Is this normal?

[Feyotter]

First of all, let me show you a pic of my new baby sulcata. The way I had the powersun mvb 100w before I got the light stand resulted in either a basking temp of 125 or 95 depending on how I did it. Now that I have the stand the basking temp is at 102 degrees and where he's sitting it is about 95 degrees. The reason I am concerned is that he's been sitting in that corner all day and as far as I know he has only moved once. The other end of the enclosure is at 80 degrees and the humidity on that end is about 80%. As far as I can tell the numbers are all good and he has eaten some dandelion and collard greens that I put near him - so why isn't he moving? I soaked him yesterday and will be doing it again soon so I can't think of what I'm either doing wrong or just not doing! Please help me to keep this little guy as healthy as possible with any advice you might have for me. Thanks!!!

 

[Tom]

What is the ambient room temp in that room? He's probably too cold or feeling too exposed.

I don't want to bum you out, but unless that tub is in a warm humid reptile or fish room, the method of housing is not going to work well for a tropical species like your sulcata. You can't maintain the correct warmth or humidity in a low sided open tub like that.

Give these a read for more explanation:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

Please feel free to ask for more explanation, or ask any questions you may have. We're here to help.

 

[Feyotter]

What is the ambient room temp in that room? He's probably too cold or feeling too exposed.

I don't want to bum you out, but unless that tub is in a warm humid reptile or fish room, the method of housing is not going to work well for a tropical species like your sulcata. You can't maintain the correct warmth or humidity in a low sided open tub like that.

Give these a read for more explanation:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

Please feel free to ask for more explanation, or ask any questions you may have. We're here to help.

The ambient room temperature is 84 degrees and as mentioned, where he is sitting it is 95 degrees. As far as being exposed, he has a hide with moistened moss in it, but to be honest I've not seen him in it yet. I thought that even being in the type of enclosure he's in that with those numbers it would be a good environment. Not to be argumentative, but if the numbers are good and seem to stay that way, what would a different type of enclosure give him that this isn't? Originally I was going to put him in a 40 gallon breeder tank which would have higher walls, but it had three cons against it: one is that it is glass and he could spend all his time trying to get through it, two is that it has a lot less area to walk around in, and three is that having a screen cover it is still basically open. I'm probably not seeing something that someone a lot more experienced than I can see, but at least I hope you'll notice that I am trying to do good by him.

 

[Feyotter]

The ambient room temperature is 84 degrees and as mentioned, where he is sitting it is 95 degrees. As far as being exposed, he has a hide with moistened moss in it, but to be honest I've not seen him in it yet. I thought that even being in the type of enclosure he's in that with those numbers it would be a good environment. Not to be argumentative, but if the numbers are good and seem to stay that way, what would a different type of enclosure give him that this isn't? Originally I was going to put him in a 40 gallon breeder tank which would have higher walls, but it had three cons against it: one is that it is glass and he could spend all his time trying to get through it, two is that it has a lot less area to walk around in, and three is that having a screen cover it is still basically open. I'm probably not seeing something that someone a lot more experienced than I can see, but at least I hope you'll notice that I am trying to do good by him.

All that being said, if you think a glass tank would be better, I do have a 55 gallon fish tank that I'm not using. It wouldn't be as big going from front to back (only about 12 inches), but it would be 4 feet long and have tall glass walls. The only thing is that I would have to put a layer of topsoil down and then the eco earth and cypress mulch mixture on top of that since I don't have enough of the mixture by itself.

 

[Yvonne G]

I think he was referring to covering the enclosure. It's hard to keep the humidity up in an open-top enclosure.

 

[StacieJ]

Knowing the area you live in the winter could be an issue and also humidity. Thank goodness I got out of that weather.

 

[Big Charlie]

Why don't you cover at least part of it? You can also make a tent over the top, enclosing the light, keeping the humidity inside. There are portable greenhouses that can be used, I think. You need to wet the substrate to create humidity once you get a top. The dishes should be sunk into the substrate so he doesn't flip trying to get over the edge.

 

[Feyotter]

Why don't you cover at least part of it? You can also make a tent over the top, enclosing the light, keeping the humidity inside. There are portable greenhouses that can be used, I think. You need to wet the substrate to create humidity once you get a top. The dishes should be sunk into the substrate so he doesn't flip trying to get over the edge.

If I can find some glass or plexiglass I'll cover the whole right side where the hide is in order to keep the humidity in, but it's already at 80 percent (actually most of the room is at about 80 percent) and isn't that a good number for a baby sulcata? All that being said, it still doesn't answer the question as to why he won't move from the 95 degree corner.

 

[daniellenc]

Come winter your house won't be at 80% humidity so definitely find a way to cover the top or get a tub with a lid and cut a hole for the light. Also at night I assume you turn the light off do you have a CHE for night heat? I ask because he may be getting too cool at night and staying under that light to warm up. How are you measuring temps and humidity?

Have you checked his shell temperature?

 

[Feyotter]

Come winter your house won't be at 80% humidity so definitely find a way to cover the top or get a tub with a lid and cut a hole for the light. Also at night I assume you turn the light off do you have a CHE for night heat? I ask because he may be getting too cool at night and staying under that light to warm up. How are you measuring temps and humidity?

Have you checked his shell temperature?

I do turn the light off and I have a Che for night heat but I haven't used it yet because the room temperature at night is around 80 degrees. I thought that was warm enough for night time, but if it isn't I'll definitely start using the Che. I have a hydrometer in the tub near the hide on the cooler side and I use a laser gun thermometer to take the temps. And his shell temp is that 95 degrees that I mentioned before.

