In need of general sulcata advice

[Susannathesulcata]

This is Susanna (at least we think she's a girl). She was found roaming the AL woods several years ago by my husband. I have no idea how old she is, I believe we have had her for about 5 or 6 years.

The advice we were given by a reptile expert does not seem to match up with what I have been reading of recent. She has been raised mostly on kale and collards. I am trying to switch her to grass but she is very unimpressed with dried grasses. She used to be in a huge snake aquarium thing and recently we started letting her roam around our den and she does seem happier, but I can't get her to spend any time under her UVB light.

My major concern is her shell pyramiding and that she doesn't seem to be the size that she should be...

So, I was looking for advice on diet, lighting, keeping her during winter (we live in NH), soaking etc.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Roaming around your house is not good for her. She needs to be kept at specific temperatures and your floor is not 90 degrees. Also she needs about 89% humidity to help stop that pyramiding. She needs to be on a substrate that can be kept damp and under a UVB light that's about 100 degrees. None of this can happen if she's on your kitchen floor. Then what happens when she pees 4 cups worth on your carpet. So here's this to read and please ask any questions you have. Hang around here and read old threads on Sulcata care and you'll learn a lot...Welcome to the world of Sulcata!

http://africantortoise.com/

She's too young for dried grasses and hay. But grazing on grass would be good. She also needs a much better diet then kale and collards...There's a good diet on that link...

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi "Susannathesulcata":

May we know your name?

Welcome to the forum!!

The reason your tortoise is so small is because it needs to be set up outside where it can get regular exercise, sunshine and graze on grasses and weeds. That size sulcata has way outgrown an indoor habitat. You would only keep a sulcata indoors for the first two or three years of its life, then it goes outside. If the weather isn't good enough for it to live outside, then you have to build it some sort of heated shed or dog house. Some people who keep sulcatas in the northern states keep them in the basement during cold weather. But the tortoise needs lots of heat and exercise to grow properly.

The tortoise was lucky that you and your husband found it and took it in. It would have surely died had it been outside during the winter.

Please read all you can about sulcatas and how to keep them in the winter, and start thinking about a bigger area for the tortoise to live in. (not a bin or a tub)

 

[Susannathesulcata]

My name is Marina. We live in New Hampshire. The tortoise was actually found in AL and my husband brought it back to NH when he finished college. She does spend her days outside in summer. In NH it's too cold the rest of the year. She was in an aquarium, then she spent the summer outside, then we built her an area in the basement, but it was too cold. We were not able to keep her warm enough. So alas she has been in the den, the warmest room in the house, as also houses the wood stove. We try to keep it moist in there but the woodstove is very drying. The room is about 80 during the day and 70 at night. We have 0 carpet and she has gone to bathroom regulary on the floor. It's horrid 1970s vinyl flooring, so it's not too awful of a clean up. The floor is very warm, I wouldn't say 90 but it's warm.

This is my problem, I am just not sure what to do with her right now in NH. It's too cold outside, it's too cold in basement and we have to run a dehumidifier down there or the walls start growing funky things, and we have a very small house. I think I found the answer we are going to have to build her a heated outdoor shelter and that what we are currently providing her with isn't enough.

I think it's too late in the year to start a construction project of that kind. What would be the lesser of 2 evils until she is able to go back outside? Colder basement or dry den?

 

[Yvonne G]

Can you build her a pen in the den? Maybe you could fence off a section close to the wood stove. Then put something on the floor to raise it up a bit, like pallets. Cover them so you can add substrate. I'm thinking that 4'x8' might be an ok size. However, bigger would be better. So pallets on the floor and a sheet of plywood on the pallets. Cut more plywood for the sides. 2' high might be high enough. Then you can hang some lights and maybe a CHE (ceramic heat emitter) over the pen for additional warmth.

Oh what we do for our tortoises!!!

 

[Susannathesulcata]

Yes, I think with a little furniture moving we could build her a pen. I am curious, why the wet bedding? I thought these were desert tortoises?

 

[zzzdanz]

Furniture is over rated anyways.You'ld be better off if you have a shed/garage that you could set up for him.

 

[Laura]

look on craigs list for sheds in the farm section.. look up Tuff sheds Loafing sheds. they are perfect it has an indoor area, with a covered outdoor area that you can hang a heat lamp as well.
Its going to be a challenge where you live to house outdoors, but it can be done. it has to be, if you are going to keep her.

 

[Yvonne G]

Because in the real world they dig a burrow deep into the earth where the ground is NOT totally dry. Then they poop and pee in there which raises the humidity even more.

 

[Susannathesulcata]

The garage is literally freezing. We keep bulk items on shelf in there and the water was frozen this morning. I don't think the garage would work. I'm thinking an insulated shed with heat might be the ticket. At least it will be less space to heat than our garage with loft.

How do others safely heat their outdoor enclosures?

 

[Yvonne G]

Take a look at this thread. There are several ideas on it for you:

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-Housing-for-Snowy-Winters?highlight=Dudley

 

[zzzdanz]

You can build a heated box for the garage pretty cheap,or build something in the cellar for him.

 

[daylalee]

I have mine in the garage and she stays nice and toasty. We buit a enclosure out of studs. It took about 16 of them. We used 4 8ft for each side and then cut 4 8ft studs in half for both ends. We toenailed 3 4ft section on a diagonal at one end and put a heater We put a 4ft stud on each corner to hold a tarp up enough to keep it off the heater. On the floor I used the coconut substrate and hay. She has plenty of room to roam and stays between 70 - 80 degrees. And all of that cost between $100 - $150. I would post a picture but can't figure it out. lol

 

[Susannathesulcata]

Thank you all for the advice! The information out there is very conflicting and confusing. I thought it would be best to go right to those who keep these animals. I have decided to keep her in the den for the winter, she can’t burrow but it’s the warmest place in the house. I will majorly increase her soaking routine to make up for the lacking humidity. We have decided on building a greenhouse (I’ve been wanting one anyone). We’ll heat that and be able to go veggies and grass year round.

Thanks again!

 

[Jermosh]

Greenhouse would be cool, just make sure its really secure.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

You can get an oil filled heater from any of the big box stores for $30 when you are ready to heat an outdoor shed or your greenhouse or something.