I have quite a few questions. Found sulcata, no owner so far.

[A.Vazquez]

Chuy was found walking down the road, he weighs 21lbs, I haven't gotten measurements yet. We have secured a portion of the yard for him to safely roam while he isn't being watched. I have a few questions. If anyone has time to offer advice.
As of right now I'm feeding Chuy organic foods only, no pellets. He gets to free roam the grass here, is fed a Romain heart, a handful of baby carrots, a squash, a cucumber, and baby spring mix daily today he received cut apple fresh green beans he is being fed through out the day. I am trying to find orchid hay to add to his diet and am getting calcium powder tomorrow. How often should I be feeding him?? He loves to eat.
He has sustained an injury to the bottom portion of the edge scute, it is partially broken. Should I make him an appointment right away?

He is active, eating, soaking in warm soaks, defecating a lot (not runny) no mouth breathing, no limbs moving to force breathe but I've noticed his eyes are moist frequently. Not his nose. Is this normal?

His portion of the yard has a dugout (hole to go down into) as well as several temporary hiding spots, how much space should we allow for our buddy?

We are planning on adding a cement pool, advice needed and welcomed!

Is a 21lb sulcata big enough to make it through Texas weather. Planning on building a small house fill it with his hay and add a brooder heater. (Not a heat lamp) but only if this is a good idea. I'm in San Antonio.

I soak him 2× a day for 20 minutes or until he defecates is that too frequently?

he is still settling in and I'd like to let him do so with as little intervention from me unless I'm bringing snacks 😂 he is starting to respond to my voice and knows it means food 😂Help me help Chuy live his best life!

 

[A.Vazquez]

Also, what is the best substrate for our new big guy?

 

[Sarah2020]

Hi, What a find! Please try to find the owner by asking at local pet shops, vets etc.. They do like to wander and have no boundaries so an owner could be distressed. If no one comes forward then you have tried.
Sounds like you have room as they can grow big (aka tanks), they need strong barriers and need correct care as they originate in North Africa. They love hibiscus flowers and leaves amongst other food.

Please read this care sheet and ask questions, many on here have sulcatas or a creep of them! Have a search on past posts to pick up ideas for water , environment and night boxes etc......

Avoid buying a friend and also not mixing with other species.

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

And just to be clear, why do you not recommend mercury lights? Also, I thought I saw you mention tube lighting - if I use tube lighting, does that mean my tortoise no longer has a "basking area"? Rather a whole enclosure to get UV from? Thanks!! There are four elements to heating and lighting...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[Maggie3fan]

No green beans, soaking once a day, needs a safe night box for sleeping, no cucumber, they are herbivores should only eat grasses, hay, certain flowers and leafs. welcome. Please try to find his keeper before you decide to keep him...

 

[Maddoggy]

Welcome, I have two sulcatas and through the guidance of the forum I have built two separate outdoor enclosures. Each one is 3000 to4000 sq ft. Each tortoise has a 4ftx 8ft heated nightbox. I mainly feed Mazuri Tortoise LS and they graze on St Augustine grass ,basket grass . Im constantly on the lookout for toxic plants popping up in their enclosure and any plant I cant identify and determine if its toxic I remove. Keep in mind when building enclosure that a visual barrier is a must.

 

[wellington]

Agree with the others. No fruit either. He needs to eat every day and you can supplement the grazing has you have been once a day.
Do not use hay in the hide. It is too drying and can mold easy. The yard ground is all the substrate he needs. Inside the hide you can leave it wood floor or many put down a rubber horse stall mat. You could use orchid bark or coconut coir if you feel the need.

 

[A.Vazquez]

Thank you all. We have been searching for his owner unfortunately haven't found them as of yet. I know he must have been well loved. I had a baby a few years ago that wasn't hatched properly and passed. Our plan was to adopt a rescue tort in a few years so we made sure to purchase a house with that in mind. I appreciate everyone's help.

This is Chuy's cracked scute, do I need to get him to a vet? He is active and eating well.

 

[A.Vazquez]

We have been actively searching and answering people claiming to be the owner. So far no one has pictures that match his scutes or size. My heart breaks for his family, he is so sweet I know he was well cared for.
I have been reading through articles and studies, there is so much conflicting info on these big guys. Luckily I finally remembered this page. Thank you for directing me to better information.

Hi, What a find! Please try to find the owner by asking at local pet shops, vets etc.. They do like to wander and have no boundaries so an owner could be distressed. If no one comes forward then you have tried.
Sounds like you have room as they can grow big (aka tanks), they need strong barriers and need correct care as they originate in North Africa. They love hibiscus flowers and leaves amongst other food.

Please read this care sheet and ask questions, many on here have sulcatas or a creep of them! Have a search on past posts to pick up ideas for water , environment and night boxes etc......