 

[Markw84]

If I can find some glass or plexiglass I'll cover the whole right side where the hide is in order to keep the humidity in, but it's already at 80 percent (actually most of the room is at about 80 percent) and isn't that a good number for a baby sulcata? All that being said, it still doesn't answer the question as to why he won't move from the 95 degree corner.

Baby sulcatas hide. They hide from predators. They hide from the heat and to avoid drying out and dehydrating. If caught out in the open, if a predator doesn't get them, the heat and desiccating sun will. If they don't get it right, they die. And most die. Maybe 1 out of a hundred will make it their first year. They prefer to hide in grass clumps and bushes in the monsoon season. They can eat while hiding. A healthy sulcata baby should be searching for a place like that to hide and feel secure. If it cannot find it, it will push into a corner and wait. After looking at your picture, I went out and took a picture of one of my new hatchlings that is about 3 weeks old right now. since a picture is worth a thousand words, I thought I could save some typing. See what it's doing? But see the choice it has? There is a nice hide less than a foot away.

 

[Big Charlie]

If I can find some glass or plexiglass I'll cover the whole right side where the hide is in order to keep the humidity in, but it's already at 80 percent (actually most of the room is at about 80 percent) and isn't that a good number for a baby sulcata? All that being said, it still doesn't answer the question as to why he won't move from the 95 degree corner.

I think he is scared. It is natural for them to huddle in a corner for protection. The enclosure is too open. He needs more hiding places and more sight barriers. I would stagger the arrangements of the water and food dish. There isn't a lot of room to walk around them. You probably don't need the food dish at all. You can put food on that flat piece. Is there a reason there is no water in the water dish? I think that might actually be too big for him. It should be big enough for him to climb inside but not so big that he can't get out easily again.

 

[Feyotter]

Baby sulcatas hide. They hide from predators. They hide from the heat and to avoid drying out and dehydrating. If caught out in the open, if a predator doesn't get them, the heat and desiccating sun will. If they don't get it right, they die. And most die. Maybe 1 out of a hundred will make it their first year. They prefer to hide in grass clumps and bushes in the monsoon season. They can eat while hiding. A healthy sulcata baby should be searching for a place like that to hide and feel secure. If it cannot find it, it will push into a corner and wait. After looking at your picture, I went out and took a picture of one of my new hatchlings that is about 3 weeks old right now. since a picture is worth a thousand words, I thought I could save some typing. See what it's doing? But see the choice it has? There is a nice hide less than a foot away.


View attachment 213844

I feel foolish. I'm going to take out the food dish and exchange the water dish for a smaller one. Then I'll put some plants in there for him to hide under. Any type you would recommend?

 

[Feyotter]

I think he is scared. It is natural for them to huddle in a corner for protection. The enclosure is too open. He needs more hiding places and more sight barriers. I would stagger the arrangements of the water and food dish. There isn't a lot of room to walk around them. You probably don't need the food dish at all. You can put food on that flat piece. Is there a reason there is no water in the water dish? I think that might actually be too big for him. It should be big enough for him to climb inside but not so big that he can't get out easily again.

I'm going to do as you suggest and remove the food dish and replace the water bowl. It did have a little water in it - it evaporated quicker than I thought it would. It was refilled though between taking the picture (when I noticed how little water there was) and when you answered. I'm also going to be putting some small to medium potted plants in there as well for hiding places and sight barriers. Thanks for the advice.

 

[daniellenc]

Spider plants and wandering Jew tends to be hardy.

 

[Feyotter]

Spider plants and wandering Jew tends to be hardy.

Will he eat them?

 

[daniellenc]

Maybe lol

 

[Feyotter]

Ok. Even better! Thanks!

 

[Tom]

If I can find some glass or plexiglass I'll cover the whole right side where the hide is in order to keep the humidity in, but it's already at 80 percent (actually most of the room is at about 80 percent) and isn't that a good number for a baby sulcata? All that being said, it still doesn't answer the question as to why he won't move from the 95 degree corner.

What device are you using to measure humidity?

Are you using a swamp cooler in the house?

Why is the room temp 84 inside your house? I ask because those are not normal parameters for a house. If those are your normal parameters then your open enclosure should be fine. Are those parameters going to stay that way come fall and winter?

 

[Feyotter]

What device are you using to measure humidity?

Are you using a swamp cooler in the house?

Why is the room temp 84 inside your house? I ask because those are not normal parameters for a house. If those are your normal parameters then your open enclosure should be fine. Are those parameters going to stay that way come fall and winter?

One of those small circular hydrometers that you stick to the side of the enclosure.
I don't even know what a swamp cooler is. Lol
I don't know why it's 84 in the house except that it's 78 degrees outside but my house is very well insulated, I have no open windows or doors because I have no screens, and I don't have an ac anywhere except the bedroom. The turtle enclosure is in the living room which is basically a reptile room with a tv. I have two 40 gallon breeders - one with a bearded dragon and the other one with a cane toad. I also have the 8x4x4 tegu enclosure (which is where the sulcata will go when the tegu goes to a new home). Then there is the sulcata tub and a 60 gallon fish tank. Needless to say it's a little warm in there with all the lights and heating. The only difference in the fall and winter will be the outside temp will be low so I usually keep the air temp at about 70 degrees. However by then I hope to have the sulcata in the tegu enclosure which is completely enclosed and thus much easier to control the temps and humidity.