoopiCushion]

It is sad, but don’t look at the bad. My dad let me get a sulcata when I was 11. We knew what we were getting into… but I’m 20 now and my tortoise is still happy and healthy. Had to learn over time for some things but never anything bad happened. Not every kid was as interested as I was though.

[@JaxLittles]

Indeed. My sulcata's night box and day shed cost me over $3k alone. Monthly upkeep is around $200 on average.

[@bilalgarcia2543]

How many do you have and you could’ve got that done cheaper you know that

[@lynnespinoza4736]

This!!! Our neighbor that keeps letting their cats have kittens in our yard- has also let loose a bunch of baby sulcatas! One wandered into my house and the other my other neighbor found in her driveway. Everytime I go over to tell them he needs to be more responsible and do something about these wild animals he tells me "I'll think about it." I tried calling animal control and they said they don't service our area. Which I didn't even know was a thing?!! I really don't know what to do. They keep just letting their animals reproduce and kittens, tortoises, and puppies are just spawning from their house, wandering around, and then usually get ran over. 😔 They don't care.

[@unlimitedgaming6273]

Sulcata tortoise are awesome large I like sulcata tortoise they are my dream pet

[@Derikimi]

Dude is watching his friend get dug out and flipped on his back while enjoying a nice pumpkin.

[@jbaldwin185]

Hmmm, I'm not sure about his motives. "Had 6000 of them but we shipped them off overseas" I think he may be collecting them and selling shipping them off to Asia as food. Not exactly a sanctuary.

[@Derikimi]

@@jbaldwin185 What are you talking about?

[@indraperdanayusuf6181]

@@jbaldwin185 you drunk? Asian people didnt eat sulcata

[@ronniecastiel6970]

i realize it is kinda randomly asking but do anybody know a good website to stream new series online ?

[@pedrokorbin4507]

@Ronnie Castiel i dunno atm I've been using Flixportal. just google for it:) -pedro

[@binnad7091]

When I was young, I wanted a sulcata, but after doing a TON of research, I figured out it was going to be WAY outside my comfort zone. Still love tortoises, though, so I adopted a native Sonoran Desert tortoise from AZGF. Because of Socrates, I turned my back yard into a beautiful desert botanical garden. They don't get big, so I don't need heavy equipment, and his personality is just so cool. The best part is that my dream of having a tortoise came true, and he's native to this habitat, so it's pretty easy to take care of him. Socrates is my little garden guardian. :) I think it's so important to do the research. Not everyone realizes what it takes to keep exotic pets. Thanks so much for sharing this video!

[@andresestrada6424]

I WANT A DESERT TORTOISE SO BAD 😭

[@WhoopiCushion]

I got one when I was young. Very thankful she’s a small female lol. Not yet to be fully grown or even close, 9 years later lol. I have no intentions of abandoning my garden grazing pal

[@mirandagarrett4231]

Pet stores and sellers online definitely do not show pictures or tell people how large they actually get and they're selling them for $75 on some websites this is why so many get abandoned

[@wolfenruns4009]

Have had small tortoises but just got a 6" round Sulcata! I call her Ithska. Watching you all the time. Not planning on breeding nor any others. Your videos truly help us all learn what it takes to provide great homes for these tortoises!

[@ObesePuppies]

Yeah please do a follow up video

[@RadicalNomad97]

I love your channel and I love sulcatas even more, so I don’t no how I just now found this video. Some people might disagree with what I’m about to say, but I hope my sulcata gets the size of these ones. Mines really big but not nearly the size of those ones, mine is about 70 pounds and 10 years old but then again I haven’t weighed him in a long time and when I bought him the breeder had guessed that he was five. He wasn’t sure because he had a very similar set up in Arizona as this guy in the video does so he couldn’t keep track of them all. And he had said that the sulcata I bought from him had actually stayed in a burrow the entire winter before I bought him because he didn’t even no he was in there.

[@Dovietail]

Every person thinking of getting a cute little wee sulcata baby ought to have to watch this video first. 🤔🤔🤔

[@shannonrickard8605]

Seriously. I don't get why SO MANY people get sulcatas. You know the vast majority of those people don't have any intention of doing what it takes to keep an animal that size.

