Help! Tortoise feeding problem...maybe

[Norwoody]

I am new to tortoises and have had a baby (hatchling) sulcata for about 3 months. I recently noticed that she has bad aim when eating. She will open her mouth and completely miss, like she has very poor depth perception. Is this normal or should I be concerned about her vision? Thanks so much!

 

[mike taylor]

What kind of lighting do you have ? I ask because red lights will make everything look like food and coil uvb lamps will burn there eyes . What kind of plate are you feeding on ?

 

[wellington]

My leopard used too do that when I first got him too. Also the two leopards I cared for a couple months ago did the same a lot. I don't know why, but mine just seemed to out grow it. The lights suggested, I would would change out if you are using them. I would also pile the torts food until he gets better. Also, please read Toms threads below in my post for proper care and housing your sully.

 

[Norwoody]

During the day I have a UVB (coil) and purple heat lamp, at night I turn off the UVB. Her dish is a resin plastic with a ramp (actually made for hermit crabs, but it seemed more appropriate since she's so tiny. However, I generally put her greens in a clean corner of the cage next to her dish so they're easier to get to.
This is basically what she does...
http://youtu.be/XrYs5lwhjow

 

[wellington]

Get rid of the coil bulb, they cause eye problems. For night time, it should be natural, so dark, so get a ceramic heat emitter if night time heat is needed or you also use it for day time heat. If she is tiny and be sure you have a low sided water dish, like a clay saucer, the kind that goes under plants, so she does not drowned, and she can get in and out easy. Also, the dish should be big enough that she can put her whole body into it and still extend her head out too drink. Some torts put their whole head extended and under the water too drink.

 

[mike taylor]

Yes get that coil lamp out of there . You need white light . Use a regular household lamp maybe sixty watt or one hundred watt . But make it natural white . Use a tube type uvb lamp 10.0 or get a mv lamp that is heat and uvb all in one lamp . At night you can use a red lamp . But most use a che on thermostats .

 

[Yvonne G]

Just to expand a bit on what's been said, the compact fluorescent bulbs that are shaped in a spiral are harmful to baby tortoises's eyes. It causes a problem similar to snow blindness. If you continue to use it over a long period of time your baby might end up permanently blind. So, stop using it immediately, for your baby's sake.

 

[Tom]

All of this info and more is explained in this care sheet:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-79895.html

You shouldn't be using a coil bulb, a colored bulb during the day, or that food bowl. Hope we can help.

 

[Norwoody]

Thanks for the help everyone! The coil bulb is out and temporarily replaced with a household bulb. Here is her food dish, which she has no problem getting in and out of...
And here is Shelley...as you can see from her dirty face, she is eating, it just seems like a real chore for her and when she first wakes up her right eye is a little slow to open.

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Ok, after reading several other posts regarding eyes and humidity, I'm thinking that could be some of the issue as well. When we first got Shelley she was in a glass tank, but after more research I moved her into a zoo med tortoise house (wood with wire cover) because the things I read said that was better. However, I'm thinking that controlling humidity is more difficult in the wooden cage and as young as she is perhaps the glass tank would be better during the dry winter months. Any thoughts?