Help me take care of my rescue please!

[Geist3047]

Hello from Kingman, AZ. So long story short, someone dumped this little lady (fairly sure it's a lady amyhow) on my friend, told her it was a sulcata and vanished.

My friend is 100% an animal lover and often winds up overwhelmed. She's had this tortoise for almost 3 years and it hasn't grown at all really. But when it started to show pyramid8ng and she was going on vacation I agreed to watch her menagerie. I asked if she'd like me to lighten the load and take her into my home (I have a nice big yard when she's ready)

I don't think she's a sulcata, I'm thinking maybe a sonoran, but I am not willing to risk her health by guessing and providing improper care.

She's currently in a 20 gallon long tank with her uvb/heat lamp. ( I adjust the settings throughout the day so she doesn't get uncomfortable with my ac going) She eats her grass pellets mixed with a calcium treat, some veggies, and nice fresh water. I have no intention of keeping her there long term I just need to observe her for any signs of illness for a little bit.

It's a week since I've had her and that brings me to my request.

Can someone help me identify her? If I'm going to build/buy a proper enclosure for her, it might help a little if I know what she needs.

Thank you for your time and attention on the matter. Means a lot to me and Cecilia!

 

[zovick]

Hello from Kingman, AZ. So long story short, someone dumped this little lady (fairly sure it's a lady amyhow) on my friend, told her it was a sulcata and vanished.

My friend is 100% an animal lover and often winds up overwhelmed. She's had this tortoise for almost 3 years and it hasn't grown at all really. But when it started to show pyramid8ng and she was going on vacation I agreed to watch her menagerie. I asked if she'd like me to lighten the load and take her into my home (I have a nice big yard when she's ready)

I don't think she's a sulcata, I'm thinking maybe a sonoran, but I am not willing to risk her health by guessing and providing improper care.

She's currently in a 20 gallon long tank with her uvb/heat lamp. ( I adjust the settings throughout the day so she doesn't get uncomfortable with my ac going) She eats her grass pellets mixed with a calcium treat, some veggies, and nice fresh water. I have no intention of keeping her there long term I just need to observe her for any signs of illness for a little bit.

It's a week since I've had her and that brings me to my request.

Can someone help me identify her? If I'm going to build/buy a proper enclosure for her, it might help a little if I know what she needs.

Thank you for your time and attention on the matter. Means a lot to me and Cecilia!
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Your tortoise is most definitely a sulcata. Desert Tortoises have nuchal scutes (the one in the center, right above the neck) and sulcatas do not. This tortoise has no nuchal scute, hence is not a Desert Tortoise

 

[Tom]

Hello from Kingman, AZ. So long story short, someone dumped this little lady (fairly sure it's a lady amyhow) on my friend, told her it was a sulcata and vanished.

My friend is 100% an animal lover and often winds up overwhelmed. She's had this tortoise for almost 3 years and it hasn't grown at all really. But when it started to show pyramid8ng and she was going on vacation I agreed to watch her menagerie. I asked if she'd like me to lighten the load and take her into my home (I have a nice big yard when she's ready)

I don't think she's a sulcata, I'm thinking maybe a sonoran, but I am not willing to risk her health by guessing and providing improper care.

She's currently in a 20 gallon long tank with her uvb/heat lamp. ( I adjust the settings throughout the day so she doesn't get uncomfortable with my ac going) She eats her grass pellets mixed with a calcium treat, some veggies, and nice fresh water. I have no intention of keeping her there long term I just need to observe her for any signs of illness for a little bit.

It's a week since I've had her and that brings me to my request.

Can someone help me identify her? If I'm going to build/buy a proper enclosure for her, it might help a little if I know what she needs.

Thank you for your time and attention on the matter. Means a lot to me and Cecilia!
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View attachment 372684

I agree. Definitely a sulcata. Most of the care info online, in books, from vets, pet stores and even breeders is all wrong. Here is the correct care info. Questions are welcome.

The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. Babies hatch during the...

tortoiseforum.org

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[Geist3047]

Your tortoise is most definitely a sulcata. Desert Tortoises have nuchal scutes (the one in the center, right above the neck) and sulcatas do not. This tortoise has no nuchal scute, hence is not a Desert Tortoise

Is it normal for them to not grow for years? I thought they got bigger pretty quickly.

 

[Ink]

If you follow the care information Tom posted, your tortoise will grow and be healthy. Welcome to the forum. Please ask questions before you buy items, if you want.

 

[Yvonne G]

Is it normal for them to not grow for years? I thought they got bigger pretty quickly.

No, that's NOT normal. She hasn't been given the correct care , hence the slow or no growth

 

[COmtnLady]

Welcome to the Forum.

 

[Geist3047]

No, that's NOT normal. She hasn't been given the correct care , hence the slow or no growth

I'll do my best with her. Now that I know what she is

 

[Ray--Opo]

Welcome and thank you for taking in your sulcata. I am going to guess it's a female. But that is only a guess.
I am sure you will give your sully a great home.
Follow the instructions Tom sent you and ask questions.

 

[Geist3047]

Welcome and thank you for taking in your sulcata. I am going to guess it's a female. But that is only a guess.
I am sure you will give your sully a great home.
Follow the instructions Tom sent you and ask questions.

