Introducing Dozer, and his newbie owner

[Flankster]

I'm a first time tortoise owner and I picked a hell of a commitment:

Dozer is a Sulcata tortoise.

I've been wanting a Sulcata since I was in 4th grade. I've finally finished school and I'm engaged, so life is moving me into the stable position required to own this amazing creature.

I just got Dozer yesterday from a friend who rescued him from a woman in a trailer park. I was told he is about 5 years old, but after looking at some online sizing charts, I'd say he's barely 2. He's about 7 in in carapace length and I'd guess >10 lbs. (I haven't weighed him yet).

Dozer has some unhealthy "pyramiding" from what I understand. My friend owned him for 3 months and got the pyramiding to reverse a little, but I think there is still work to do.

I have him inside in a large wooden box about 3'W x 6'L x 18"D. I've got a mercury Vapor bulb on a timer on one end and a cardboard hideout on the other. Currently the box has a plastic lining on the bottom and is caulked with silicone. It is filled with alfalfa pellets.

I think I'm doing everything right so far, but I wouldn't mind a veterans encouregment.

Thanks

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Flankster:

to the forum!

It looks like your new little guy would benefit from a good long soak at the end of which you take a soft bristle brush and give him a good scrubbing. His front legs are covered with dirt.

Also, alfalfa pellets aren't a good substrate. The reason you lined the box with plastic is so you can have a moistened substrate. You can't moisten alfalfa pellets. I personally like cypress mulch or the fine grade of orchid bark. Everything else sounds good. I like the size of your indoor habitat.

I think he's older than two. Five sounds about right, even though he's a little small for 5. He's a beauty and you and he are going to be very happy together!!

 

[Flankster]

Hi Flankster:

to the forum!

It looks like your new little guy would benefit from a good long soak at the end of which you take a soft bristle brush and give him a good scrubbing. His front legs are covered with dirt.

Also, alfalfa pellets aren't a good substrate. The reason you lined the box with plastic is so you can have a moistened substrate. You can't moisten alfalfa pellets. I personally like cypress mulch or the fine grade of orchid bark. Everything else sounds good. I like the size of your indoor habitat.

I think he's older than two. Five sounds about right, even though he's a little small for 5. He's a beauty and you and he are going to be very happy together!!

Thanks for warm welcome and the advise. This is exactly why I came to this forum. Some of the books I've read contradict eachother on substrate specifically.

I was going to give him a bath last night, but he had such a big day that he fell asleep. I'll give him one tonight.

I guess maybe he is 5 then. It's hard for me to know. I heard they grow about 2 in a year in the beginning, but again, that may not be accurate.

 

[Yvonne G]

The growth really depends upon the care they have been given.

The moist substrate thing is fairly new and most of the sites you GOOGLE haven't been changed in a while.

 

[Stephanie Logan]

Welcome to the forum, Flankster.

Your Dozer looks delightful, and he is lucky to have a keeper that wants him to be safe and healthy. You are right that he has significant pyramiding on his shell already. There is no way to reverse this condition, but you can ensure that his remaining growth will be smooth and healthy. Most experts on this forum think that proper humidity levels are the critical factor in healthy shell growth; heat is also important.

So keep his temperatures and humidity level right and Dozer's pyramids will become less noticeable as he grows to full size.

 

[Flankster]

Welcome to the forum, Flankster.

Your Dozer looks delightful, and he is lucky to have a keeper that wants him to be safe and healthy. You are right that he has significant pyramiding on his shell already. There is no way to reverse this condition, but you can ensure that his remaining growth will be smooth and healthy. Most experts on this forum think that proper humidity levels are the critical factor in healthy shell growth; heat is also important.

So keep his temperatures and humidity level right and Dozer's pyramids will become less noticeable as he grows to full size.

Thanks Stephanie,

I just got a 2-in-1 thermometer/humidity device today. Do you have any recommendations on what numbers I should shoot for. I've heard 85F in the direct sun, and no colder than 70 at the other end of the box. I have no idea about what humidity levels I should go for. Coastal California is a little more humid than the rest, but still fairly dry.

