I don't want to sound so skeptical, but how de we know they can "sense" which plant species are good/bad for them outside of their native habitat? Perhaps tortoises of the mojave have resistance to toxins in the spurge which African species do not? Dogs love chocolate and the sweet flavor of...
One of my yearling sulcata tortoises recently started developing a pecular growth below her lower jaw. My question is, should I just leave this alone or clip/grind it down? I'm fairly adept in terms of my fine motor skills and am certain I could cleanly remove it, but am I best off just...
I have three yearling sulcatas that have roam of the yard and eat a combination of grasses, weeds, and mazuri that I soak and lay out for them every other day (the yard has not been exposed to chemicals or fertilizer). The sulcatas are growing and active, but I'm concerned that their favorite...
Looks like my experiment with straight 5% vinegar has mixed results. The mold growth reduces after spraying & wiping with vinegar, but inevitably comes back within a week! I can only assume this much mold is not healthy for tortoises, or for human residents of our home! Time to take my mold...
Improper husbandry of tortoises, while unfortunate, will never be illegal. At least not before it becomes illegal for parents to feed their kids an exclusive diet of fast food and park them in front of TVs all day.
Lancecham Review
I ordered two sulcata hatchlings from Lance and the experience has been great! Both sulcatas arrived healthy, active, and eager to eat!
I can tell that Lance is dedicated to his animals. His tortoises have great appetites and aren't picky about their foods which proves...
I wiped away some of the mold growth on the wood with undiluted vinegar, and it looks like the vinegar (even after it has dried) is keeping the mold at bay. I think the wood's PH remains low even after the vinegar dries, and that lower PH inhibits the mold growth. and Fortunately, once the...
the mold simply goes away on its own? Is your wood sealed and/or pressure treated? My enclosure's wood is unsealed, and not pressure treated, so maybe my wood won't hold up over time?? I'll wipe away the mold I see growing on the wood with vinegar, and see if I can inhibit future growth with...
Thanks Tom - that's reassuring.. I'll keep the temps as they are. BTW, I notice there is mold developing at the top of the enclosure on the pine wood (I didn't put any type of sealant on the wood when building the enclosure.) I keep the temps high, and humidity stays between 80 and 90%. Is...
My temps are no lower than 85 during the day, and drop to a minimum of 80 at night. I just noticed that my new closed chamber is developing mold at the top, on the pine wood used to build the enclosure.. Is there any way to inhibit this mold growth, or kill it? I didn't want to seal the wood...
That's what I did at the top of my enclosure.. Eye hooks, with S hooks connected to chain so I can quickly adjust how far the fixtures hang, I have extra eye hooks so I can quickly tweak the place where the chains hang from..
That's a good idea, but in my enclosure, I'm not sure how I could set up the flourescent fixture low enough to the ground for the UVB to reach the tort since fluorescent bulb UVB doesn't reach very far.. My enclosure is very very tall, so i'd need to get some long chain to hang it low enough...
I currently use a 100 watt PowerSun UVB bulb on the hot side of my enclosed chamber for my sulcata. The problem is that this brings the lowest temperature in the enclosure up to 88 or 89 degrees, which is a tad bit too warm.
Does anyone know if there is a reputable manufacturer of a lower...
I soak the mazuri for a minute or so, then crush in my fingers and thoroughly mix with the finely cut greens. I'll try what everyone suggests. Mincing the greens more finely, and moistening the mazuri even more.
Much of my idea is speculation based on the info I've gathered at these forums in my short time as a tortoise owner, combined with my own background in evolutionary biology and breeding some other types of reptiles. Tom, a lot of your insight has been very persuasive and influential to me in...
In sulcatas, it has been well documented that humid conditions contribute to accelerated growth and higher activity, and that dry conditions seem to slow growth and cause lethargy.
I think it's very possible that the specific effects of humidity levels on tortoises are adaptive, and that there...
Wasn't sure whether to post this in the Sulcata section, or the diet and food section.
I'm trying to get my 3 month old sulcata to accept Mazuri. Unfortunately, she's very good at picking out the greens from the mazuri, even if cut up the greens, and mix in moistened mazuri. When she eats...
I just finished building an enclosed chamber for my hatchling sulcata that the wife actually allows in the house!
I purchased the plywood and moulding at Home Depot, and bought the double-pane window on Craigslist for $30.
My sulcata is noticeably happier with the higher humidity and...