Any advice to help her gain weight. She is way too skinny. I measured her at 8" long but she's only 680 grams. I have parasite meds coming (going to dose her just to make sure that's not an issue) but any advice would be welcome. I am afraid to let her brumate if she doesn't put on weight. (She's my first tortoise but not my first reptile)

 

[SinLA]

Sulcata don’t brumate and they cannot live in a tank (no tortoise should). Please read the care sheet provided, it sounds like they have had pretty awful care until now…

 

[Geist3047]

Sulcata don’t brumate and they cannot live in a tank (no tortoise should). Please read the care sheet provided, it sounds like they have had pretty awful care until now…

I'm not going to keep her in it. I just want to observe her the first two weeks since I don't know her habits. She gets plenty of outside the tabk time and won't be a permanent resident there. Don't worry 😉

 

[Tom]

I have parasite meds coming (going to dose her just to make sure that's not an issue)

I would not do that. If you think she needs to be wormed, you need to run a fecal, see what type, if any, of worm you are dealing with, how numerous they are, and then and only then, should a vet prescribe the correct wormer for that parasitic worm in the correct dose. Worm killing medicine is poison. No need to do that unless it is confirmed necessary. Its not good to do that as a preventative.

This tortoise is undersized because it has been housed, fed and cared for incorrectly. Feed it, care for it, and house it correctly, and the problem will solve itself in time.

 

[Ray--Opo]

Do you have a good vet that has the knowledge about sulcata's?
You can just bring in the fecal matter to have it checked. Like Tom said the medicine is poison. There are different meds to treat different worms or parasites. If you take your sully to the vet. Don't let the vet give your tort a shot. Also like Tom said, with the proper care. Your sulcata will grow like a weed.
Find a feed and seed store or order some Mazuri online. It is a dry pellet type food with some of the proper vitamins and nutrition. Get the 5M21 type Mazuri. They offer a LS(low starch) type. A lot of sulcata's don't like it. Feed 2 or 3 times a week. I add a little water to soften the pellets. Not to much water so it turns into mush. That's how my sulcata likes his Mazuri. To mushy and he won't eat it.

 

[TammyJ]

Any advice to help her gain weight. She is way too skinny. I measured her at 8" long but she's only 680 grams. I have parasite meds coming (going to dose her just to make sure that's not an issue) but any advice would be welcome. I am afraid to let her brumate if she doesn't put on weight. (She's my first tortoise but not my first reptile)

Don't bother yet with parasite meds if you don't notice any huge amount of them. And in Heaven's name - No Ivermectin!!! Deadly to all tortoises!!! Just follow the advice given here and watch as your beautiful little tortoise grows and gains weight! Daily, long warm water soaks will do a world of good!

 

[Geist3047]

I would not do that. If you think she needs to be wormed, you need to run a fecal, see what type, if any, of worm you are dealing with, how numerous they are, and then and only then, should a vet prescribe the correct wormer for that parasitic worm in the correct dose. Worm killing medicine is poison. No need to do that unless it is confirmed necessary. Its not good to do that as a preventative.

This tortoise is undersized because it has been housed, fed and cared for incorrectly. Feed it, care for it, and house it correctly, and the problem will solve itself in time.

Sorry should've been more clear. The stuff I'm talking about isn't the chemical stuff, it's the herbal stuff so I can get the fecal sample. (Vitamin additive to food, not actual medicine) I am gonna get her to a vet asap too and they'll look jer over and chip her for me then. It's just gonna be awhile before she'll be seen. I'm just doing what I can for her in the meantime.

 

[Geist3047]

Just in case anyone is wondering/concerned, Cecilia is doing very well. Her new habitat is up, and she is one happy girl. Digging, eating her bed hay (lol) and exploring her new friends the earthworms in her coco fiber

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

Just in case anyone is wondering/concerned, Cecilia is doing very well. Her new habitat is up, and she is one happy girl. Digging, eating her bed hay (lol) and exploring her new friends the earthworms in her coco fiberView attachment 373059View attachment 373060View attachment 373061

Hello! I'm glad she is settling in nicely!

Does she has access to the outside? At 8 inches she can enjoy almost full day of grazing fresh grass, sleeping in the shade of the trees and get so much needed natural sunlight.

Why do I mention this: the lamps in use don't provide required UVB and, perhaps, don't make a large enough basking area for her. Also, the enclosure is smaller than it should be for the full day indoors.

 

[EppsDynasty]

@Geist3047 ... We currently have a Sulcata rescue that is 10 years old, when we got him he weighed less than 15 pounds! Love, Food and comfort will help Cecila the most. It will be a long road to gain the weight but one that will be full of memories.

 

[Geist3047]

Hello! I'm glad she is settling in nicely!

Does she has access to the outside? At 8 inches she can enjoy almost full day of grazing fresh grass, sleeping in the shade of the trees and get so much needed natural sunlight.

Why do I mention this: the lamps in use don't provide required UVB and, perhaps, don't make a large enough basking area for her. Also, the enclosure is smaller than it should be for the full day indoors.

She has access to outside during the day, the little lamps actually do provide uvb and she's right under my main living room window as well. Her proper (full sized) uvb lamp is arriving today. But it's owl/hawk country so she can't be out unsupervised at her size. I've had to rehome poultry over those gorgeous raptors so they'd easily pick her up. (I'm working on an outdoor enclosure but I have to go slow due to bankruptcy payments) When that's done it'll be a fully inclosed 8'x8' pen with shade and a concrete lined 6' deep burrowing area. Don't worry, we're getting her a nice little oasis going! It's day 3 for her in this setup and she just can't get enough of it. Shuttling around, burying herself, and she loves all the hay in her quiet area, rewarding to see her happy given how she was when I first brought her home