My new baby!

[Deana Campbell]

Hello everyone! I'm new...... I got a baby African sulcata that was walking across the parking lot at my place of business! They are NOT native here. I knew this little one was not common. I usually put our children's names with nail polish on the back and release. But I couldn't with this one! I took her to the vet to verify that she was not a protected gopher turtle from here and it was verified that she was an African sulcata and I was lucky to find her. Thank goodness cause my children had already named her within the three days we had her. Her/his name is "tiny". How do I verify if it is male or female? Forgot to ask the vet. :/ I have had tiny for a little over a month. I have a lot to learn, so any advice is greatly appreciated as we intend to keep tiny. Yes, I have a wil planned for her! Lol. She loves romaine but I have no sweet grass around here. Learned she will eat egg shells by observing her trying to eat sea shells outside. Other than that, I have also been giving her antibiotics as it seems she caught a cold while running wild. Vet told me to use cantaloupe to put antibiotics on, but fruit is bad and besides, she is eating it on the romaine. She likes collards and Brussels sprouts too. But need more diet ideas please. Thanks!

 

[Lyn W]

Hi and welcome
You will find lots of good information under the Species Specific section. including a caresheet and a detailed diet sheet written by a very experienced sulcata keeper.

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/forums/sulcata-tortoises.88/

Romaine is OK in moderation but doesn't have a lot of nutritional value - as you will see there is so much better available for them out there.
www.thetortoisetable.org.uk is also a helpful guide on tort safe plants for food and enclosures.
The Beginners Mistakes thread is also great for finding out what to do or not to do and so avoid problems encountered by others,
(link below).
The Enclosures thread is full of good ideas for making a happy and safe home for your tort.
It may be a long time before you can sex your tort difficult to tell when they are youngsters.
Can I ask why you put your children's names on wild torts? It seems a strange practice to me.

 

[Deana Campbell]

Hi and welcome
You will find lots of good information under the Species Specific section. including a caresheet and a detailed diet sheet written by a very experienced sulcata keeper.

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/forums/sulcata-tortoises.88/

Romaine is OK in moderation but doesn't have a lot of nutritional value - as you will see there is so much better available for them out there.
www.thetortoisetable.org.uk is also a helpful guide on tort safe plants for food and enclosures.
The Beginners Mistakes thread is also great for finding out what to do or not to do and so avoid problems encountered by others,
(link below).
The Enclosures thread is full of good ideas for making a happy and safe home for your tort.
It may be a long time before you can sex your tort difficult to tell when they are youngsters.
Can I ask why you put your children's names on wild torts? It seems a strange practice to me.

I was raised on a 72 acre farm, we would do it to the wild box turtles for fun and would actually see them again as we grew. It was harmless, just fun to see them again after the change of seasons in the Caroline's. So if I found it, I would write my name on it. Kind of our way of tagging them. Unless my mother just didn't want more pets, lol. It was a thing farmer kids did in my day. So doing it with my kids is like passing on a farmers tradition. But as I stated already, sulcata is not native here. So we do it to the native box turtles.

 

[Lyn W]

I was raised on a 72 acre farm, we would do it to the wild box turtles for fun and would actually see them again as we grew. It was harmless, just fun to see them again after the change of seasons in the Caroline's. So if I found it, I would write my name on it. Kind of our way of tagging them. Unless my mother just didn't want more pets, lol. It was a thing farmer kids did in my day.

I think I have read that paint etc could block vital uvb rays - so it could be harmful. Apart from that I just love the beauty of their natural shells.

 

[Deana Campbell]

Ok, obviously you are fixated on this nail polish topic. Shoot me! Good luck with this group! I shall find another! Geessh! Nothing like being welcomed with scrutiny when I came for help? Wow! I did spend the time reading the link while you insisted on making your jabs. Have fun with that. Hope you feel superior in making others feel "strange".

 

[Deana Campbell]

Ok, obviously you are fixated on this nail polish topic. I came for help and get scrutinized on how "strange" I am over a name on a turtle. You make it as though I described painting the WHOLE shell! While reading the link you provided, you insult me as I do! I think your strange and overbearing and quite frankly, obstructively rude! Obviously you feel superior with vindictive insults! So be it! Your the estranged one for not accepting multicultural aspects. Deflate your balls and have a nice life!

 

[Lyn W]

Ok, obviously you are fixated on this nail polish topic. Shoot me! Good luck with this group! I shall find another! Geessh! Nothing like being welcomed with scrutiny when I came for help? Wow! I did spend the time reading the link while you insisted on making your jabs. Have fun with that. Hope you feel superior in making others feel "strange".

