New here! Advice on shell?

[TaylorLO]

My boyfriend and I have 2 baby sulcatas, we got them late September, early October this year and we were told they were 3 months at the time. Recently we have noticed dark rings around their scutes and I've read that this is the start of pyramiding and other places I've read say that they are growth rings.. What are your guys' opinions? We want to do what's best for them, they are like our babies lol.

 

[Yvonne G]

That's their new growth, but if you don't get them into a more humid environment very quickly you're going to see pyramiding. You can almost see it starting now. Wet your substrate. Cover the habitat. Soak them daily for about 15 or 20 minutes.

...and Welcome to the Forum!!

 

[TaylorLO]

Thank you! I soak them daily but they refuse to stay in the water for that long, they try and climb out after, the longest, 8 minutes. Should I keep them in there anyway? I do mist them and their bedding throughout the day but wasn't sure if it actually does anything, but now I know it does!

 

[Yvonne G]

You need to put them into a tub they can't climb out of. I use a dish pan.

 

[TaylorLO]

I will try using a dish pan instead. And what exactly should we cover their habitat with? They are in a turtle table and we have clamp lamps on the sides of it.

 

[Yvonne G]

Your lights need to point straight down. We have a few horror stories here on the Forum about the clamp failing and starting a fire, or smoking the substrate. I like to use the Zoo Med Light Stand, but it's a bit pricey. You can make a stand fairly easy with PVC or galvanized pipe, or even wood. Here's a picture of a stand I made last year:




Then you can cover it with cooking foil, over the lights and all.

Or if you use a screen of some sort, you can cut out holes for the lights to sit on the screen.

 

[tortadise]

Welcome

 

[pam]

Welcome Sooooooooooooooooo cute

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Hello and welcome to the TFO from AZ. Have a great tort day !

 

[TaylorLO]

We will have to build that! Thank you for pictures! And thank you everyone for the warm welcomes!

 

[tortdad]

Welcome

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Welcome to TFO!