new mommy

[sullylover]

Hi I bought my new baby on 11/13/10. The lady at the pet store did not know crap. She couldn't answer any questions. Can you help me? I wanted to know his/her age and if she looks like a healthy sulcata. I live in Phoenix, AZ. On a normal day in the summer it can be up to 120 degrees with zero percent humidity. I plan on keeping Buddha(his name) inside for a while. Any tips? I am a very nervous first time mommy.

 

[Laura]

Start reading the sulcata section!!!
and read some more!
Welcome to the family!!!
your baby looks a bit dry.. give him a good warm soak in shallow water,, start feeding him Spring Mix salad to start him off right...
what kind of eclosure are you keeping him in? Make sure he is plenty warm with a good humid hide and let him settle and dont handle too much to start off with. it can stress them out.

 

[Sweetness_bug]

Congrats on being a new mommy. He/she is pretty! Still young. Not sure on exact age but someone more expierenced on here will let you know. Welcome to the forum!

 

[jensgotfaith]

Woohoo and welcome! As Laura mentionedwe need a bit more info on the enclosure, foods, lighting and heating, etc. Tom wrote a really good post on caring for Sulcata hatchlings and babies. It should answer a lot of your questions. Your baby does look dry though, a good soaking regularly and misting a few times a day so that it drips is helpful. I just got a little one myself and they're so much fun. My big guy,Tex Wasabi, is 6 years old and 60 lbs and is amazing. I'm completely in love!

 

[sullylover]

Start reading the sulcata section!!!
and read some more!
Welcome to the family!!!
your baby looks a bit dry.. give him a good warm soak in shallow water,, start feeding him Spring Mix salad to start him off right...
what kind of eclosure are you keeping him in? Make sure he is plenty warm with a good humid hide and let him settle and dont handle too much to start off with. it can stress them out.

I have him a tank( i forgot the size but its real big) with pellets. He loves the Spring Mix but he doesn't like the soaks. I have him under the lights for about 13 hours a day. I tried feeding him the hay but he doesn't care for it.

 

[Marty333]

Welcome!! The poor thing looks a little beat up. Kudos to you for rescuing him/her!! Im guessing he is about 6 months. That is just a random guess but he looks older than my 3 month old. Yeah he def. needs a soak!

 

[Sweetness_bug]

Start reading the sulcata section!!!
and read some more!
Welcome to the family!!!
your baby looks a bit dry.. give him a good warm soak in shallow water,, start feeding him Spring Mix salad to start him off right...
what kind of eclosure are you keeping him in? Make sure he is plenty warm with a good humid hide and let him settle and dont handle too much to start off with. it can stress them out.

I have him a tank( i forgot the size but its real big) with pellets. He loves the Spring Mix but he doesn't like the soaks. I have him under the lights for about 13 hours a day. I tried feeding him the hay but he doesn't care for it.

Well I wouldnt use the pellets they dont help the humidity. (all pet shops have them on the pellets at least they do here.) I would use cypress mulch or coco coir. As for th Hay usually they wont really eat that till there older but its good to try to get them started on that now. Lots of greens.! Spring mix is a good start.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi sullylover:

Welcome to the forum!! May we know your name?

Here's a good place for you to start, then if you have specific questions we're happy to help you:

http://tortoiseforum.org/Thread-How-To-Raise-Sulcata-Hatchlings-and-Babies

(And your baby can still be called a "hatchling" )

 

[sullylover]

Hi sullylover:

Welcome to the forum!! May we know your name?

Here's a good place for you to start, then if you have specific questions we're happy to help you:

http://tortoiseforum.org/Thread-How-To-Raise-Sulcata-Hatchlings-and-Babies

(And your baby can still be called a "hatchling" )

My name is Becca

 

[moswen]

welcome! my daughter loves your nail color, we had to stop reading this post and stare at the picture for ever before i could continue.

well, as eveyrone said he looks a bit dry, and i can see the very beginnings of pyramiding on him. you gotta keep him on something that holds humidity and pour water on it every few days. i use cypress mulch, you can get coco coir or use organic soil or lots of different substrates, give him a humid hide box, keep his temps up so that he doesn't get a respiratory infection with the wetness. soak him 15 minutes a day, and spray him until he drips inbetween soakings. his pyramiding pattern may already be set, but you want to do all you can to try to alter it if it hasn't.

spring mix is good, they won't eat hay as babies, so just give it up for a few years. you can also feed him mustard greens, turnip greens, dandelion greens, endive, escarole, kale, squashes, opuntia, aloe, agave, grape leaves, fig leaves, mulberry leaves, you can get a great sulcata seed mix here: www.sulcatafood.com and you can grow that in his enclosure with him.

live plants in the enclosure also help keep the humidity up, and they provide a place for your baby to hang out if he's feeling the need for a bit of moisture. keep a shallow water dish in his enclosure, keep it clean, he'll poop in it a lot.

that's basic care in a nut shell. this is immediate requirements stuff but you'll need to read a lot more! once you get this down there are lots and lots of articles into the wonderful world of keeping sulcatas. welcome to it!

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Hey Becca...Rebekah just gave you some great advice so I will go make some popcorn and watch DWTS...welcome to the Forum you will love it here. Your baby is cute as heck, give him a soak if you haven't yet and do that daily. Get him off the pellets and ask any questions you have...

 

[laura808]

Welcome! Dont worry. I was so nervous when I first got Otis that I could barely sleep, but now I know that he is healthy and im sure that Buddah is too. Make sure to keep him moist and take him outside for some supervised playtime. Very cute! Please post more pictures of him and his tank! By the way, i love your nails!
-Laura <3

 

[sullylover]

This is his area for now. We used the 'Coco stuff". We made a lil house for him with my tupperware and hay. He likes sleeping in it. He really wasnt up for pictures this morning. I will take more pics of him later today. Thank you all for all your wonderful suggestions.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Hatchlings like a dark secure hide so I personally would get him a different one. A half log serves well or you can make up one, but dark and secure is what they want...your humidity needs to be about 80% to prevent pyramiding...read this, it's important...

http://tortoiseforum.org/Thread-How-To-Raise-Sulcata-Hatchlings-and-Babies

 

[sullylover]

Hatchlings like a dark secure hide so I personally would get him a different one. A half log serves well or you can make up one, but dark and secure is what they want...your humidity needs to be about 80% to prevent pyramiding...read this, it's important...

http://tortoiseforum.org/Thread-How-To-Raise-Sulcata-Hatchlings-and-Babies

ok ty so much. We have a therm in there and it is about 80% humidity. I will get him a lil log today

 

[chairman]

You could just keep the hide you are using but attach something to the ceiling of the hide (like a sponge) to make it more cozy, and color in the sides with a non-toxic marker to make them more opaque. Having a hide with a sponge on the roof is one of the recommended methods for creating a humid hide.