[@AldabraJohn]

@@shannonrickard8605 or feeding it the proper way to avoid pyramids and other problems!

[@YochevedDesigns]

This video talked me out of it! I didn't realise that they dig so much. If I ever get the acreage then I'd really love to have a pair of Aldabras. They are the friendliest of the giant tortoises.

[@Dr.Sarina.PharmD]

Hey Kenan, do you have an update on this poor guy? You guys did the right thing, I hope he's healing up!

[@Dovietail]

I live in New River Arizona. Periodically neighbors will lose a sulcata from it digging out under a fence or the like, and then it's all hands on deck in the neighborhood until we find it. It's really scary if they get out during a rainy period, which rarely but occasionally does happen in winter.

[@raffellothegreat]

Wow, these tortoises are so lucky to have this guy taking care of them. He must really love them to go through this kind of trouble.

[@sebern2]

Best informative video! Two strong men? One tortoise? Trust me, I am convinced to stick with the Greeks and the Leopards. Lesson learned... Research the worst part of caring for a species before diving in.

[@kimmasterson9529]

sebern2 Very true. People who rush to own the wrong tortoise end up usually needing to rehome them because they get too big or they live in the wrong climate

[@renampiersons128]

Wow guys i have never seen such beautiful animal

[@sjnix7044]

My heart just stopped. 300 living boulders with NO concept of their actual size. I can barely handle one.

[@JC-ip5vv]

I was about to move to Arizona because I refuse to get rid of my sulcata tortoise. Any engineering ideas for owning a full grown one in Delaware? I would rather leave my partner than get rid of my Sulcata. So I'm in for life

[@A1Bokeh]

Lol dang. What did you end up doing

[@thomasmeade4490]

So update? @J C

[@myceilauniverse9096]

Update everyone!!! They sold it to me and I ate it!!! Was delicious!!

[@margaretstone8597]

@J C hows it going with the sulcata?

[@nocare]

We have one here in New Mexico. We built a wood shelter with the plastic flaps and placed it over the entrance to the burrow and reinforced the area over the first 3-4 ft of the burrow (the most fragile part as its closest to the surface) so it never collapses. Then I made an IOT(internet of things) heater controller that runs a 500 watt heater and a heat lamp. The controller will look up the weather forecast to determine if the box at the entrance needs to be heated, live readouts to a webpage on the temp and heater state. It also emails an alert if the power cuts or the temp drops too low. This way it can be plugged into a GFCI outlet without risk of power cutting and we don't know it. We haven't ever had to force him into his house to get him out of the cold, he will come out for short spurts even when its snows but when he wants heat he has to go back to his house and he knows it.

[@PakuPaku_NIXON]

thank you so mach!

[@MintyDragonVidz]

I think I’m happy with just my one Sulcata.

[@lovegymnastics8953]

Kira K he didn’t ask if you wanted more than one

[@ramseysscienceworld7598]

@@lovegymnastics8953 he was just saying after looking at this he doesn't need more.

[@nikiiixo333]

same 😂 my one baby rescue is good enough for me!

[@3xx0clan]

i recently got 2 sulcatas from an old lady who cant keep them anymore, thay are 5 years old and already pretty bulky, im not sure i know what ive gotten myself into lol

[@donnakatemorgan8963]

Good call on the wound I kept box turtles and they aren't that big but they can be feisty too Hope the sulcata heals up ok please update his condition and get new photos ,thanks in advance

[@CrazyCrittersInc]

This was one of our favorite videos. We have watched it multiple times. The knowledge is remarkable! Thanks for sharing the great times and not so great times with huge reptiles! We adopt and keep sulcatas, some are very large. The need for programs like ours is huge here in Florida. We would not be prepared for so many things we encounter if it were not for your honest approach.

[@thetortoiseguy6449]

I love my Sulcata’s!! Love your channel man.

