Habitat Questions

Status
Not open for further replies.

cprewitt

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 11, 2013
Messages
13
OK -- I got my baby Sulcata (still no name other that Little Tortoise Guy) about a week ago. So far he has an indoor and an outdoor home.

Inside he is in a large plastic sweater box with spaghnam moss, orchid bark and a small section of dirt. He has a water bowl big enough to play in and a food bowl, both buried in the substrate. He also has a flower pot on it's side to get into (with some moss in it). At night I cover the corner with the flower pot with a towel and let the towel hang over the flower pot opening about 3/4 of the way.

1. We keep our thermostat at 78 in the summer -- Does he need heat?

Outside, he has a raised galvanized washtub to keep my dogs out. It has holes drilled in the bottom for drainage and half of the top is covered. It is outside but still in a screened enclosure. Basically the same setup and substrate except no dirt here -- just moss and orchid bark plus a nice flat rock for basking. He has the flower pot and the 1/2 covering for shade and rain protection.

1. If I leave him outside here, when he is a little bigger, will he need heat for summer nights that get down to 68 or so? Or maybe a better question is at what temp should heat be provided?

I keep the outside habitat VERY moist and inside one on the dry side. I am very confused by the wide disparity in humidity recommendations with regard to Sulcata care!!! I have seen everything from practically keeping them wet all the time to keeping them so dry that not even leaving a water bowl in their habitat was recommended.

Any help or suggestions are welcome!!! Cynthia
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,264
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
I don't have time to type up a big thing right now, but click on my signature for all the answers to your questions. Baby sulcatas should never drop below 80 and they should have a 100 degree basking spot for at least 12 hours a day.

Also, your sweater box is the worst way to house them because it is very difficult to maintain temps and humidity. You need to be simulating the African rainy season, not a desert. It should be hot, humid, "rainy", with lots of food available.
 

cprewitt

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 11, 2013
Messages
13
Tom said:
I don't have time to type up a big thing right now, but click on my signature for all the answers to your questions. Baby sulcatas should never drop below 80 and they should have a 100 degree basking spot for at least 12 hours a day.

Also, your sweater box is the worst way to house them because it is very difficult to maintain temps and humidity. You need to be simulating the African rainy season, not a desert. It should be hot, humid, "rainy", with lots of food available.

Thanks -- that's the kind of info I wanted. I may have misled about the sweater box -- it isn't real dry -- the substrate is just dryer than my outside box. It is still quite humid in there. I was just afraid the substrate in my outside box was too wet. Outside, the 100 degree basking spot is not problem but inside I don't have that nor is it quite 80 degrees in there. I will fix this immediately -- I have a 20 gal glass aquarium that I can use. I will also read all your other material. Thanks again!!!
 

cprewitt

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 11, 2013
Messages
13
Thanks so much for your help -- I reread all of your information and made all of the changes I needed to made the same day I posted this original thread -- just haven't had a chance to post again. I am using a 20 gal aquarium for now with orchid bark and spahgnam mos -- a basking light and flagstone 12 hours a day (100 -105) and a CHE at night. Cool side stays at 80- 85. My only issue has been keeping the humidity high enough. I have covered the aquarium now and that seems to be helping. I think I will go to 100% moss as well since it holds moisture so well. Any other suggestions?

One concern I have is my little guy flipping over on his back -- it has happened four or five times -- the first time I was using a larger, terra cotta saucer for his water dish and he flipped over in that -- I don't know how long he was upside down but at least several hours. He recovered just fine thank heavens. The other times I actually saw him flip or know that it was only a couple of minutes but I am worried that it will happen while I am at work and it will be hours and hours before I find him.....I have tried to make every thing as level as possible and give him no obstacles that he tries to climbs but this morning he turned over in his food dish which is level in the moss and is only 1/2 inch deep...I am using a slightly bigger saucer for his water dish. Any ideas or suggestions to reduce flipping risks?

Cynthia
 

cprewitt

New Member
5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 11, 2013
Messages
13
Laura said:
be carefull with a tub outside.. it can get too hot and overheat..

Yes -- It can get very hot there but I only leave him there for short periods of sunshine and half is shaded -- I plan to build an enclosure outside this winter -- I am thinking that by next summer he will be big enough to live outside at least in my screened area. It may still be an enclosure with a bottom but will have dirt and be planted.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

New Posts

Top