 

[Stephanie Logan]

Hooboy, you should PM Maggie (maggie3fan) or Yvonne (emysemys) or Tom (Roachman26) to get the best answers!

I have read that the basking spot should be 95-105, the warm side 75-80, and the cool side 65-70. Tortoises should have a hide on both the warm and cool ends of their enclosure, a large shallow water dish for drinking and self-soaking, and moistened substrate that they can dig into if they feel the need; Sulcata seem to dig a lot.

 

[egyptiandan]

Welcome to the forum

Danny

 

[Tom]

Welcome to the forum Flankster. Yvonne already hit your major points and, as usual, she said it better than I could. These are my two favorite sulcatta sites. Really good info. The forum members here showed me both of these a few weeks ago and I browse them almost daily. The pyramiding section on Ivorytortoise.com might especially interest you.
http://ivorytortoise.com/
http://africantortoise.com/

If you ask ten different people a question, you'll get ten different answers. And, all of them could be right. I've realized lately that at least some of the conflicting info comes from people who live in different climates, in different parts of the world. What works in Coastal CA, might not be the best thing for Southern FL or the Phillipines. I live in the CA High Desert in Santa Clarita, so my experiences have been different than theirs. They and I have seen different extremes and have extrapolated different conclusions based on what we've seen. BTW, what part of Coastal CA are you in? Morro Bay has a very different climate than San Diego and this may skew the advice you get a bit.

Much of the difference of opinion is on finer points and going either way should be fine. For example: I've switched to feeding primarily grasses, grass hay, cactus and weeds and in the last few years. I used to use mostly grocery store greens. Neither way is wrong. Sometimes its a matter of practicality. Its easier for me to walk outside and pick a bag full of weeds than it is to drive to the grocery store. (I live sort of in the country, on the edge of civilization)

Another example: Temps. I like things a bit hotter than most. My experience has shown me that this is better for sulcatas. Doesn't mean anyone else is wrong. I like the cool side 75-80, the warm side 85-95 and the small basking SPOT around 110-120. At night I let the whole pen drop to 70-75 for small ones and down to 60 for bigger ones, housed outside.

For the past couple of years, I've been doing an informal experiment on stopping pyramiding. I've got a two year old sulcata that I've been keeping in downright swampy conditions. She's very healthy and just recently the shell seems to be growing smoother. I'll be posting some pics and starting a thread on this soon.

Also, I always like to throw in SUNSHINE! Its really good for tortoises in many ways. Get yours safely out in the sun as much as possible. A large outdoor pen or tortoise-proofed backyard is a great way to do this. The exercise they get is very beneficial too.

Good luck, have fun and keep the questions coming.

 

[terracolson]

 

[Flankster]

Welcome to the forum Flankster. Yvonne already hit your major points and, as usual, she said it better than I could. These are my two favorite sulcatta sites. Really good info. The forum members here showed me both of these a few weeks ago and I browse them almost daily. The pyramiding section on Ivorytortoise.com might especially interest you.
http://ivorytortoise.com/
http://africantortoise.com/

If you ask ten different people a question, you'll get ten different answers. And, all of them could be right. I've realized lately that at least some of the conflicting info comes from people who live in different climates, in different parts of the world. What works in Coastal CA, might not be the best thing for Southern FL or the Phillipines. I live in the CA High Desert in Santa Clarita, so my experiences have been different than theirs. They and I have seen different extremes and have extrapolated different conclusions based on what we've seen. BTW, what part of Coastal CA are you in? Morro Bay has a very different climate than San Diego and this may skew the advice you get a bit.

Much of the difference of opinion is on finer points and going either way should be fine. For example: I've switched to feeding primarily grasses, grass hay, cactus and weeds and in the last few years. I used to use mostly grocery store greens. Neither way is wrong. Sometimes its a matter of practicality. Its easier for me to walk outside and pick a bag full of weeds than it is to drive to the grocery store. (I live sort of in the country, on the edge of civilization)

Another example: Temps. I like things a bit hotter than most. My experience has shown me that this is better for sulcatas. Doesn't mean anyone else is wrong. I like the cool side 75-80, the warm side 85-95 and the small basking SPOT around 110-120. At night I let the whole pen drop to 70-75 for small ones and down to 60 for bigger ones, housed outside.