[@snowballil3133]

Keep us updated on the Sulcata

[@shubhamsarvaiya7827]

13:31 that tortoise loking like wtf bruh

[@floridaLise]

That's Funny! Some kind of odd birthing. You can imagine Kenan trying to birth a Sulcata and Bob is the Obstetrician

[@em_joy4473]

I have a 3 year old sulcata and as I learn more about caring for them I'm starting to realize what I got myself into xD

[@tylerspringstube4868]

The_Wise_Tortoise yeah I'm new I've got 3 month old just got em not too long ago, any advice u got ?

[@wesrennells910]

I have a sulcata tortoise and I also live in Arizona would you please give me some form of contact with Bill for tips and mentor-ing

[@seanedwards6193]

POOR BIG BOY GIVE US A FOLLOW UP HOPE HE RECOVERS ASAP! LOVE WHAT YOU DO BROTHA! KAMP KENAN SUPPORTER FOR LIFE MAN!

[@seanedwards6193]

1234567 NOT YELLING SORRY I TYPE AND WRITE IN ALL CAPS!

[@biglezmate3830]

Turn off you caps

[@JaxLittles]

@@seanedwards6193 Turn off your caps. It causes people to take you less seriously.

[@cooolchick647]

How did the tortoise make out?????? Please let us know Or do an update pretty pretty please!!!!

[@chili_420_2]

21:14 tortoise continues to eat

[@jellehaeck]

nice vid Kenan! Can you do a hibernating guide ? would be very helpfull for alot of people in this period of the year. thx

[@lesliejohnson2982]

Hey Kenan I know its been like 9 months, but any chance you got an update on the tortoise? Thanks! :)

[@danawashere7451]

Can you do a follow up on this tort please?

[@Pandylancia]

I live in AZ too with a huge rescue sulcata (she just wondered up to my door one day we looked for a year for her owners no one ever claimed her I think they left her in the road in front of my house or something). This place is so neat. I thought my girl had a big pin!!!! I'd love to see it.

[@kimneidich8694]

I’m redoing my pen. I’m looking for ideas

[@johnholden8440]

“In mating season they can push each other through the block wall”- cement it then 😲

[@Judgeangels]

They can still push through it sulcatas are strong

[@Judgeangels]

They are strong ass tortoise's

[@randygreenfield4312]

I’m totally happy with my 3 leopard tortoises ! 🍓🐢. 🥬🐢 🥦🐢

[@justinstuart8382]

Please can you reply and tell me how the big guy did after you dug him out got me worried. Poor guy 😑 thanks x

[@teet2022]

Marginated tortoise enclosure

[@butterscotch3640]

I'm big

[@conspiraciesarejustgreatst2059]

Wow, this guy's turtle ranch is absolutely incredible! That's so cool that there's a man in Arizona who's got a ranch that can process 3,000 turtles. From massive 300 pound beasts all the way down to 2-3 inch hatchlings

[@kimmasterson9529]

conspiracies are just great stories I bet he rides an ATV around in summer to keep an eye on all these tortoises. It gets super hot. There’s a lot of desert out there. Happy to see someone doing such a good thing out there

[@ghar7566]

What are you talking about?

[@orangejuicejoe1762]

These are tortoises not Turtles one lives on the land one lives in the water

[@aljosantiago3207]

They told the camera guy to watch out for torns from the tree and camera man jan swat the branch away and showed the other 2 not to be fruitcakes when they're filming. 🤣

[@daddyzgurl5221]

Poor baby! I know it happens.. I just hate them hurting because I love them! I hope he heals up fast! 🐢💚 Those are some serious burrows!! He needs a massive pond right in the middle!😁

[@phoenixboy6024]

I used to work with Bob at st Joseph's hospital, hes a cool dude. Gentle giant

[@marbo.lee.]

Imagine being wounded and then these giant it's just promised are flipping you upside-down just so that you can get medical attention

[@floridaLise]

WOW - THAT IS SOME KIND OF EDUCATION ON SULCATAS. I'd be wondering what the heck to do without a tractor. I feel bad for that guy, he needs help.

[@GregWittstockThePondGuy]

Amazing! Good work bud

[@Suman12562]

Hahahah not nice but

[@mzmami8o8]

Wow ur videos are all interesting!!!! This one very very very educational !! I’ve watched ur video with all my attention. Very impressive! Love this video ! 👍🏻 great job guys!! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@KampKenan]

Thank you so much 😀

[@Gigan-tp5wi]

Make sure that you let us know what ends up happening with the big fella.

