For Those Who Have a Young Sulcata...

[kalei01]

Mine is starting now to eat grass on own outside he is kind of weird sometimes where he will eat dead grass from ground and even the roots

 

[Tom]

Mine is starting now to eat grass on own outside he is kind of weird sometimes where he will eat dead grass from ground and even the roots

Mine eat the dead dry grasses too.

 

[Tom]

Is cactus pads or aloe okay to feed also he loves to eat dandelion leaves and hibiscus flowers

My tortoises all eat opuntia 2 or 3 days a week in summer. I go through three five gallon buckets of pads a day. You can offer aloe, but most of them won't it. dandelion leaves stems and flowers are great food, and hibiscus leaves are great too. Start him on some tender young hibiscus leaves.

 

[Ed mitch]

My tortoises all eat opuntia 2 or 3 days a week in summer. I go through three five gallon buckets of pads a day. You can offer aloe, but most of them won't it. dandelion leaves stems and flowers are great food, and hibiscus leaves are great too. Start him on some tender young hibiscus leaves.

That's so much opuntia, how many tortoises do you have?

 

[Tom]

That's so much opuntia, how many tortoises do you have?

I'm down to 27 keepers plus any babies that hatch.

I have fewer tortoises now, but since the ones I have continually grow larger, the amount of food needed doesn't change. Thank God for grass hay!

 

[dhruvstortoise]

Thanks! I just got a baby sulcata and this was helpful

 

[nuzul arief]

hi everyone.. im from Indonesia, just owned a baby sulcata and young indianstar for 2 weeks now. currently they are kept in the same small temporary tube while im preparing the proper table. they are daily soak and sun bathing and playing on the ground while grazing at least three times now. as I read the comments about not Mix species in the same enclosure, should I separate them right away now or they can hold a bit say another 2 weeks? ohya for last couple of days I found they are big sleeper, sometime started in the afternoon and wake up next morning, is that normal or they just boring?

 

[Tom]

hi everyone.. im from Indonesia, just owned a baby sulcata and young indianstar for 2 weeks now. currently they are kept in the same small temporary tube while im preparing the proper table. they are daily soak and sun bathing and playing on the ground while grazing at least three times now. as I read the comments about not Mix species in the same enclosure, should I separate them right away now or they can hold a bit say another 2 weeks? ohya for last couple of days I found they are big sleeper, sometime started in the afternoon and wake up next morning, is that normal or they just boring?

They should have no contact ever. They should never even be in the same tub or same outdoor enclosure at different times. Use a different soaking tub for each one and have dedicated tools, water and food bowls and utensils for each enclosure.

 

[nuzul arief]

They should have no contact ever. They should never even be in the same tub or same outdoor enclosure at different times. Use a different soaking tub for each one and have dedicated tools, water and food bowls and utensils for each enclosure.

thanks Tom.
are there any torts that can live in same enclosure? I often found people kept their radiata and ynophora together, also I have found people kept sulcata, radiata and pardalis together etc..
or none of them should keep in same enclosure?

 

[Tom]

thanks Tom.
are there any torts that can live in same enclosure? I often found people kept their radiata and ynophora together, also I have found people kept sulcata, radiata and pardalis together etc..
or none of them should keep in same enclosure?

This is a common practice in some Asian countries, but it frequently leads to the death of some or all of them.

Species should not be mixed.

 

[nuzul arief]

This is a common practice in some Asian countries, but it frequently leads to the death of some or all of them.

Species should not be mixed.

ok noted. thanks Tom

 

[KaraR]

Hi Tom

From what I've read you really know your stuff about Sulcatas and I like what I have read.

I recently rehomed a yearling Sulcata.
He was fed on shop bought salad greens with occasional grass. After reading up I have put him on the correct diet of grass with occasional dandelion, plantain leaves (the range will increase as my confidence does in identifying the correct weeds)

He munches away on everything I give him but he's lost weight.

He was 166g when I got him on the 7th and now on the 23rd weighs 153g.

