Need Help !? (How to care for young sulcatas)

[Vvalencia7974]

Hi ! I was given two 1 year old SULCATAS . I was given them because the individuals no longer could take care of them ! I need some help on how to take care of them ! I was told joining this would be helpful !!! Tips and care please!!!

 

[wellington]

Read the caresheet in the sulcata section. Also read the closed chamber threads. House them in their own enclosures as they should not be kept in pairs, even if the previous owners did.
After you read all those threads, come back with any questions.

 

[Krista S]

Welcome to the forum! Here is the care sheet that @wellington was referring to. It is the most current and trustworthy information you’ll find.

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...

www.tortoiseforum.org

One of the most critical things to know right away (as @wellington also mentioned) is that the 2 tortoises can’t be housed together. One will always bully the other and this usually doesn’t end well for one of the tortoises. Typical signs of bullying is following each other around and sleeping together or on top of each other. Usually the things that humans think is cute is actually warning signs. It’s not worth the risk to wait for these signs.

 

[Vvalencia7974]

Than

Welcome to the forum! Here is the care sheet that @wellington was referring to. It is the most current and trustworthy information you’ll find.

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...

www.tortoiseforum.org

One of the most critical things to know right away (as @wellington also mentioned) is that the 2 tortoises can’t be housed together. One will always bully the other and this usually doesn’t end well for one of the tortoises. Typical signs of bullying is following each other around and sleeping together or on top of each other. Usually the things that humans think is cute is actually warning signs. It’s not worth the risk to wait for these signs.

Thank you so much this helped a lot ! I do have some questions though ! The enclosure that I was given is an outdoor one . It’s like the tortoise Zoo Med one but hand made. Would that be okay if the Sulcatas are about over a year ?!? In addition, it seems that they already have some pyramiding ?!? I have heard it is not reversible so what is there anything I can do to better their shells ?!??

 

[AgataP]

Than

Thank you so much this helped a lot ! I do have some questions though ! The enclosure that I was given is an outdoor one . It’s like the tortoise Zoo Med one but hand made. Would that be okay if the Sulcatas are about over a year ?!? In addition, it seems that they already have some pyramiding ?!? I have heard it is not reversible so what is there anything I can do to better their shells ?!??

Hi!
Could you possibly post pictures of your new babies and the enclosure?
it will give us a better idea of what is going on.
Two bulldozer woohoo that is gonna be fun.
Welcome to the forum.

Pyramiding can’t be reversed but it can be stopped.

 

[Maro2Bear]

Make sure you start giving your soaks good long daily soaks in warm water. Not too hot, definitely not cold.

Start doing that today & separate asap as well. Good luck.

If you don’t have a large area than can easily accommodate two large tortoises, Id start to look to rehome one of them.

 

[Tom]

Than

Thank you so much this helped a lot ! I do have some questions though ! The enclosure that I was given is an outdoor one . It’s like the tortoise Zoo Med one but hand made. Would that be okay if the Sulcatas are about over a year ?!? In addition, it seems that they already have some pyramiding ?!? I have heard it is not reversible so what is there anything I can do to better their shells ?!??

The enclosure you were given is totally unsuitable. We will help you figure out a better way. What size are the tortoises? Can you measure them with a ruler? Put the ruler abasing a wall, then gently place the front of the tortoises shell against the same wall on top of the ruler, and look straight down at it.

 

[Vvalencia7974]

Hi!
Could you possibly post pictures of your new babies and the enclosure?
it will give us a better idea of what is going on.
Two bulldozer woohoo that is gonna be fun.
Welcome to the forum.

Pyramiding can’t be reversed but it can be stopped.

Of course ! I will do so as soon as I can ! I never planned on taking care of tortoises here I am ahha but I couldn’t help seeing those babies without a home !

 

[AgataP]

Of course ! I will do so as soon as I can ! I never planned on taking care of tortoises here I am ahha but I couldn’t help seeing those babies without a home !

Ha yes totally get it. We are here to help. Enclosures will need to be changed etc. but as Tom said above we can help figure this out.
Everyone here is to help with torts.

?

 

[Alethea111]

Hey there! We have owned sulcatas for years! I’m not saying we have the best setup but it works great for us! Get a shallow long and wide tub like for storing wrapping paper keep the lid off feed strictly Romain lettuce for the first 2 years then you can start introducing new foods, (NO WATER BOWLS!!!!) as they get most of they’re moisture and water from lettuce, but they don’t get enough so a tub with shallow warm water is perfect for soaking every day, on the bedding coconut fiber works best! NO SAND, but you can use grass clippings,Timothy hay, and others. I’d suggest NO FAKE PLANTS as they will try eating them which can lead to a blockage. Put heat on one side which should stay about 80-90 then put uvb on the other side which should stay 70-78 that way they don’t get to hot or to cold! I hope that helps

 

[Yvonne G]

Hey there! We have owned sulcatas for years! I’m not saying we have the best setup but it works great for us! Get a shallow long and wide tub like for storing wrapping paper keep the lid off feed strictly Romain lettuce for the first 2 years then you can start introducing new foods, (NO WATER BOWLS!!!!) as they get most of they’re moisture and water from lettuce, but they don’t get enough so a tub with shallow warm water is perfect for soaking every day, on the bedding coconut fiber works best! NO SAND, but you can use grass clippings,Timothy hay, and others. I’d suggest NO FAKE PLANTS as they will try eating them which can lead to a blockage. Put heat on one side which should stay about 80-90 then put uvb on the other side which should stay 70-78 that way they don’t get to hot or to cold! I hope that helps

Oh, Alethea, this is just so so wrong!!

