My baby sulcatas don't excrete white substance but I see them pee.

[joooymama]

Hello, I have two baby sulcata tortoises about 2 months old. I am from Southern California where it's pretty dry so I soak them everyday in warm water for about 20-30 minutes.

A few weeks ago, I noticed the white stuff was a bit grainy so I'm worried about dehydration. However now, I don't notice any white excretion at all but I've seen them pee.

Their current substrate is a mix of soil and wood chips which I try to keep moist throughout the day by misting / pouring a small amount of water so it reaches below. I have a hygrometer and it reads between 30-40% humidity (which I know is low..) I just ordered some coconut coir as proper substrate to retain moisture levels.

Should I be concerned about them not excreting the white at all?

 

[Maggie3fan]

Hello, I have two baby sulcata tortoises about 2 months old. I am from Southern California where it's pretty dry so I soak them everyday in warm water for about 20-30 minutes.

A few weeks ago, I noticed the white stuff was a bit grainy so I'm worried about dehydration. However now, I don't notice any white excretion at all but I've seen them pee.

Their current substrate is a mix of soil and wood chips which I try to keep moist throughout the day by misting / pouring a small amount of water so it reaches below. I have a hygrometer and it reads between 30-40% humidity (which I know is low..) I just ordered some coconut coir as proper substrate to retain moisture levels.

Should I be concerned about them not excreting the white at all?

No you should not. Please read this, you are needing to up that humidity to 80%, your substrate is bad and the coir will be messy and get all over stuff.

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

 

[KarenSoCal]

Not seeing urates means they are well hydrated! Good job on the soaking!

However, the low humidity is a problem, and just changing the substrate won't solve the issue. I'm guessing you have them in an open topped enclosure.

It is impossible to achieve and maintain the temps and humidity needed by your babies in an open topped enclosure, especially here in SoCal with our dry climate. All your heat and moist air just go out into the room.

You really need to get them into closed chambers ASAP to prevent pyramiding of their shells. There are several ways of doing that, so if we could have a couple pictures of your enclosure, we can offer suggestions. Include some of your lights and heating, so we can see if improvements can be made.

Where did you get your babies? Are you aware that they need to be separated soon?

Read that care sheet that Maggie just posted for you. Come back with questions. We'll be happy to help you get everything straightened out.

Oh...welcome to the forum!