Are his eyes bulging?

[Cully]

Hi, all. I'm hoping someone can help me. I have a two-month-old sulcata that I've had for two weeks. I have researched like crazy to make sure I'm providing the right care, but I feel like there's a lot of conflicting info out there. Right now he's in one of those plastic kiddy pools. His substrate is damp cypress mulch and I feed him a variety of grasses and weeds that I read were good for sulcatas. I live in southern California, so I'm able to put him outside in the sun every day for at least two hours with a spot for shade. I don't let the temp drop below 60 degrees. I have a UVB lamp that also provides heat on one side of his enclosure.

I may just be worrying too much, but I'm not familiar with normal tortoise behavior or how they're supposed to look, so I could be overanalyzing everything. Please tell me, do his eyelids look like they're bulging, or is that how they're supposed to look? i notice he wipes his head (maybe his eyes?) with his leg. Could something be irritating him? Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, and welcome to the Forum!

It's great that you are providing "Cully" with a large habitat, however, when he's small like that he really needs to be in a more closed in environment. I notice the new growth looks white and dry, with one section even looking pitted.

The eyes look fine to me, but he's very dry. Please read the threads "How to raise a healthy hatchling" and the baby sulcata care sheet that's pinned at the top of our sulcata section.

 

[Cully]

Thanks so much for your reply. By closed-in, do you mean having a place to burrow? After doing some reading, I thought I would get a log I could soak that will provide a more humid environment. Glad to know his eyes look fine. I didn't know he was dry--just goes to show I don't know how he's supposed to look. I will read the hatchling threads; thanks!

 

[Yvonne G]

No I mean a closed enclosure. Open topped enclosures like the swimming pool are great for their size, but the baby tortoises need a real humid environment, at least 80% humidity, and you can't achieve that in an open-topped enclosure. It's all explained in the care sheet.

 

[Cully]

Okay, reading it now. Thank you.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Hello, and a very warm welcome to Tortoise Forum to you and your lovely little tortoise.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/ has some useful information.
And did you find http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/ ?

 

[Cully]

Thank you! Yes, I'm in the process of reading both of those. Very helpful.