PONG THE TORTOISE
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This page is a constant work in progress so feel free to ask any questions that aren’t answered and we’ll work on adding them :)
PONG’S RULES #PONGWALKS
Do NOT touch Pong without permission from his parents first
NEVER touch his face! Shell and leggies are ok :)
Do NOT pickup Pong unless asked to do so by his parents
(if you think he needs help, call for one of them)Feel free to take pictures/videos - just make sure to tag @PongTheTort
Please check below for answers to most of your questions before berating mom & dad
(but we’re happy to answer your questions after)
#PONGFAQ
We’ll add longer pieces based on the questions most commonly asked :)
How old is Pong?
18 years old - can live 100+ years (no we haven't put him in our will yet)
What is Pong?
A male Sulcata aka African Spurred Tortoise
Where did he come from / how did you get him?
Fostered him from some family friends who he outgrew (he was only 35lbs back then)
We’ve had him for over 4 years - he grew a pound a month for the first ~2 years we had him :S
He is originally from Hong Kong, but the species is native to Africa.
Fun fact: there are now more Sulcata’s as pets in North America than naturally breeding in Africa 🤯
Does he bite?
Only if he’s hungry and you look like food… he lives over 100 years because he’s all defense.
Baby photos provided by his original owner
How big is he and will he get?
He currently weighs ~75lbs.
He was only 35lbs when we first fostered him. He gained 1-1.5lbs per month for the first ~2 years and has settled down growing now at around 75lbs. We don’t expect him to get much bigger (though he eats like he will)
Fun fact: Pong is a runt for his breed, typically by this age he would be well over 100lbs. The species typically grows to be 150-200lbs.
Though he’s not potty trained… he loves the cold tile bathroom floor.
Is he potty trained?
No… though he does tend to poop on the bathroom floor more often than not?
Sometimes we put a diaper on him if he's left home alone a long time.
He generally poops/pees 1x / day
It’s mostly just lumps of grass unless he’s had too much lettuce & treats.
Pong knows exactly where his treats are kept… and is learning to open the fridge door too.
What does he eat?
90% grass and hay (which he has access to 24/7 at home to graze on)
10-15% Vegetables: grated raw carrots, winter squash, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, broccoli, corn on the cob; greens such as collards, dandelions, escarole, romaine, kale.
He cannot eat greens that are high in oxalates: parsley, spinach, rhubarb, beet greens and collard greens OR too high in protein like spinach.
What’s his personality / does he respond to his name etc?
He’s VERY curious and even more stubborn.
He listens and knows his name if he's hungry and/or believes you have food for him... Otherwise, he don't give AF.
He’ll come out to greet us when we come home, check to see if we put snacks out, then go back to whatever he was doing
What does he do all day!?
Since he’s cold-blooded he has no way to generate his own body heat… so the majority of his day is spent maintaining a comfortable body temperature by moving throughout his different areas within the apartment
Trying to explore new corners in the apartment (ie pull out the couch… climb a shelf… or just push things around)
A lot of time spent laying / basking under his heat & UV lamps during the winter
Read more about his different spaces below
He roams pretty freely around the apt, we’ve ‘toddler proofed’ most things that he likes to climb on / push around / pull on etc…
Has a heated (in winter) bedroom (dog kennel on its side full of coconut husk for him to burrow) in the back of the office
Heat / UV & basking area / lamps in the solarium as well as access to hay
He spends a lot of time roaming around Raincity Athletics as well :)
The Evolution of Pong’s House
Fostering Pong was going to temporary, and we will eventually find him a forever home for the remaining 100 years of his life (hopefully) but as you can see… his ‘house’ in our apartment has evolved to, well… we live in Pong’s apartment now.
From being restricted to the solarium only… to now freely roaming (almost) the whole apartment, with different areas providing different climates & temperatures for him.
A bowl of masuri every day for breakfast (condensed grass pellets)
90% grass and hay (which he has access to 24/7 at home to graze on)
10-15% Vegetables: grated raw carrots, winter squash, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, broccoli, corn on the cob; greens such as collards, dandelions, escarole, romaine, kale.
Treats include: hibiscus flowers, roses, strawberry tops, watermelon rind, crunchy lettuce
He cannot eat greens that are high in oxalates: parsley, spinach, rhubarb, beet greens and collard greens OR too high in protein like spinach.