my baby sulcata is making me worried

[azureween]

okay so i got my little baby sulcata!! and he was perfectly fine but then he started to show worrying symptoms and i’m starting to get nervous!!!

he has flaky skin. he clicks sometimes and he has wrinkles under is tummy? i’m not sure if that’s normal but if anyone can help me fix him i’d appreciate it plzzzz is the humidity!?
these pics are right after a bath and he’s still dry! plus he’s a lil dirty cuz he burrows

 

[KarenSoCal]

Hi, and welcome to the forum!

The best way to start is for you to study this care sheet. As you read, compare what it says to how you have been caring for your baby. Sadly, most of the info you read online, especially for sulcatas, is old, outdated, and just plain wrong. So much has been learned about how to raise these babies correctly, but getting stuck-in-their-ways people to update their thinking is an uphill battle.

The first thing that is necessary is to completely enclose his habitat if it is open on the top. Achieving and maintaining the heat and humidity he needs is impossible in an open topped enclosure.

If you would take pictures of his enclosure and the lights and heating you're using we can help you get it straightened out. We want to actually see the bulbs you're using. The kind of bulbs is very important. And if you will, please tell us where you got your tortoise.

The flaking is probably dry skin, so no need to worry about that. The wrinkly bottom shell (plastron) is just left over from when he was in the egg. It takes a while for that to all straighten out. Again, no worry.

I'm glad to hear you're putting him in water. He needs to be soaked in warm water every day for 30 minutes at minimum. The water needs to stay warm (90-95°F) the entire time. You can put the soak container into the enclosure close to directly under the basking bulb to keep it warm. Another way is in a bin in the kitchen sink. As the water cools, scoop some out and replace with warm.

Come back with questions and concerns. We'll help you with anything that needs to be changed, and guide you through whatever you may need to buy.

 

[wellington]

Follow info given above.
Then also give us a bunch more info so we can actually help. Pictures alone won't do.
Need all info of his care, temps, humidity, lighting type, diet, etc, etc.

 

[azureween]

Hi, and welcome to the forum!

The best way to start is for you to study this care sheet. As you read, compare what it says to how you have been caring for your baby. Sadly, most of the info you read online, especially for sulcatas, is old, outdated, and just plain wrong. So much has been learned about how to raise these babies correctly, but getting stuck-in-their-ways people to update their thinking is an uphill battle.

The first thing that is necessary is to completely enclose his habitat if it is open on the top. Achieving and maintaining the heat and humidity he needs is impossible in an open topped enclosure.

If you would take pictures of his enclosure and the lights and heating you're using we can help you get it straightened out. We want to actually see the bulbs you're using. The kind of bulbs is very important. And if you will, please tell us where you got your tortoise.

The flaking is probably dry skin, so no need to worry about that. The wrinkly bottom shell (plastron) is just left over from when he was in the egg. It takes a while for that to all straighten out. Again, no worry.

I'm glad to hear you're putting him in water. He needs to be soaked in warm water every day for 30 minutes at minimum. The water needs to stay warm (90-95°F) the entire time. You can put the soak container into the enclosure close to directly under the basking bulb to keep it warm. Another way is in a bin in the kitchen sink. As the water cools, scoop some out and replace with warm.

Come back with questions and concerns. We'll help you with anything that needs to be changed, and guide you through whatever you may need to buy.

 

[azureween]

thank you so so so much for responding!! i’ve been a worried about his skin and if he’s dehydrated or not. the enclosure is open i will provide multiple pics! the lamp is provided as well as the temps through the day is 80 and 95 where the rock is ! i feed him collards and i try to feed him grass but he doesn’t eat it. i also feed him dandelions and the leaves! i will review the care sheet ! also i got him at a local reptile store! the owner was really passionate about them! and raised them himself

 

[azureween]

actually i was incorrect and it’s a 50 w

 

[KarenSoCal]

It looks like you have a lot to do to get his home to what it should be.

This is what needs to be done:
His enclosure needs to be completely enclosed, including the top. Do you have the plastic lid that came with the bin? If yes, we can work with that for a short time. He'll need a larger space in a couple months at the most. Larger now would be better.

You need to stop using that bulb as soon as there is a replacement for it. The kind you have focuses the light and heat into a small spot (spot bulb). That is very drying to his shell. He needs a flood type bulb.

You need to get a tube type UVB light. If you don't mind, what part of CA are you in? Northern, or in mountains where it's cold? Or southern, where it's warm all year? This will determine when, and if, you need this light.

You need a way to keep him warm at night. His enclosure should never drop below 80° day or night. How have you been keeping him warm at night? Most of us use a ceramic heat emitter (CHE) at night. It's a bulb that gives off heat, but no light. It must be screwed into a ceramic socket since it is so hot, and it must be plugged into a thermostat to control the temp.

This is the major stuff. Don't be overwhelmed...we will guide you on what to order from Amazon ?

If you have the lid, we can use the bin. But this would also be a good time to move to something larger that he can live in for a couple years. You can go fancy and expensive, or simpler and very affordable. I would suggest this, the simple way. These get turned on their side for tort use, so the measurements need to go on the side too.

