Hatchling will not eat

[Tom]

Lets make this more impersonal and not directed at any one person.

Baby sulcatas need to be kept warm all the time. They are sensitive to low temperatures. Even a few hours of too cool temps can set them back, make them sick, and shut them down. This can happen in a pet shop or in a new keepers home. To give an example: I left the power off to my adult sulcatas night house one night and temps that are normally around 80 dropped dow to the low 50's. Not a big deal. Adult sulcatas can survive those temps, but its still not "good" for them. They didn't eat and were very lethargic for four days after that. Babies are much more sensitive than adults to these things.

In any case, read this BEFORE getting another one: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/hatchling-failure-syndrome.23493/

It will explain what goes wrong and what questions to ask. Most people still start sulcata babies all wrong. Now that you have your enclosure and temperatures all squared away, I would hate for you to run into the typical chronic dehydration related problems that so many people encounter. If this seller does not know the answers to these question or if they tell you these hatchlings were soaked once a week and kept on rabbit pellets, cut your losses and find a breeder who starts them correctly. It is not worth the hearth ache of doing everything "right" spending hundreds or thousands on vet bills and having the baby die anyway. Just spend the money for a baby that's been warm and well hydrated since day one.

 

[teresaf]

Teresa, you are awesome, so don't be offended, but I don't agree.

Most people don't keep sulcatas warm enough. The initial set up that was shown had no night heat and was wide open. Cold damp night conditions could most certainly kill a baby sulcata in a week. The other clue here is where Sundragon informs us that the baby never went over to the cool side. This is a behavioral clue from the tortoise telling us that it is not warm enough.

Sundragon, I'm very sorry for your loss and I have no intention of hurting your feelings, but I feel it important to mention this so that you and others can learn from this experience.

When a new baby doesn't eat much, always sits on the warm side, or in other cases hides all the time from a coil bulb that burns their eyes, it actually IS the fault of the new keeper. When babies die of complications from what the breeder did wrong, it usually takes several weeks or months.

Thanks! You're awrsome too! ok, yes, youre right. let me rephrase. since the Tort acted sickly from day one, being new tortoise owners, i don't think it's fair for them to take all the blame for not being able to save it. if the tortoise had been healthy to begin with they would have had more time to figure out what they were doing wrong and correct it. It looks like they know NOW which is what really mattets.

 

[Tom]

Thanks! You're awrsome too! ok, yes, youre right. let me rephrase. since the Tort acted sickly from day one, being new tortoise owners, i don't think it's fair for them to take all the blame for not being able to save it. if the tortoise had been healthy to begin with they would have had more time to figure out what they were doing wrong and correct it. It looks like they know NOW which is what really mattets.

Well I guess that is the question we don't know the answer to. If the baby had come home and been put directly into the correct enclosure with the correct temps, like one of my baby chambers for example, would it have been sickly on day one? If yes, if the baby was already sick from improper treatment at the pet shop or breeders, then of course Sundragon had little to do with it. The cool open enclosure and lack of night heat for the first two nights certainly didn't help though.

 

[naturalman91]

i agree with tom 100% the enclosure certainly didn't help im not laying blame but if husbandry issues aren't corrected it may just repeat itself

 

[Sundragon79]

Based on previous husbandry that I saw, I don't believe I was working with the healthiest animal. I immediately corrected my setup to be more on par with what is biologically appropriate. So the tortoise was kept improperly for 48-72 hours. In addition to how it had been kept previously. Remember, tortoise was in a shallow covered dish of water, like you see at reptile shows. I'm told he was there overnight. Store closed at 7. So almost 15 hours in water and no heat.

We all make mistakes. When I was new to bearded dragon I made a few, and immediately corrected my husbandry. Maybe lizards are more resilient, I don't know.

Nonetheless, I'm in a financial place where I can work with most any issues that arise, and communicate with my vet via text. So next go around I expect to have a healthier tortoise, provided it is given to me with a proper foundation.

 

[Tom]

So next go around I expect to have a healthier tortoise, provided it is given to me with a proper foundation.

This is my hope for you. I'm so glad you are not completely discouraged by this ordeal. I hope your next time around goes great!

There are several good breeders here on the forum. The main pitfall with baby sulcatas and leopards is that for decades, breeders have been starting the babies all wrong based on incorrect assumptions about their lives in the wild. We know better now, but most of the tortoise breeding world has not caught up and sadly, many of them have no interest in catching up.

There are several good breeders here on our forum. I highly recommend you get your next baby from one of them.

 

[Sundragon79]

Update: the store we purchase the tortoise from offered a replacement tortoise to us, which we accepted. They did not issue a refund to us, and I would have been fine to cut my losses. But I thought if I could take one as soon as they arrived to the store, I would have arrived better chance of getting a healthy tortoise, and pick of the clutch. So, armed with a list of what to ask, I sent my husband to the store (had to bring dead sulcata) to bring home a new baby. He chose the largest and most alert tortoise in the cage. Bonus that it had only been there less than 23 hours

So, now we have little Phoenix. I thoroughly disinfected the tort tub, new substrate, temps check at 95 on warm, and 80 on cool side. Around 85 at night, 78 on cool end. Not sure humidity, need a hygrometer (will take recommendations!) I'm headed out later to get pots and soil to start my tortoise seed mix and dandelions I ordered from Sulcatafood.com and I also have some prickly pear cactus on the way. I snagged some dandelion greens from the field behind my house and rose petals from my yard. He/she has consumed both things. This is great, because the other tort never ate the while time it was here. This one is healthy and active, it's been soaked 2 times and took a stroll around the driveway for some sun and excercise.

Although rudimentary, the setup is a large dark colored storage tub with foil on top. It is ugly but serves it's purpose for the time being. My husband will likely end up making something encloses once I get a better idea of what I want.