First time tortoise owner.

SteveM

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My wife and I bought our 7 year old son his (ours also) first tortoise a week ago and he loves it. It is a very small Sulcata and so far it's doing great, it eats like a horse. No picture right now, it's hiding and sleeping. It measures 2.5 inches long and weighs 53 grams. I have no idea how old it is or what sex it is.
 

ZEROPILOT

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My wife and I bought our 7 year old son his (ours also) first tortoise a week ago and he loves it. It is a very small Sulcata and so far it's doing great, it eats like a horse. No picture right now, it's hiding and sleeping. It measures 2.5 inches long and weighs 53 grams. I have no idea how old it is or what sex it is.
Hello and welcome.
Have you checked out our SULCATA care sheet post yet?
 

SteveM

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Yep, it mostly completely contradicts what we were told in the exotic pet store, tomorrow I'm getting more ink and printing it off.
It's favorite food so far is lima bean leaves. We've tried feeding it collard greens and grass but it's too tough right now. It, we just call it a he, seriously tries to eat it but can't rip it apart yet. He tries to hold the grass with the claws on one foot while yanking with his head. Luckily we watched the first time he tried to eat the collards, he managed to get a piece in his mouth but it appeared he was choking on it so we had to remove it.
He can easily eat the lima bean leaves (usually 4 at a time) whether we tear them up or hold out an entire leaf for him.
 

wellington

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Be sure to forget what the store told you and follow the forums caresheet.
As for food, it should be chopped up very small for babies. It's okay to let them bite a piece off from a soft green, leaf or flower, but for the most part chopping it up small is best.
 

SteveM

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Thanks, will do.
Would you happen to have an idea of its age based on size and weight? The shell is 2.5" long and Mikey weighs 53g.
 

SteveM

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It isn't pictured but he has a water dish in there along with a log hide in store bought soil, he has also dug a small space to sit in while in the log.
 

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wellington

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It's hard to tell age as he was started very dry as one can tell by the amount of pyramiding.
He is small enough to get him in a closed chamber and humidity upto 80% so you can get the pyramiding to stop. It will be very hard to do with an open top enclosure.
Construct a tent type cover that you can fit the lights and heat under to get the humidity up.
 

Tom

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It isn't pictured but he has a water dish in there along with a log hide in store bought soil, he has also dug a small space to sit in while in the log.
He is over six weeks since there is no egg tooth.

If you want to stop the pyramiding and also help him thrive, disregard the pet store and internet info and follow this care sheet instead:

Questions are welcome.
 

Maggie3fan

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Hi welcome...You will be told your baby is already pyramiding...this is what is happening to her now...(lol) you won't know the sex for several years now. Please follow that care sheet that Tom linked for you...or this is what will and is happening to your baby now. You simply need to get/make a closed chamber now. Read, then reread, ask all kinda questions, and possibly you might stop it...we think Mary is about 9-10 years old and 40 pounds100_7667.JPG
Please for the sake of your tortoise, follow that care sheet...and your baby is too small for hay. Right now I'd feed some grocery store greens mixed with weeds and grass...Mary's fresh urates, hot, soft and creamy...a bare feel of grit 100_0774.JPG
 
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SteveM

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Thank you to everyone. I've made a temporary lid for his 36x18, so far it's working pretty well. On the cool end it's at 79°F/70% and on the hot end it's at 91°F/79%. I have tools and can build a custom enclosure, just have to wait until it isn't rainy. We have a heater under the bottom and have added an elevated tray of water near the light to help with humidity. I said it had soil but it is coconut fiber, we also misted water onto everything. So far the 3 things he has seemed to like are finely chopped collards, lima bean leaves however you give them and snapdragon leaves.
 

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Ink

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Welcome to the forum. Cute tortoise.
 

Thomas tortoise

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Magz showed you Mary, a pyramided sulcata. Here's a picture of one that is NOT pyramided, and has been raised according to the care sheet linked for you:

View attachment 351750
IS THIS YOUR TORT!? ITS SO BEAUTIFUL!!!
My wife and I bought our 7 year old son his (ours also) first tortoise a week ago and he loves it. It is a very small Sulcata and so far it's doing great, it eats like a horse. No picture right now, it's hiding and sleeping. It measures 2.5 inches long and weighs 53 grams. I have no idea how old it is or what sex it is.
welcome to the forum!
 

Maddoggy

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Welcome,, stay plugged in and take all of the information on this forum very seriously. It will save you a lot of time and money not to mention the heartache..Sulcatas grow fast and can be quite a handful. If your not prepared.
 

OliveW

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Yep, it mostly completely contradicts what we were told in the exotic pet store, tomorrow I'm getting more ink and printing it off.
It's favorite food so far is lima bean leaves. We've tried feeding it collard greens and grass but it's too tough right now. It, we just call it a he, seriously tries to eat it but can't rip it apart yet. He tries to hold the grass with the claws on one foot while yanking with his head. Luckily we watched the first time he tried to eat the collards, he managed to get a piece in his mouth but it appeared he was choking on it so we had to remove it.
He can easily eat the lima bean leaves (usually 4 at a time) whether we tear them up or hold out an entire leaf for him.

Welcome! I'm very glad, for Mikey's sake, that you found this forum while he is still a baby.

I'm curious if the pet store told you how big he will get, and how quickly? That's just my own curiosity asking. :) No reason other than that. It doesn't surprise me that they gave you the wrong care information. Almost all of them have/give improper care advice.

I can just picture his bad little self holding down food with his foot and yanking with his head. Even tiny Sulcatas are beasts. They are so gentle and personable to have as pets, but they are VERY strong and VERY stubborn. Mine, who is under 10 lbs, moved a piece of plywood that I had difficulty with, as it was so heavy.
 

SteveM

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Welcome! I'm very glad, for Mikey's sake, that you found this forum while he is still a baby.

I'm curious if the pet store told you how big he will get, and how quickly? That's just my own curiosity asking. :) No reason other than that. It doesn't surprise me that they gave you the wrong care information. Almost all of them have/give improper care advice.

I can just picture his bad little self holding down food with his foot and yanking with his head. Even tiny Sulcatas are beasts. They are so gentle and personable to have as pets, but they are VERY strong and VERY stubborn. Mine, who is under 10 lbs, moved a piece of plywood that I had difficulty with, as it was so heavy.
They said he would get to be 200 lbs and live for 50-100 years but didn't say how fast. He has gotten a lot stronger over the past couple of weeks, I like watching him rip his food up. I do it for him most of the time but he needs the workout. He let me rub him on the top of his head while he was soaking today, he hasn't done that before. He's still so small it's hard not to press too hard.
 

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