Avoid buying a friend and also not mixing with other species.

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

And just to be clear, why do you not recommend mercury lights? Also, I thought I saw you mention tube lighting - if I use tube lighting, does that mean my tortoise no longer has a "basking area"? Rather a whole enclosure to get UV from? Thanks!! There are four elements to heating and lighting...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[Ink]

Is the scute bleeding? Wait for an expert but try to get the debris out and keep it clean. A little Neosporin wouldn't hurt. Is the scute loose?

 

[Ink]

Use water to rinse it

 

[Maro2Bear]

I would give the broken scute a thorough cleaning with warm water & soap. Once clean & dry, id apply neosporine type anti-infection cream for a few days. Id say no vet required.

@zovick can assist & provide guidance.

Ps - no hay for the tortoise substrate. For a large enclosure, a bag or two of 100% cypress mulch works nicely. (Garden center, just make sure it is 100% mulch, no fertilizers, no dye).

 

[zolasmum]

Chuy was found walking down the road, he weighs 21lbs, I haven't gotten measurements yet. We have secured a portion of the yard for him to safely roam while he isn't being watched. I have a few questions. If anyone has time to offer advice.
As of right now I'm feeding Chuy organic foods only, no pellets. He gets to free roam the grass here, is fed a Romain heart, a handful of baby carrots, a squash, a cucumber, and baby spring mix daily today he received cut apple fresh green beans he is being fed through out the day. I am trying to find orchid hay to add to his diet and am getting calcium powder tomorrow. How often should I be feeding him?? He loves to eat.
He has sustained an injury to the bottom portion of the edge scute, it is partially broken. Should I make him an appointment right away?

He is active, eating, soaking in warm soaks, defecating a lot (not runny) no mouth breathing, no limbs moving to force breathe but I've noticed his eyes are moist frequently. Not his nose. Is this normal?

His portion of the yard has a dugout (hole to go down into) as well as several temporary hiding spots, how much space should we allow for our buddy?

We are planning on adding a cement pool, advice needed and welcomed!

Is a 21lb sulcata big enough to make it through Texas weather. Planning on building a small house fill it with his hay and add a brooder heater. (Not a heat lamp) but only if this is a good idea. I'm in San Antonio.

I soak him 2× a day for 20 minutes or until he defecates is that too frequently?

he is still settling in and I'd like to let him do so with as little intervention from me unless I'm bringing snacks 😂 he is starting to respond to my voice and knows it means food 😂Help me help Chuy live his best life!

How long ago is it since you found him?He is clearly living a very good life with you, and if no-one claims him in the near future, I think you could assume that, loved or not, his previous owners cannot keep him for some reason - so he had the sense to find you !
Good luck
Angie

 

[A.Vazquez]

I would give the broken scute a thorough cleaning with warm water & soap. Once clean & dry, id apply neosporine type anti-infection cream for a few days. Id say no vet required.

@zovick can assist & provide guidance.

Ps - no hay for the tortoise substrate. For a large enclosure, a bag or two of 100% cypress mulch works nicely. (Garden center, just make sure it is 100% mulch, no fertilizers, no dye).

Thank you, he looks like he likes to dust bathe sunning and tossing soil onto himself. I want to provide an area with loose substrate adequate for him to do his thing. It just rained so he is filthy 😂 I'll get some meds on him. Should I cover the area?

 

[A.Vazquez]

How long ago is it since you found him?He is clearly living a very good life with you, and if no-one claims him in the near future, I think you could assume that, loved or not, his previous owners cannot keep him for some reason - so he had the sense to find you !
Good luck
Angie

Thank you

 

[A.Vazquez]

Is the scute bleeding? Wait for an expert but try to get the debris out and keep it clean. A little Neosporin wouldn't hurt. Is the scute loose?

It is not bleeding, or loose.

 

[OliveW]

This link was given to me when I found my Sulcata. The carrots, squash and cucumber should be fed only sparingly. No fruit ever. Anything in red on this table, I just don't feed mine at all. The only thing he gets of those things I mentioned is occasional cucumber because it's got a green spot on the chart.

Around here, it's rare for anyone to claim a large Sulcata. I know of only two instances out of dozens found locally. People seem to think they can live in the wild once they get too big.

He's lucky to have found you! He certainly is a handsome dude.

 

[Tom]

Chuy was found walking down the road, he weighs 21lbs, I haven't gotten measurements yet. We have secured a portion of the yard for him to safely roam while he isn't being watched. I have a few questions. If anyone has time to offer advice.
As of right now I'm feeding Chuy organic foods only, no pellets. He gets to free roam the grass here, is fed a Romain heart, a handful of baby carrots, a squash, a cucumber, and baby spring mix daily today he received cut apple fresh green beans he is being fed through out the day. I am trying to find orchid hay to add to his diet and am getting calcium powder tomorrow. How often should I be feeding him?? He loves to eat.
He has sustained an injury to the bottom portion of the edge scute, it is partially broken. Should I make him an appointment right away?

