Young Geochelone sulcata feeding
Photograph by Sean Baker
Bob and Barbara Jamison have had great success with breeding and raising turtles and tortoises. The majority of their tortoises are African spurred tortoises, Geochelone sulcata, for which they are most well known. They are currently raising their second generation of G. sulcata. Their famed tortoise Tinkerbell, featured in the photograph, is the mother of many of the young spurred tortoises now kept by other tortoise enthusiasts throughout southern California. This interview was conducted by Bob and Judy Thomas of CTTC's TOOSLO Chapter.
Bob Thomas: How long have you been keeping turtles?
Barbara Jamison: Over 25 years ago we got our first box turtle, a female. We still have many of her descendants. Our desert tortoise came shortly after the box turtle.
Bob Thomas: When did you get your first sulcata?
Bob Jamison: Tinkerbell was purchased July 12, 1975. At that time she weighed 40 pounds. By 1983, she weighed 102 pounds. She is now about 115 pounds.
Judy Thomas: How many breeding sulcata do you have?
Barbara Jamison: We have 3 male and 3 female mature breeders. They are our original breeders. Some of their hatchlings have now started to breed. Our first second-generation hatchling hatched last August.
Judy Thomas: When did you first hatch sulcata?
Barbara Jamison: December 31, 1987. Until 1987 we only had a single female - Tinkerbell. She shared the yard with numerous desert and leopard tortoises, but she had no mate. A few months after we acquired our male "Oliver", Tinkerbell laid her first eggs.
Bob Thomas: When do your sulcata lay their eggs?
Bob Jamison: Our tortoises usually lay their first clutch of the season in January or February. A strong breeder might lay as many as 3 additional clutches approximately 30 days apart. The first clutch frequently seems to have a low fertility rate, possibly because they have not mated during the winter months. The later clutches seem to have a better hatch rate. Incubated eggs usually start to hatch in about 90 days and may continue to hatch over a period of 30 days or so. Hatching times for eggs from separate clutches frequently overlap.
Bob Thomas: How do you incubate the eggs?
Bob Jamison: We incubate the eggs in vermiculite dampened with water (equal parts by weight). We put a layer of vermiculite in a plastic shoe box and then a layer of eggs. The eggs are covered with more vermiculite. We set the incubator at about 87° F.
Judy Thomas: What care do you advise for sulcata hatchlings?
Barbara Jamison: We feel that the temperature for the hatchlings is rather critical. We place several thermometers in their enclosure and try to maintain the temperature at about 85° F using thermostated heating pads. We soak the hatchlings a couple of times a week. We do this by placing the hatchlings in warm water just deep enough to cover their feet. Soaking allows them to drink and aids in elimination. They are individually dried with paper towels. We usually soak them at the same time we clean their pens, the time required to clean the pens being about the right soaking time.
Bob Thomas: What do you feed your sulcata?
Barbara Jamison: The adults eat assorted green vegetables, romaine lettuce, grass, leaves and fruit that drop from our trees, plums, apricots, tomatoes, apples, squash and radishes. They are kept on a lawn area in our yard and graze on grass. We feel that grazing supplies an important part of their diet, and that as much natural food as possible is desirable. We also supplement these foods with Purina Pure Pride 100 horse chow, rabbit pellets and alfalfa hay.
Judy Thomas: How are your animals housed in winter?
Barbara Jamison: We have a large converted greenhouse that is heated with a forced air furnace and cooled in the summer with an evaporative cooler. The sulcata have their own entrance through which they may come and go as they please when the weather permits.
Bob Jamison: In winter we set the thermostats at about 75° F for our breeding tortoises. Unfortunately, the floor area is cooler and providing sufficient heat has been a problem for us. Our smaller 2, 3 and 4 year old sulcata have additional electric heaters in their own enclosures that keep their habitats within the greenhouse at approximately 88° F. We also have numerous electric "pig pads" on the floor for the tortoises to lay on. They are controlled by rheostats. In our experience, pig pads operated without rheostats seem to fail more quickly.
With the number of sulcata that we have now, we cannot allow them to dig their own burrows. When we had only Tinkerbell she was allowed to dig a burrow. She would retreat to the burrow during the heat of our 100° F summer days. A 100 pound tortoise digging a 20 foot burrow can displace a considerable amount of dirt creating a definite backyard landscaping problem.
Bob Thomas: Do you add supplements to the diet?
Barbara Jamison: Yes, we use Vionate vitamin and mineral powder, and calcium in the form of cuttlefish bones for our hatchlings and young tortoises. Supplements are reduced as they get larger.
Bob Thomas: What do you feed your other turtles?
Barbara Jamison: Adult box turtles and Reeves turtles get Vets Dog food. Other water turtles and baby box turtles get lean hamburger mixed with powdered rabbit pellets and powdered trout chow with a little Vionate added in. They love it... Also, Purina Trout Chow and greens such as romaine lettuce are given to the water turtles. The box turtles are kept in an outdoor area with naturally growing vegetation and the associated sow bugs and snails. They also seem to enjoy tomatoes and various fruits.
Finally, please remember that the sulcata is an interesting and enjoyable tortoise but does require considerable space and care.
Bob and Barbara Jamison, Tinkerbell, and the rest of their herd of turtles and tortoises live in California's San Joaquin Valley. They have been members of CTTC for over 10 years.
Originally published in the Tortuga Gazette 29(4): 4-5, April 1993