[@MrBobberino01]

.

[@zenithgreyz3017]

wtf does this mean. period?

[@victoriac4347]

@@zenithgreyz3017 it means they want to get a notification in case someone answers the question

[@crockbrown5316]

.

[@butterscotch3640]

I am

[@Pepper-rn4hh]

Any update? How did he recover?

[@texrexy5344]

I realized that the shape of the abdominal shell is for mating

[@hippybonus]

I didn't know that Sulcatas eat pumpkins. Gotta try it for my sulcata.

[@hannahs4624]

Sheesh! You have to be strong to own sulcatas and own a tractor

[@gaypotato17yearsago5]

12:00 what are they talking about clipping???

[@onepawatatime7925]

The tortious over grown beak, you can trim them just like you do a birds.

[@skeebles8469]

Love living in Arizona. My wife and I want to purchase a few acres soon to open a desert tortoise and sulcata tortoise rescue. Being in the vet field and working with fish and game, we receive a lot of them. Great video

[@danicarodriguez7770]

Do u guys buy sulcatas

[@kimmasterson9529]

Skeebles Ruedas I hope you will do that. Arizona is awesome. These tortoises are awesome! Good luck

[@snortdogg101507]

@@danicarodriguez7770 way to try and profit. Geez

[@snortdogg101507]

@@danicarodriguez7770 Its a rescue for the tortoises usually coming from people like you. How does that even make sense to you when they're the ones that will pay for the animals care, food, needs?

[@sprinceprince7057]

We also live in Arizona and have 2 Sucatas, male& female, they were born in 2011, and are about 75lbs

[@elonmust7470]

Guy straight sells these things.....

[@moontymato]

I just moved to Florida from Arizona, ha. I'd love to visit your rehabilitation center

[@jennarayne13]

Damn dude. I’ve got one 10 year male and holy lord I don’t want another one

[@skelmz1]

Something I'd actually feel the hype for XD

[@swimmindolphin]

Any update on the big injured sulcata?

[@nicolaspike2296]

That's really really excellent work well done chaps!😆😀😁🤔😌Yes thank goodness caught him just in the nick of time poor dude! How is he doing? Let us know please😠🐢

[@lovelife4111]

Hey Kenan, what's the update on this story? Did the tortoise heal?

[@destortoise]

awesome video

[@daringmore6892]

Protrusions are sometimes growth patterns from early wounds from the wild or captivity. Our Female Sulcata was with a family that kept her part time in the garage in a plastic tub and the heat lamp started a fire and she was burned and survived. Now she has upgrowth on her shell edge and strange striations with reshaping from healing and repair growing. All the black burnt parts have finally regenerated and are completely gone from her body and shell now though after 7 or 8 years. They rehomed her with our family once this tragedy happened.

[@amadeusnicolosi504]

I just got my first sulcata a few months ago that are amazing animals & very smart . Is there any helpful tips for me

[@timebot000]

I heard recently that sulcatas use land a mile radius from home base,to walk around and call thier yard. A mile. If they roamed wild.

[@jenniferirelan1606]

Can you use super glue to fix the skin to the shell? Like you use on humans.

[@gaypotato17yearsago5]

ANYONE WATCHING IN 2021

[@yvonnem3707]

Hi, u need to do 2nd part...this was great vid!!!

[@LuckyBadger]

I'm about to get my first sulcata. Good to know this stuff!

[@harrietthesulcata6768]

Aren’t we cute tho 🥰

[@sbcosocal5853]

No one talks about how loud they are during breeding season, I could hear mine down the street. But it's only during breeding season

[@catherinehoang6495]

Yes! And my sons asked me: “Mommy! What is Yurtle doing to Pebble? “ I was like uh...., very much I change the subject 🤪

[@ellyana2157]

while the tortoise move back fastly, it is so cute 😆.. very shy☺

[@oborobor1563]

~ Fantastic video!

