Prep for a big sully
 

I would like to rescue/adopt a sully and have a few questions.
How do you handle them in the winter? I was planning on insulating the shed for one but then I got thinking...
Do you close them in when its wild outside? Do they go mad? Would a heated shed and free range of the whole garden be enough? Or should it be people with barns that have them?
I have 4 Russians but would love to venture into life with a sully :)
Any advice welcome
Thanks

I haven't had an adult one but would imagine that a decent size well insulated shed would be good enough with access outside through the day shut in at night. I know when we insulated ours for two Ibera a tubular heater the length of the shed kept it plenty warm enough at night and two suspended 160w combined bulbs did the job through the day. The shed was well insulated everywhere floor, roof and walls and lined over the insulation with boarding, the window was also 'double glazed' with perspex, ours had a opening cut into the door with a ramp and simple slot in piece of wood for nights. The size of the garden would need to be large and well fenced in although I've seen zoo's etc use posts set in the ground with gaps that the tort can't get through, they maybe stronger than just fencing as these torts dig. You wouldn't have much of a garden left so no planted borders etc unless you could fence them in and that they seem to prefer short rather than long grass. As for handling they obvioulsy get to a size where you can't lift them and I know members that keep them need a wheelbarrow or trolly to move them so vet visits would be hard and a vet that comes out maybe the only option with an adult. I don't think they are any harder to look after than a smaller tort but its just their size and strength that causes any problems. With a good heated building they'd probably come outside for a short while in most weathers and simply go back in when cold, one member in the USA showed photos of his outside in the snow so they'd be fine untill they got cold and an adult would stay warm for enough time to have a wander, and I'm sure theyd be fine if they had to be shut inside I doubt they behave any differently from any other tort if they had enough space to stretch their legs so the shed would need to be big enough. If money and space wasn't an object then a green house or covered run attached to the shed would be ideal with the outside access going from that, that way they'd always have somewhere to come out or at least that would be my idea of something ideal.

Hiya. I have a 10yo Sully and she lives in the house with access to outdoors still. She will stay like that until she is too big to live inside with us. She has her own sleeping area where her heat/UV is and where she sleeps. The rest of the time she takes herself outside or wonders round inside. Whatever she prefers. Our garden is a sun trap and south facing so has very warm spots from early in the day so she can come and go as she pleases. In and out. This is how she has always lived as I am paranoid about her being taken and kind of don't see the point in sleeping outside when there is space and heat inside and I can keep an eye on her