Diet, diet, diet, and more diet help....

[Hlkyburz]

Hello everyone. I bought both of my Sulcata about 2 years ago from a local reptile store in my area. It was a total impulse buy, or I rather call it love at first sight. Well I totally fell ii love with them. I had to do my research after I brought them home, but i believed a lot of what information I had gotten from the store. Both of their shells had pyramiding. So now I'm wondering what should I be feeding them that will help with the pyramiding factor. Currently I feed them kale, collard greens, turnip greens watermelon for a treat and those hay pellet things. I do give vitamin and calcium powder mixed in with the wet hay pellet things. I have Timothy hay available for them both, but i have no idea if they are eating it. They were both fed mostly romaine before I got them. I need any advice. Thank you so much.



Dozer with a dirty face


Digger and Dozer

 

[wellington]

Their diet sounds pretty good. Do you have water available to them 24/7, large enough so they can get into it and soak if they like, but not to deep. Also try to soak them in warm water at least 3 days a week for 20/30 minutes. Also a more humid environment will help. The pyramiding can't be reversed but you may still be able to start growing any new growth smooth. At that age, I don't know what percent of humidity they should have. As babies they should have 80% or higher, but I don't think that goes for older ones. Others will join in with some more advice or you can send Tom a pm and ask him what you could do. Also a run down of what you do for him, soakings, enclosure, heat, lights etc would also help us to better help you.

 

[Laura]

outside grazing and moving around in the real sun is the best.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Heather:

There 's nothing you can do about the pyramiding now. This happened during the tortoises first year of life. They were kept too dry.

Your tortoises are now big enough to live outside. Good food, plenty of sunshine and exercise will help them grow healthy and strong.

 

[Tom]

Grazing on real grass and weeds is the best diet for them. Store bought food is okay, but not my favorite. If you get orchard grass hay or bermuda grass hay and chop it up really fine, then sprinkle it on top of the other greens, they will start to get used to the taste and texture and will soon be eating a better diet for a sulcata. Mine like timothy hay the least and I have found it to be the most "stemmy" and expensive of the three hays available here. I also like to use Mazuri a couple of times a week to make sure they are getting balanced nutrition.