Meet 'Butters'

[NorCalAl]

For Xmas, I decided to get my SO a baby sucata. She's been fawning over every one she's seen for better than a year, so I decided I'd get her one of her own.

She named it 'Butters' last night since the name could go for either sex and we have a CDT named 'Cartman'. Which naturally has turned out female. :0/

I've got her/him in a 20g long. 1/3 of the substrate (in terms of floor area) is the same soil I use for my ackies, tho fresh outta the bag, naturally. That's also the 'hot' end of the enclosure. I use a 100w Powersun days (with about a 100f basking spot) then a combo of a ceramic heat emitter and a small (4"x4") heat pad under the soil on a thermo set to 85f. Obviously, during the times when the 100w is on, they never come on. Our winter nights are VERY cold and we have Butters out in the front room which can go from 70 - 35 overnight. His hide (I use a laser temp gun) never drops below 75.

The other 2/3 of the floor is covered in alfalfa. It's what I was suggested by my breeder - and I generally trust what he says. I may change over time to more soil since Butters has been having a grand ole time flinging it everywhere. Never thought he could fling it 10" when he's a total of about 3"!

He's eating the same basic mix as my beardie and chuck. Greens of all sorts, some sourced from our own garden and some from farmer's markets. Dandelions, endive, some spring mix, some (but limited) kale, some Mazuri tortoise food, some Nature Made or Nature's Kitchen or whatever (can't see it right now) Tortoise bites. These are made right here in Chico and we've been through the plant. Good stuff.

Outdoors, our CDT has been given the entire side yard on one side of the house. That's about 90' x 10-30'. He has a couple different hides (including his primary house which is a dogloo). He's hibernating now. I plan to use the other side yard eventually for Butters. That's about 1/4 acre. Until then, he'll have a box made for one of the decks for sunning on those warm days. Winter doesn't offer many, but I'm sure I can provide warmth while still allowing him access to sun.

 

[Tom]

Congrats on the new baby!

There is a bunch of sulcata info in my signature that you might find interesting. A lot has been learned in the last few years about how to raise them correctly.

I don't want to push too hard, as you are not the typical noob, but the first few weeks are the most critical in a young tortoises life. What you do, or don't do, RIGHT NOW, will have a life long lasting effect on his health and appearance. There. Did I instill a sense of urgency?

 

[wellington]

Very cute. I also will promote Toms threads. They are also listed at the bottom of my post, by my sig. That's how important they are

 

[NorCalAl]

One of the reasons I have soil in there at all is those threads. I will most likely, since he's taken to it SO well (digging all about, just looking like he's having fun), replace all substrate with the soil. I know from having it in my (sealed save for one 3" vent) ackie cage that it holds moisture well.

I'm reading all I can (as always with a new family member) and trying (as always with information from the internet) to separate the wheat from the chaff. My local breeder suggested and has all of his torts on the timothy hay I have in there. True enough, while I have my ackies in a 6'x3'x3' enclosure with 14" of soil, he raises his - for 10 years now - in an exoterra terrarium with 2" of orchid bark substrate. And he's successful. Go to the varanus forums on the net and you'd be told that's a death sentence. Yet every year they produce. So go figure.

I'm not discounting anything you're saying here and raising a happy, healthy sulcata is my goal - especially if it's within my means. I've got a Showcase 3x2x2 that I could use, but my SO is very much against the Showcase and Visions I have in the back room. She loves the look of the tanks, so I just might have to build either a plexi top or get one of those ExoTerras in a large size.

I can always get a couple mexican beaded lizards for the showcase and visions....

 

[Yvonne G]

Your breeder hasn't taken the time to update his knowledge. The humid/moist way of thinking about baby sulcatas and leopards is pretty new. With hay you can't have a moist substrate because it will mold. The soil, in my opinion, is a good choice. Keep it a bit moist and Butters will grow nice and smooth with no pyramids.

(SO = significant other??)

 

[mainey34]

Looks like you are doing a pretty good job, but my concern would be the timothy hay also. I too thought it was good to use. But how do you keep the humidity up to 80% without the hay molding? They need that humidity to prevent pyramiding..this is my experience. I quickly changed it and stopped it. Also i would say try putting his food bowl in the substrate, seems like he struggles to get to his food. These are my opinions...

 

[Tom]

One of the reasons I have soil in there at all is those threads. I will most likely, since he's taken to it SO well (digging all about, just looking like he's having fun), replace all substrate with the soil. I know from having it in my (sealed save for one 3" vent) ackie cage that it holds moisture well.

