Wild Weekend Continued (AKA Why Sulcatas are NOT Pets)

On the Sunday of my Wild Weekend, I went to the Ontario Reptile and Aquatics Expo. As usual, it's a sight to behold. I've never seen so many lizards, turtles, tortoises, tree frogs, fish, and snakes. Oh the snakes. They're everywhere. Many of the animals are bred in captivity... especially the little ball pythons, which dominate the exhibits. They come in all sorts of funky patterns and colors based on weird genetic crosses. The pic to the right is a baby ball python checking out her human captor! It was a very cool expo, and I enjoyed it... my rants below are just an aside!

I, of course, was there to see the tortoises. Looking for a Russian Tortoise in particular. I've always wanted one, and I figure I'd better get one soon or else it'll outlive me. The Russians were few and far between at the show, but there were plenty of other tortoises to choose from, including box turtles and red footed tortoises.

And that brings me to the sulcatas. Inevitably some (irresponsible) exhibitor brings in a couple of very adorable sulcatas (African spurred tortoises), and invevitably some (irresponsible) person buys them. As babies, they're a sweet and lovable 2-3 inches, but as adults, they can grow to a powerful 36 inches and weigh over 100 lbs. So of course when I saw them, I suppressed a groan. They need very warm temperatures (they're from the southern Sahara), they need a ton of space, and as adults, they can be extremely destructive. Oh, by the way, they also live for like 80 years. So consider that if you or your friends are thinking about a sulcata as a pet. Click here to see a great picture showing the size of a baby vs an adult sulcata.

On that note, there were also a few very adorable and tiny little boa constrictors. My favourite question to ask people selling exotic pets is "how big is it going to get?". In the case of these tiny little boas, the answer is "hmm... about 12 feet". I'm pretty sure it's illegal to own snakes over 10 feet in Ontario.

Anyway, consider these things if you're considering an exotic pet. Tigers, lions, and sulcatas are not pets!