For the past couple of years, I've been doing an informal experiment on stopping pyramiding. I've got a two year old sulcata that I've been keeping in downright swampy conditions. She's very healthy and just recently the shell seems to be growing smoother. I'll be posting some pics and starting a thread on this soon.

Also, I always like to throw in SUNSHINE! Its really good for tortoises in many ways. Get yours safely out in the sun as much as possible. A large outdoor pen or tortoise-proofed backyard is a great way to do this. The exercise they get is very beneficial too.

Good luck, have fun and keep the questions coming.

Thank you so much for your adivice. I think I'm suffering from new parent syndrome. It seems like parents with their 1st child, only a few years old, don't let them out of their sight. Always take the kid to the doctors etc. After a fewe more, they relax. I'm pretty sure Dozer is a resilient little guy, and whether the temperature is 75 or 80 isn't going to kill him.

I'm in Monterey Bay, CA. Right now we've got good weather and sunshine, but sun in the morning is often fog in the afternoon.

The temperature is ranging 70-85 so I think I'm OK. I think the basking spot could be a little warmer, but he doesn't bask a whole lot. He either sleeps in the shade, or runs around between shade and sun.

A funny anecdote: I made him a cardboard hide box to hide in. He took a look inside, and promptly turned around. A few minutes later I come back and he's bulldozed his way around the other side of the box and pushed it between him and the light. He sleeps in the corner, in the shade of the box. I figure, hey, he knows what he likes.

I'll see what I can do about the humidty to reverse the pyramiding. It's currently 49-52 with just the alfalfa pellets and no induced humidity.

Thanks for all the support. This is a great community.

 

[Flankster]

So dozer has been apart of the family for over a week now. I've gotten rid of the alfalfa pellets and spread some orchid bark. He seems to like it better (easier to walk on) and I like the look of it. I also got him a hibiscus plant, but I haven't given him anything from it yet. I think I'll wait a while seeing as how I got it from OSH. (probably sprayed with pesticides). Dozer has gotten along just fine, but tonight he displayed some very concerning behavior. I came home from work to find him zooming around the box. Almost like panic or desperation. He was climbing the walls and eventually flipped himself over. He also deprecated pretty heavily. Stools were much looser than usual. I gave him a bath, which calmed him down, and put him to bed. I'm a little worried about this behavior. There is noting in the box with him, the temperature is 95 in the hot side and much cooler in the other (I keep the cool side very moist). I have no other animals in the house which could have spooked him. Any ideas?

Thanks for your help.

 

[Tom]

Strange. This is a new one for me. They are a very active species. Was he just warm and happily running around or was he scared and in a panic to get out? How has the weather been up there? Has he been getting out for any sun and exercise?

In general, does he seem to favor one side of the enclosure over the other? Often their behavior will tell you if its too warm or too cold. Is 95 the warm side of the enclosure or the hot SPOT?

Maybe he sees dead people. And maybe the dead people don't go near the bath tub... Sorry. I just wish I had a better answer for you. How about some pics of the enclosure? Maybe someone will SEE something that doesn't come across in the typed word.

 

[Flankster]

Strange. This is a new one for me. They are a very active species. Was he just warm and happily running around or was he scared and in a panic to get out? How has the weather been up there? Has he been getting out for any sun and exercise?

In general, does he seem to favor one side of the enclosure over the other? Often their behavior will tell you if its too warm or too cold. Is 95 the warm side of the enclosure or the hot SPOT?

Maybe he sees dead people. And maybe the dead people don't go near the bath tub... Sorry. I just wish I had a better answer for you. How about some pics of the enclosure? Maybe someone will SEE something that doesn't come across in the typed word.

Great idea. I'll go home and take some pictures. I'll also see how he is doing today. I'm not trained in tortoise psychology, but it sure looked like desperation to me. He would climb up the wall as far as he could, scratch and flail about a bit, then try a different wall.

Whenever I am home and he scratches at the side, I let him run around the house a bit. When he finds a corner and stops, I put him back in his enclosure. Unfortunately, the weather has been rainy lately, so he hasn't gotten to go outside at all.

Thanks for the help.