I am sorry you have taken offence at my last post. I am not fixated on nail polish - it is just my personal preference.
Please don't leave just because of that - your tort will benefit greatly from all the up to date information here - I am just a minion in a pool of highly experienced keepers who very kindly share their methods with us. If I had been making jabs at you I wouldn't have taken the time to point you in the direction of the caresheets etc. I hope you change your mind.

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Hello Deana

I think your little one is to young to sex !

This will help you when the tort gets older !

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

Hope you feel superior in making others feel "strange".

Deana, I'm hoping that you're still here with us. Things you should know in regard to diet. In the "real world" sulcata rarely come across fruits. As a result of this, they have a poor digestive reaction to sugary fruits,(fine-they get the runs). While small,(under 5") they will enthusiastically eat broad, leafy weeds. But after that the primary diet should be grasses. Low protein-high roughage greens producing firm, cigar shaped bowel movements. Yes the supermarkets carry tortoise type foods, but when it's advertised as a super food for us humans it's just starting to be vitamin packed for a tortoise. Please stick around here. I know Lynn and trust me when I say she meant you no ill will. Keep asking questions and keep learning.

 

[hingeback]

Welcome to the forum.

 

[meech008]

Ok, obviously you are fixated on this nail polish topic. I came for help and get scrutinized on how "strange" I am over a name on a turtle. You make it as though I described painting the WHOLE shell! While reading the link you provided, you insult me as I do! I think your strange and overbearing and quite frankly, obstructively rude! Obviously you feel superior with vindictive insults! So be it! Your the estranged one for not accepting multicultural aspects. Deflate your balls and have a nice life!

Lol that was probably one of the rudest things I've ever read as a response to someone who was genuinely trying to help you. I know Lyn meant no offense to you and was just stating her opinion that she has cultivated through reading the material she gave to you. I hope you do come back to learn some more about your new baby to give it the best life it can have now that you've rescued it. It's great that you have such a large property, I'm sure Tiny will love that. Welcome to the forum.

 

[Speedy-1]

Hi and welcome Deana and Tiny , hope you change your mind and stay with us !

 

[Deana Campbell]

Lyn, looking back, I was rude. I apologize. I was frantic at why Tiny was knawing at the shells in my asphalt driveway. Scared that I had no knowledge other than common sense told me she was calcium searching. In my panic, doubting my vets fruit recommendation, felt I was alone and was too impatient. I wasn't in the mood to debate multicultural differences. I was googling all the while and also found that they like hard boiled eggs and that the shell provides calcium while the yolk some protein if you will. She loved the egg! I was also panicking that perhaps I shouldn't be keeping tiny if I cannot properly provide for her. But truth be told, she has even stolen my 250lb hubby's heart. So I have read all the advice that was given here, checked out the menu that grandpa turtle has displayed. I appreciate your time and advice that was offered.

 

[Lyn W]

Glad you decided to stay - you won't find better advice for torts anywhere.

 

[Gillian M]

A very warm welcome to the forum!

Glad to know that you've decided to stay.

 

[NicoleB26]

Am I the only one who notices that the picture posted is a box turtle...not a sulcata??

 

[Cali tortoise]

Hello everyone! I'm new...... I got a baby African sulcata that was walking across the parking lot at my place of business! They are NOT native here. I knew this little one was not common. I usually put our children's names with nail polish on the back and release. But I couldn't with this one! I took her to the vet to verify that she was not a protected gopher turtle from here and it was verified that she was an African sulcata and I was lucky to find her. Thank goodness cause my children had already named her within the three days we had her. Her/his name is "tiny". How do I verify if it is male or female? Forgot to ask the vet. :/ I have had tiny for a little over a month. I have a lot to learn, so any advice is greatly appreciated as we intend to keep tiny. Yes, I have a wil planned for her! Lol. She loves romaine but I have no sweet grass around here. Learned she will eat egg shells by observing her trying to eat sea shells outside. Other than that, I have also been giving her antibiotics as it seems she caught a cold while running wild. Vet told me to use cantaloupe to put antibiotics on, but fruit is bad and besides, she is eating it on the romaine. She likes collards and Brussels sprouts too. But need more diet ideas please. Thanks!

Hello

 

[SarahChelonoidis]

Am I the only one who notices that the picture posted is a box turtle...not a sulcata??

Picture posted where? The one in the OP is a sulcata.

 

[dmmj]

the current avatar in attached file are both
sulcatas. salutations by the way glad you decided to come back

 

[Specialkisstal]

Welcome to the forum!