Concerned about my new tortoise.

[Jaci]

Two days ago I got another baby sulcata so my other would have some company. But I started to notice that its shell seems a tiny bit soft. Mostly on its belly. And its more pale than my other. Is there signs that I should keep an eye out for? I'm hoping that if I keep doing what I'm doing to the new one as I do with my other, it will get better. Or am I just overthinking it? lol

 

[JoesMum]

How young is your baby? It is normal for the plastron to be a bit soft at first - it was all curled up in the egg and has to straighten out.

You are keeping it separately from your other one?

 

[Jaci]

How young is your baby? It is normal for the plastron to be a bit soft at first - it was all curled up in the egg and has to straighten out.

You are keeping it separately from your other one?

They're both pretty young. My 1st one is probably 5-6 months old. My new one is a lot smaller than him.
I have a pretty big box I made out of a book shelf that they stay in. The stay apart from each other for the most part. The younger one wont go in the cave with the heating pad buried under it to stay warm at night though because my other one is in there. Which worries me. I want him to be warm enough at night. I just don't want my older one to bully him and him not get what he needs because of it.

 

[JoesMum]

1. A new tortoise should be kept entirely separately in quarantine for a good 6 months to ensure that neither makes the other sick.

2. Tortoises are not social creatures and do not get lonely. They don't need, want or particularly like company. Another tortoise is competition for food and territory. You always have a dominant tortoise in a group. With a pair that is one bully and one victim. It is s entirely likely that your smaller one will fail to thrive if you continue to keep them together. At worst it could be badly bitten. You cannot possibly watch them 24/7 to prevent it.

3. Heat pads are not generally recommended with tortoises. They like to dig into the substrate and in the humid environment necessary for raidsing babies this could result in electrocution for you or the tortoise.


Please read the following thoroughly and take on board what they say. Your torts will be with you for the next 50+ years and it's important to get things right.

Beginner Mistakes
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

How to raise a healthy Sulcata
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/

For those who have a younf Sulcata
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

Pairs
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/pairs.34837/

 

[JoesMum]

With regard to the soft shell, what does your UVB source look like?

I've stolen the following from @Yvoone G

If your lamp looks like this you should stop using it:

View attachment 171909

These are the two types you should choose from (you don't need both, just one or the other):

View attachment 171910
or

View attachment 171911

And for night time heat without light you can use this:

View attachment 171912

 

[THEELEG]

I would get in touch with the breeder so they know, we just lost one of our hatchlings and it started just like that. Then a month later she passed, there is a bunch of info on here get to reading. Hopefully it turns out well not trying to bring you down