Ross Malcolm
New Member
Hi all. My name is Ross. I mostly keep snakes but I also have a young sulcata. It's growing slowly but steadily and I know I'll have some questions when it comes time to move him outside full time.
cheers
cheers
Hello all
- Thread starter Ross Malcolm
- Start date
Hi Ross, and welcome to the Forum!
The time for your questions is now, while he's still young. You need to give him a good start to help him grow to his full potential. Please read the care sheets and all the pinned threads at the top of our Sulcata section.
The time for your questions is now, while he's still young. You need to give him a good start to help him grow to his full potential. Please read the care sheets and all the pinned threads at the top of our Sulcata section.
- Joined
- Apr 3, 2013
- Messages
- 10,876
Hello and welcome to the TFO from AZ. Torts Rule!
Hello and Welcome! ! !
welcome to the forums! if you post enclosure pics i will tell you if it needs any changes! also telling about the tortoises care you have been providing.
Hello and welcome
Welcome!
Ross Malcolm
New Member
Pics pending. I have always been put off by his slow growth rate, but my breeder said they are very variable in their growth rates and to not worry about it. After reading your care sheet I seem to have been doing everything wrong. Here is some info about his setup:
*After reading the care sheet and info here I have removed him from this setup but this is how he has been maintained*
I've been keeping him in an open topped rubbermaid-style box with a hay-like bedding...the definition of bone dry. He has not been provided with a humid hide box. He has been soaked every two-three days. He is fed: moist mazuri, orchard grass, opuntia, zoo med grassland Tort food, and maybe 2 blueberries in his life. Supplemented infrequently with Calcium w/d3, and crushed Centrum, free access to cuttlebone. It is warm most of the year here in coastal California so he gets to wander, supervised, through the grass about once a week except in winter, bad shade in my yard so short excursions. He gets UV through a flourescent tube style bulb that is about 6 inches above him, and has a pad style UTH under one of his hides, which he sleeps in. Old temp for his hot hide was mid 90's and the room he's in varries from about 76-83 depending on time of day. I was under the impression that humidity would cause RIs and that the desertesque environment was ideal for young sulcatas so I have never checked his humidity.
*edit: brain fart, he is 4 inches along the plastron and 260 grams.
In these conditions, in the year that I've had him, he has grown maybe a half inch from snout to vent along the plastron, weighing only just started so I don't have any historical weight info. He has always eaten with gusto and pooped a lot, regularly, which has made me disregard my concerns to a degree. Many times I have commented to my roommates that it seems impossible for an animal to make so much poop and to grow so little.
Let me know if there is any info missing or if you have any more questions. Unfortunately I don't have a suitable enclosure for him at the moment so he is spending the night in a 10 gallon tank (it's the biggest thing that I have right now that I can maintain humidity in)and already looking pissed about it. I would greatly welcome any suggestions on short or long term housing for him, I don't want him to be in the 10 more than tonight. Has anyone ever used those long rubbermaid boxes (8*4) for young sulcatas? I have found it easy to maintain humidity in them. We also have invasive argentine ants in my area, which build disassociated nests and happily move in to any slightly damp soil-like substrate, which means the substrate must be paper towels or astro-turf.
perhaps I should have started a new thread?
Thanks for any and all help.
tl:dr
guy put young tort in desert setup
*After reading the care sheet and info here I have removed him from this setup but this is how he has been maintained*
I've been keeping him in an open topped rubbermaid-style box with a hay-like bedding...the definition of bone dry. He has not been provided with a humid hide box. He has been soaked every two-three days. He is fed: moist mazuri, orchard grass, opuntia, zoo med grassland Tort food, and maybe 2 blueberries in his life. Supplemented infrequently with Calcium w/d3, and crushed Centrum, free access to cuttlebone. It is warm most of the year here in coastal California so he gets to wander, supervised, through the grass about once a week except in winter, bad shade in my yard so short excursions. He gets UV through a flourescent tube style bulb that is about 6 inches above him, and has a pad style UTH under one of his hides, which he sleeps in. Old temp for his hot hide was mid 90's and the room he's in varries from about 76-83 depending on time of day. I was under the impression that humidity would cause RIs and that the desertesque environment was ideal for young sulcatas so I have never checked his humidity.
*edit: brain fart, he is 4 inches along the plastron and 260 grams.
In these conditions, in the year that I've had him, he has grown maybe a half inch from snout to vent along the plastron, weighing only just started so I don't have any historical weight info. He has always eaten with gusto and pooped a lot, regularly, which has made me disregard my concerns to a degree. Many times I have commented to my roommates that it seems impossible for an animal to make so much poop and to grow so little.
Let me know if there is any info missing or if you have any more questions. Unfortunately I don't have a suitable enclosure for him at the moment so he is spending the night in a 10 gallon tank (it's the biggest thing that I have right now that I can maintain humidity in)and already looking pissed about it. I would greatly welcome any suggestions on short or long term housing for him, I don't want him to be in the 10 more than tonight. Has anyone ever used those long rubbermaid boxes (8*4) for young sulcatas? I have found it easy to maintain humidity in them. We also have invasive argentine ants in my area, which build disassociated nests and happily move in to any slightly damp soil-like substrate, which means the substrate must be paper towels or astro-turf.
perhaps I should have started a new thread?
Thanks for any and all help.
tl:dr
guy put young tort in desert setup
Ross Malcolm
New Member
I should clarify that 'growing slowly and steadily' in the OP is in reference to the last few months, as I've started soaking him daily.
there are some major problems with your set up that will cause death or extreme shell deformities read this entire care sheet please
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
Good reference link young Newt.
Heather H
Well-Known Member
Hi and welcome. The care sheets are great. You can cover the Rubbermaid container with tin foil to make the humidity higher. You can even connect two together. There is a section on enclosures that has great in expensive ideas. This is a great place to get questions answered.
im a newt born in a humans body that wants to be a tortoise!
It's old info for providing vitamins and minerals for all manner of reptiles.
Heather H
Well-Known Member
Oh ok is it good for them?
Ross did you read the care sheet?