We're trying to educate new sulcata keepers on the way we all should have been caring for sulcatas lo these many years but have been doing it wrong.

Your shallow wrapping paper tub needs the lid in order to keep the warm, moist air inside (sulcatas hatch during the monsoon season - wet and hot!!).

Romaine is ok as a small part of a more varied diet, but is far from being an only food source.

The whole gets-his-water-from-his-food thing is just plain wrong. Baby tortoises should be soaked in warm water daily.

Grass clippings and hay mold when wet and baby sulcatas need to have a moist substrate to simulate the monsoon conditions.

There is no hot weather/cold weather dynamic in Africa where these babies come from. There is just hot and hotter. We recommend keeping your closed enclosure at 80-85°F all over the whole enclosure, day and night.

All this is written out for you in the sulcata care sheet that's pinned towards the top of the sulcata section.

 

[wellington]

We have large tortoises that get soaked like every couple weeks. It true tortoises get plenty of moisture from their lettuce, I admit not enough for what they need but it does help, I’m not going to fight you! Listen, the tortoise forum is so that kind people can give their own personal advice not to have people fight! Or try to prove them wrong

Your info is so old and outdated and wrong. You are giving bad advice. We try to educate those stuck in the old way. Do you realize that just feeding romaine is basically feeding water only? You are asking people to feed their tortoises foos that has no real value. If its added to other good foods it can be fed but not by itself and for two years. If you admit your way may not be the best way then why in the world would you not want to improve your care? You eat romaine and nothing else for two years and let us know how it goes. Just as bad as raising a tortoise in a small aquarium or any aquarium for its life. Its cruel and inhumane.
Open your mind to take in the better healthier more accurate ways of caring for a tortoise. A live tortoise and a thriving tortoise are two different things.
Start helping yours to thrive instead of just surviving. The amount and years of knowledge on this forum totally outweighs yours. Members have friends in the homelands of some of the tortoises and observe them in their natural habitat and shares that info so we can better ours.
Just like any animal, proper nutrition is needed.
Again, open your mind to learn better!

 

[wellington]

Hi! My name is Alethea! I’ve owned sulcatas for 30+ years! I am going to ask that because people cause heartache and trouble I ask that people do not post negative comments! I got upset at Yvonne G because she decided to cause trouble and that’s why I posted a bunch of negative comments! I truly say I’m sorry, I agree with every comment because it’s what works for different people! I only posted those because I’ve made mistakes with critters! I’ve lost a chameleon, a bearded dragon,a tortoise, a snake, and etc... i feel so bad for all those critters! But I can’t look at it as being bad because I know that I will always learn from my mistakes, so I ask that you all consider others ideas because maybe it is something that works, the reason I say thing is because I want to make sure that others don’t make the same mistakes as I have! The animals I lost are ones I loved very dearly! They were my heart animals! It will always be a learning experience no matter how sad it may be! I love animals and I love others and people so I don’t want people to lose their animals! Thank you for reading and I hope this helps others understand

Same reasons we are responding to the care info you are posting. It's very bad for our tortoises the way you suggest. Way more then 30 years of combined correct info on this forum. If a newbie sees your care and follows it they will have heartache!
This is a friendly forum and what we do is help the bad care that pet stores breeders and people like you that are stuck in the old incorrect ways are doing or spreading.
Again, eat romaine only for 2 years, it even sounds bad.

 

[Alethea111]

I know that I should always look for better and improved ways and I will! I understand that maybe some comments will upset others! But one thing that we can all agree on is it will always be a learning experience. You know what? People will always have their opinions, but I’ve got a 265 pound 36 year old that I raised from a hatchling! Here’s some photos of ours! Thank you(-: the photo with the girl sitting beside the largest one is our

 

[Alethea111]

Same reasons we are responding to the care info you are posting. It's very bad for our tortoises the way you suggest. Way more then 30 years of combined correct info on this forum. If a newbie sees your care and follows it they will have heartache!
This is a friendly forum and what we do is help the bad care that pet stores breeders and people like you that are stuck in the old incorrect ways are doing or spreading.
Again, eat romaine only for 2 years, it even sounds bad.

Exactly! But what if it really has worked for us for 30+ years? All of our sulcatas are super healthy and grow about 4-6 inches a year until about 20 years old them they slow down to about 1-2 inches a year

 

[Alethea111]

Exactly! But what if it really has worked for us for 30+ years? All of our sulcatas are super healthy and grow about 4-6 inches a year until about 20 years old them they slow down to about 1-2 inches a year

Listen, let’s not post any more bad comments or post because your ways work great for you! And my ways work great for me(-:

 

[wellington]

Listen, let’s not post any more bad comments or post because your ways work great for you! And my ways work great for me(-:

Have not posted bad comments. Stating what is truth.
You need to open your own mind and learn what is better. It doesn't even make sense to feed only romaine for 2 years.
Have some concern for the nutritional care of your tortoises. Have some care for their insides.
I truly hope for the sake of any more babies you have to learn the proper way to raise them. They will eat a lot more then romaine or they wouldn't survive in the wild. No romaine out there!

 

[AgataP]

I know that I should always look for better and improved ways and I will! I understand that maybe some comments will upset others! But one thing that we can all agree on is it will always be a learning experience. You know what? People will always have their opinions, but I’ve got a 265 pound 36 year old that I raised from a hatchling! Here’s some photos of ours! Thank you(-: the photo with the girl sitting beside the largest one is our

The pyramiding suggests that your way doesn’t work. Sorry.