He is active, eating, soaking in warm soaks, defecating a lot (not runny) no mouth breathing, no limbs moving to force breathe but I've noticed his eyes are moist frequently. Not his nose. Is this normal?

His portion of the yard has a dugout (hole to go down into) as well as several temporary hiding spots, how much space should we allow for our buddy?

We are planning on adding a cement pool, advice needed and welcomed!

Is a 21lb sulcata big enough to make it through Texas weather. Planning on building a small house fill it with his hay and add a brooder heater. (Not a heat lamp) but only if this is a good idea. I'm in San Antonio.

I soak him 2× a day for 20 minutes or until he defecates is that too frequently?

he is still settling in and I'd like to let him do so with as little intervention from me unless I'm bringing snacks 😂 he is starting to respond to my voice and knows it means food 😂Help me help Chuy live his best life!

Lots of good info from previous posters, but I still want to take a crack at it:
Grass and grass hay, like orchard grass hay, should be the main foods for one this size. No fruit at all. Weeds, leaves, spineless opuntia pads, and occasional other greens are great. I do like green beans and other legumes once in a while as part of a varied diet, but do ensure that Chuy is well hydrated with regular and frequent soaks two or three times a week. You can use a horse trough as a soaking tub for larger tortoises.

I have a few ways I introduce hay to young grass eaters:
1. Just set out a flake of hay. Eventually they learn to eat it. Hunger helps.
2. Feed them all their other foods on a bed of grass hay. This gets them used to the sight, smell, and texture of the hay, and eventually, they start eating it with the other stuff.
3. Chop up the hay with scissors or cutters of some sort, wet it to rehydrate it a bit, and thoroughly mix it with their other foods. Start with just a tiny amount at first, and gradually add more and more over a period of weeks and months. I think #3 is best because it gets their gut flora and fauna used to it gradually, but I often do all three.

Soaking twice a day will do no harm, but its not necessary. If you like doing it that way, keep doing it.

I'd do as others suggested with the cracked scute. Clean it once, and then keep some triple antibiotic on it for a while.

What is most important is an insulated temperature controlled shelter. Here are two examples:

Single Tortoise Night Box

I like my larger tortoises to live outside full time. My climate permits this year round with a little help. For people who live where it snows all winter, this type of box is still good for warmer weather, getting them out earlier in Spring, and keeping them out a bit later into fall. You'll...

tortoiseforum.org

Double Door Night Box

As the years have gone by and I build more of these boxes, I learn more and more each time. This one is the latest and I incorporated everything I've learned over the years. I also tried to take lots of pics so I can explain in more detail some of what is going on. It will take multiple posts to...

tortoiseforum.org

In your climate it would be good to encourage Chuy to dig a burrow where you want one in summer. Just start a hole with a sloped entrance and once he discovers it, he should take over. Its too hot above ground for them in summer. Underground is the best way to go. In fall when night temps start dropping, I cover the burrow entrance and make the tortoise use its heated night box until late spring when temps warm up again.

Questions are welcome!

 

[A.Vazquez]

This link was given to me when I found my Sulcata. The carrots, squash and cucumber should be fed only sparingly. No fruit ever. Anything in red on this table, I just don't feed mine at all. The only thing he gets of those things I mentioned is occasional cucumber because it's got a green spot on the chart.

Around here, it's rare for anyone to claim a large Sulcata. I know of only two instances out of dozens found locally. People seem to think they can live in the wild once they get too big.

He's lucky to have found you! He certainly is a handsome dude.

Thank you! This chart definitely helps. I don't understand how people think you can take anything that's been domestically raised and release it, let alone one that's not even close to being native. We feel pretty lucky ourselves. He is such a sweetheart.

 

[Blackdog1714]

Thank you! This chart definitely helps. I don't understand how people think you can take anything that's been domestically raised and release it, let alone one that's not even close to being native. We feel pretty lucky ourselves. He is such a sweetheart.

It happens so often with the tiny baby tortoise that grows into a luvable bulldozer!

 

[A.Vazquez]

Thank you very much! We started a covered burrow first thing for him and now have corrected the diet issues. I picked up Timothy, orchid, and oat hay as well as the mazuri ls. Does this seem sufficient until I can identify or grow healthy weeds and flowers?

Should I be giving him a calcium supplement? He will be outdoors full time so long as he seems to do well, from what I've seen that means I don't have to use D3? Thank you for your time 🙏

i have vetericyn (probably butchered the spelling) I use it on my mammals for an anticeptic it is a miracle worker, do you know if it is safe for torts?