Do you think this is because he's been fed a better diet or something else? No visible signs of worms.
He is bathed daily and had a humidity box. Thanks

 

[Ajbuer0325]

I'm so glad I've kept up with everything here, took my baby Annabelle to the vet yesterday and he was so impressed with my enclosure and her growth! Her diet is mostly house plants and grasses I've grown myself! Thank you for reposting this for the new owners. I've had Anna for little more than a year now and weighs in at 184grams 4 1/2 in. Carapise front to back and 5in side to side! And absolutely no pyramiding!

 

[nuzul arief]

This is a common practice in some Asian countries, but it frequently leads to the death of some or all of them.

Species should not be mixed.

Hi Tom,
currently I use open indoor enclosure and I can get 70-88% humid and 70-90F temp. should I cover the enclosure even with that humid and temp already? how important is the closed chamber enclosure for young torts. my sulcata is 5.5cm and my star is 8.5cm, they are have own enclosure. thanks for any advice

 

[Tom]

Hi Tom,
currently I use open indoor enclosure and I can get 70-88% humid and 70-90F temp. should I cover the enclosure even with that humid and temp already? how important is the closed chamber enclosure for young torts. my sulcata is 5.5cm and my star is 8.5cm, they are have own enclosure. thanks for any advice View attachment 218114 View attachment 218114

Tape the probe to the side of the box about 5 or 6 cm from the substrate. I suspect your humidity will not be that high if the probe isn't resting on the substrate.

Don't let the lowest temperature go below 80F (26-27 C) day or night for either of these species. 70 (21C) is too low.

90 (32C) is a good ambient temp for daytime, but they still need a basking area that is around 36-37.

Personally, I would make a closed chamber for each of them. Its just a lot easier.

 

[nuzul arief]

Tape the probe to the side of the box about 5 or 6 cm from the substrate. I suspect your humidity will not be that high if the probe isn't resting on the substrate.

Don't let the lowest temperature go below 80F (26-27 C) day or night for either of these species. 70 (21C) is too low.

90 (32C) is a good ambient temp for daytime, but they still need a basking area that is around 36-37.

Personally, I would make a closed chamber for each of them. Its just a lot easier.

thanks Tom.
I think I have put the probe outside the box and read is 80ish..but I will double check thanks.
one more thing, I found my star's eyes bubble since last week and I think I saw a nasal discharge once from his nose. pls advice what is the cause of that and how I can fix that, should my start get a medicine or just modify his enclosure to reach ideal humid and temp. thanks

 

[Tom]

thanks Tom.
I think I have put the probe outside the box and read is 80ish..but I will double check thanks.
one more thing, I found my star's eyes bubble since last week and I think I saw a nasal discharge once from his nose. pls advice what is the cause of that and how I can fix that, should my start get a medicine or just modify his enclosure to reach ideal humid and temp. thanks

Respiratory infections are usually caused by low temperatures. If the box has been getting down to 70, that is likely the cause. The cure is to warmtheing up. Keep the temperature at least 85, day and night until the symptoms have been gone for two weeks. Soak daily with these higher temps.

 

[nuzul arief]

Respiratory infections are usually caused by low temperatures. If the box has been getting down to 70, that is likely the cause. The cure is to warmtheing up. Keep the temperature at least 85, day and night until the symptoms have been gone for two weeks. Soak daily with these higher temps.

Thanks a lot Tom. I will do that.
so nothing related to the low humid? I use organic sand as a substrate and I found it very dry now if I didn't spray it with water. do you think replacing the substrate with more humid like coco husk will be some advantages? cheers

 

[Tom]

Thanks a lot Tom. I will do that.
so nothing related to the low humid? I use organic sand as a substrate and I found it very dry now if I didn't spray it with water. do you think replacing the substrate with more humid like coco husk will be some advantages? cheers

Fine grade orchid bark works best. Sand should never be used.

 

[nuzul arief]

Fine grade orchid bark works best. Sand should never be used.

oh ok noted Tom thanks.