This one would be 5' 3" long x 2' 8" wide x 2' 8" tall. That's a good size. Let us know what you think about all this. We're here to help.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GZB3FXJ/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

 

[azureween]

thanks for the help! i’m will definitely move him into a different enclosure! i was going to have an enclosure built for him. would size would you recommend? i also live in southern california and i use a black ceramic bulb that i will include in a picture! also i took screenshots to see what kind of bulb i need to make sure he’s comfortable. also i wasn’t sure where to find that care sheet from the earlier post! i’m still trying to navigate this.

 

[azureween]

Follow info given above.
Then also give us a bunch more info so we can actually help. Pictures alone won't do.
Need all info of his care, temps, humidity, lighting type, diet, etc, etc.

temps: 90 f currently during the day
temps at night : 78
humidity : 49%
lighting type: i guess i was using the wrong lighting so if you can see in my post which one !
diet: collards . (sometimes grass because he doesn’t eat it) and dandelions and leaves.
not sure if i should get those vitamin c blocks or the pellets !

 

[bbot12]

Hey, by any chance were you at a PetSmart late yesterday just before closing? I met a couple who mentioned they had a baby Sulcata and they happened to be looking at some UV lights and asked me about my enclosure.

 

[Tom]

Almost no one in the whole country, or the world for that matter, starts them correctly. The breeders and sellers house them all wrong and then tell their buyers the same wrong info. Most of them die, but it takes weeks or months, and the seller blames it on the new keeper even though it was entirely their fault. They just don't have any clue what is going on. Here is what is usually going on:

"Hatchling Failure Syndrome"

I've heard this term for many years and I don't like it. Its a way to excuse our ignorance and failure. I will agree that an occasional hatchling is born that is just not going to make it no matter what anybody does, but MOST of them, if they make it full term and hatch, SHOULD survive and...

tortoiseforum.org

Here is the care sheet that Karen was referring to:

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

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. Babies hatch during the...

tortoiseforum.org

Follow that care sheet and you might be able to save your baby.

 

[KarenSoCal]

thanks for the help! i’m will definitely move him into a different enclosure! i was going to have an enclosure built for him. would size would you recommend? i also live in southern california and i use a black ceramic bulb that i will include in a picture! also i took screenshots to see what kind of bulb i need to make sure he’s comfortable. also i wasn’t sure where to find that care sheet from the earlier post! i’m still trying to navigate this.

OK...the black CHE's are correct. They need to go into ceramic sockets because they are really hot.

The thermostat...I can't tell how many plug ins it has. You want one that you can plug at least 2 things in, like if you need both of your CHE's to get it warm enough. Check this one, but if it can only acommodate 1 plug, search for a different one. Some of them actually have 3 plug ins.

All of the pictures of lights are wrong. Did you see my post # 7? I went over some of this in that post.

For basking, you need an incandescent flood light bulb. Unfortunately, our leaders in Sacramento have decided to make selling them in CA illegal. My best solution for you is have a friend or relative who lives in another state buy them and ship them to you. If the packaging says what they are, repackaging will be necessary. It is not illegal for you to receive them from a relative or friend...it's only illegal to sell them. If you don't have anyone who could do that for you, then there is a bulb that will work. Let me know and I'll see if I can find them online for you. If you go with someone sending incandescent flood bulbs (flood, not spot) they should get 65 watt bulbs. They usually are right for the job.

For UVB you need a tube type fluorescent bulb. I asked in # 7 where you are in CA? I think you missed seeing that post. Let me know the answers and we'll go over it later.

 

[wellington]

temps: 90 f currently during the day
temps at night : 78
humidity : 49%
lighting type: i guess i was using the wrong lighting so if you can see in my post which one !
diet: collards . (sometimes grass because he doesn’t eat it) and dandelions and leaves.
not sure if i should get those vitamin c blocks or the pellets !

90 too high for an all over temp. Lower to 80 for day and night. Basking temp should be 95-100. Humidity get it up to 80%

 

[Maggie3fan]

OK...the black CHE's are correct. They need to go into ceramic sockets because they are really hot.

The thermostat...I can't tell how many plug ins it has. You want one that you can plug at least 2 things in, like if you need both of your CHE's to get it warm enough. Check this one, but if it can only acommodate 1 plug, search for a different one. Some of them actually have 3 plug ins.

All of the pictures of lights are wrong. Did you see my post # 7? I went over some of this in that post.

For basking, you need an incandescent flood light bulb. Unfortunately, our leaders in Sacramento have decided to make selling them in CA illegal. My best solution for you is have a friend or relative who lives in another state buy them and ship them to you. If the packaging says what they are, repackaging will be necessary. It is not illegal for you to receive them from a relative or friend...it's only illegal to sell them. If you don't have anyone who could do that for you, then there is a bulb that will work. Let me know and I'll see if I can find them online for you. If you go with someone sending incandescent flood bulbs (flood, not spot) they should get 65 watt bulbs. They usually are right for the job.

For UVB you need a tube type fluorescent bulb. I asked in # 7 where you are in CA? I think you missed seeing that post. Let me know the answers and we'll go over it later.

BTW Oregon also as banned the sale of incandescent bulbs. Karen and Wellington have given you the latest and the best care available, please read it and follow. I know it's expensive and hard to do. If you want a nice looking healthy tortoise you'll do it