I'm reading all I can (as always with a new family member) and trying (as always with information from the internet) to separate the wheat from the chaff. My local breeder suggested and has all of his torts on the timothy hay I have in there. True enough, while I have my ackies in a 6'x3'x3' enclosure with 14" of soil, he raises his - for 10 years now - in an exoterra terrarium with 2" of orchid bark substrate. And he's successful. Go to the varanus forums on the net and you'd be told that's a death sentence. Yet every year they produce. So go figure.

I'm not discounting anything you're saying here and raising a happy, healthy sulcata is my goal - especially if it's within my means. I've got a Showcase 3x2x2 that I could use, but my SO is very much against the Showcase and Visions I have in the back room. She loves the look of the tanks, so I just might have to build either a plexi top or get one of those ExoTerras in a large size.

I can always get a couple mexican beaded lizards for the showcase and visions....

You are clearly on the ball. Don't want to belabor the point too much. Did your breeder have any 6 month- 3 year old tortoises that he's raised himself with the alfalfa substrate method? If so, were they smooth or a bit bumpy? You've seen the pics in my threads for comparison...

 

[jtrux]

Yea, i'm confused on the SO part as well.

Good luck, looks like you have a good idea of what you're doing so far.

 

[NorCalAl]

Sorry - yes, SO = significant other. I have trouble, at 51, saying my girlfriend of eight years, ya know?

Saw a picture on Facebook (FB) today of a large sulcata on the owner's lap (well, partially). I was thinking, aww, that's cute. I can do that when I'm...75. Oh yikes.

 

[jtrux]

You won't be criticized here so don't worry. Yep, it will be a task to pick him/her up at that size but it would be for anyone so don't feel bad.

 

[NorCalAl]

Changing over the substrate this morning to all soil. It was very difficult, at least where I live, to find 'natural' soil. You can't just dig it up most places around here either as there is thick volcanic cap. I searched for weeks to find actual 'soil' as opposed to 'topsoil' or grow mix. This stuff is great - untreated and $10 for three bags. I use about three-five new bags in my ackie cage every couple of months when they are breeding.

Gonna put in about 4-5" across the board here. I know he'll dig out his hide to get down to the heat pad. I have a 4x4" one hooked to a thermostat set to 85f. There's a probe next to the glass on the bottom and it controls both the CHE and the pad. During the day, when the light is on, the thermo keeps these off. Once these winter nights set in, the pad/CHE kick in. I think it's a good combo.

 

[Tom]

If its working and keeping temps where you want them, then it IS a good combo. Be aware that if your night temps drop with humidity, you run a risk of respiratory infection. I like to throw this out there since the humidity thing is still new to some folks. I shoot for at least 80 24/7.

Congrats on finding a good soil source. That IS difficult. They all seem to want to add perlite and chemical fertilizers to it.

 

[NorCalAl]

Like I said - replacing all the hay today. Here's the enclosure with the new soil:

And another of the warm side hide opening:

About heating and "cold", I know I write a lot and some folks don't see everything, but there's a thermostat controlled pair of heaters for cold nights. A ceramic heat emitter above and a small undertank heater below. The pair are set to 85f. That keeps them off during the day when the basking light is on, but permits that warm hide to stay warm, despite ambient temps.

I will probably get a 4x2x2 Critter Condo for him in the next couple of weeks. That will allow me to switch to using one of my radiant heat panels above the warm side and seal in much of the humidity. I'm well versed in the problems and benefits of humid herp enclosures. My ackies refuse to nest - and in fact I lost a gravid female learning this - unless the soil is very damp. The top 1-2" must be dry.

So getting a setup for Butters won't be a problem. The nice thing about the Critter Condoz is that Eric will stain the outside to match your furniture. He custom made my ackie cage (6x3x3) and it's simply beautiful. Great craftsmanship and service.

 

[Tom]

Okay. Two formal thread requests:

1. Ackies. Love them. Seriously considered getting into them many times. I'd love to see your and your set up in the lizard subforum.

2. I'd love to see a thread on "Eric" and his products in the enclosure section. It is not easy to find well made attractive tortoise housing. I build my own and while they are structurally sound, they are not pretty.

 

[NorCalAl]

Tom, I'll be happy to do that!

One clarification: Eric owns Critter Condoz and he sells through various retailers. I buy/bought mine through Livingstone Lizard Lounge in Sacramento. I know they keep a bunch of the common smaller sizes in stock. CC also offers several 'levels' or models. My ackie cage, as I'll show, is a pvc lined melamine cage with a 14" substrate lip. I designed it and sent the design to him and he built it and delivered it to LLL, where I picked it up. I will add more to the thread in housing.

And I love my ackies too. Only thing I like as much (lizard-wise) is mexican beadeds...which are next!