[@badgersemporiumandadventur3389]

who doesn't get annoyed when you have a turtle head poking out the back end?

[@scotthull2141]

glad to learn I do the right thing by closing up my tortz den with hay for our desert "winter"...i never thought to block the hole. thnx Kenan

[@sinmore11]

Sulcata waterboarding 101

[@emmaacuna7350]

Aww😞 poor guy please let us know how 🐢 your big Sakara is doing I have a little one now I'm scared after seeing this video 😱😦😲😭)) please, now I'm scared 😟❤💕🐢

[@oborobor1563]

~ Great video!

[@Sophia-cy5pm]

A guy who was exterminating our neighbor's house found a tortoise in front of our sidewalk. We couldn't find the owner so we're taking care of the tortoise. I guess we're his new family for now and I think it's a sulcata... eeek! At least he's small for now.

[@SavageTalk]

did that big guy ever heal up? :(

[@shanek6582]

He needs a remote control car with a drone camera for those burrows

[@lisaenglert3202]

Hell yah!

[@carmelized11candi]

The odd birth canal comment killed me 😂🤣

[@livingroom7609]

Tell us an update on that tortoise

[@emilystevens7837]

Do you have any links for Bob Blome's place and his groups???

[@JamesSmith-pt8dy]

Hey .. everyone Moniee-Mon , is listening thanks for the info and videos. Keep doing what 'cha do best God bless you 🙏all

[@TheJesusAlejandra]

That injured tortoise was not helping one bit!😂😂

[@bluebambooyt1426]

Can you do a very in depth Russian tortoise guid?

[@biglezmate3830]

What's a guid

[@Anarchy1080p]

Might be a stupid question but can you trim off the gular horns to reduce the likelihood of injury when males fight?

[@christinesnook3268]

It's their bone. Not a good idea

[@davidlewis2604]

I think I just may have a Sudanese species he's growing faster than normal measuresment

[@iamthediz]

Like trying to get a kid to go to school...

[@jiwapetualank9952]

Keren sekali, saya ingin sekali pelihara

[@beth-rg8bm]

Maggots will eat decomposing flesh...they leave as soon as there is no more food and are excellent at cleaning wounds just for this reason! During the civil war they saved the lives of many wounded people!

[@nicksaint-erne]

Here are my tortoises: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jH62d6OPjchjg6M

[@NathansWildLife]

When you guys say they will break your fingers like nothing do you mean they’re gonna bite you? Or when they go on their shell, it cans break your fingers.

[@isuckatgaming1403]

The fact that you let that man wash wash that sulcatas deep wounds with a water hose instead of taking it to a vet shows me that you are the exact person I shouldn't be watching. Horrible example breeding season excuse is for tortoises who live in the wild. This is an example of having too many god damn animals to care for.

[@pardiireng936]

❤❤❤❤❤

[@colettebogie-nh3tc]

I have a question about my sulcata tortoise a heart shaped piece of body part came out of his tail I don’t know how to attach a picture I was wondering if this is male or female genitalia? I tried to email u the video I haven’t seen anything like it on other utube videos can u please help me I watch your videos all the time could really use your advice if this is normal and what sex it is ?

[@durch2237]

Im not sure which was supposed to be mean. You cannot convince me that you guys spend all this time and money to be crue. People please use that noodle. Your animals dont like going to the vet,and until they can tell us what hurts if you cant say something nice shutup.

[@beth-rg8bm]

I wish you had less background effects on dtartup it really hurt my ears!

[@georgec9765]

The reason I feel tortoises is they can't express any feelings like other animals, if they are sick or wounded, the only thing they can do is to retract their heads and wait to be dead. Pls take care of this lovely creature and let them suffer less.

[@ToanNguyen-ib1ss]

Help me, my sulcata tortoises with urate clogged. I am Vietnamese

[@primogonzales7549]

Need a bigger digger Galapagos Tortoises to dig sinkholes under your house.

[@debrataylor1813]

Does kenan not follow his thread and answer or do updates on something like this? There are multiple requests on this tortoise and no comments made. Not cool to ignore, come on man.

[@fuzzperoni]

Dude.... you talk too much and don't listen enough.