New rescue help!

[Sinisterreef93]

Neighbors were going to set a tub with a young (Sulcata?) in it on the side of the road because “their 8yo was not caring for it and they didn’t want to” so I took it. It has never had uvb or heat lamps, only a led house light bulb. They eyes were closed and would not open at all for them for the past 2 weeks. after soaking for 20 minutes they finally opened and he is trying to move around a little. He is not eating and it almost looks like his mouth is sealed…? What do I need to do to give this little one a chance? It’s my first tortoise so I’m learning as I go. I picked up a basking/ heat bulb and a t5 uvb bulb with fixture for it and a better enclosure than what’s pictured. He is super small. Please help….

 

[nicoleann2214]

Hello welcome to
The forum! @Tom can help you! He’s very good.

 

[nicoleann2214]

I would suggest you buy terra cotta dishes for the water and food. Those types of dishes you have aren’t good especially for a baby

 

[Tom]

Neighbors were going to set a tub with a young (Sulcata?) in it on the side of the road because “their 8yo was not caring for it and they didn’t want to” so I took it. It has never had uvb or heat lamps, only a led house light bulb. They eyes were closed and would not open at all for them for the past 2 weeks. after soaking for 20 minutes they finally opened and he is trying to move around a little. He is not eating and it almost looks like his mouth is sealed…? What do I need to do to give this little one a chance? It’s my first tortoise so I’m learning as I go. I picked up a basking/ heat bulb and a t5 uvb bulb with fixture for it and a better enclosure than what’s pictured. He is super small. Please help….

Here is the correct care info. Follow this and hope for the best:

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

 

[Sinisterreef93]

Here is the correct care info. Follow this and hope for the best:

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

Thank you! This is perfect!

 

[Tom]

Thank you! This is perfect!

You are welcome! Please feel free to ask all your questions. We are all here to talk torts. We do our best to help people miss the common pitfalls and have healthy tortoises.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, and welcome! I can't believe they were just going to 'dump' that poor baby! Thank goodness you were around to rescue it.

To start, babies need to be kept at 80-85F degrees all the time, day and night. And it helps them to grow smoothly if you can set them up in a covered enclosure - covered with the lights inside. Then you moisten the substrate and the baby now lives in a warm, humid environment, like what happens in Africa when they hatch out during the monsoon season.

 

[Sinisterreef93]

You are welcome! Please feel free to ask all your questions. We are all here to talk torts. We do our best to help people miss the common pitfalls and have healthy tortoises.

This is the enclosure I was able to get on such short notice. I know it’s not enclosed and basically impossible to hold 80% humidity. If I was to cover the wire up top with aluminum foil and cut out spots for the lights would that work? Do you have any suggestions on how to make this enclosure work for the time being? It is moving around so much more now but is still not eating. I believe I have gotten everything straightened out minus the eating, a better water dish, and humidity at this point. I know strawberries are a no go but the previous owners swore up and down that he loved them so I was trying to use some with the greens to entice eating at least this one time. Is there anything else I need to fix that you can see?

 

[Tom]

This is the enclosure I was able to get on such short notice. I know it’s not enclosed and basically impossible to hold 80% humidity. If I was to cover the wire up top with aluminum foil and cut out spots for the lights would that work? Do you have any suggestions on how to make this enclosure work for the time being? It is moving around so much more now but is still not eating. I believe I have gotten everything straightened out minus the eating, a better water dish, and humidity at this point. I know strawberries are a no go but the previous owners swore up and down that he loved them so I was trying to use some with the greens to entice eating at least this one time. Is there anything else I need to fix that you can see?

Foil will help, but you still have that chimney effect, and the wooden enclosure won't hold up to the constant damp substrate for very long.

The primary reasons for maintaining high humidity are hydration and pyramiding prevention. Daily soak and a good water bowl will prevent dehydration, and there can be no pyramiding with no growth, so just do the best you can until you can get a better enclosure.

The sugar in fruit like strawberries upsets their gut flora and fauna, which can hamper appetite among other things. Best to not offer it. The tortoise is not eating because something is wrong. Usually environmental parameters. Fix those parameters, which you have, and the appetite should come back. Begging the tortoise to eat with sugary foods will not solve the problems. It will amplify them.

 

[Sinisterreef93]

Foil will help, but you still have that chimney effect, and the wooden enclosure won't hold up to the constant damp substrate for very long.

The primary reasons for maintaining high humidity are hydration and pyramiding prevention. Daily soak and a good water bowl will prevent dehydration, and there can be no pyramiding with no growth, so just do the best you can until you can get a better enclosure.

The sugar in fruit like strawberries upsets their gut flora and fauna, which can hamper appetite among other things. Best to not offer it. The tortoise is not eating because something is wrong. Usually environmental parameters. Fix those parameters, which you have, and the appetite should come back. Begging the tortoise to eat with sugary foods will not solve the problems. It will amplify them.

Alright, thank you! I will not offer them anymore and I will get everything straightened out!

 

[Lyn W]

Hi and welcome and thank you for rescuing this little tort and giving it a chance.
You'll get plenty of help here so ask as many questions as you like - there's always someone around to help.

 

[Maro2Bear]

Good luck with that little guy. ????

 

[Sinisterreef93]

Good luck with that little guy. ????

Thank you!

 

[Big Ron]

He's a cutie that's for sure,glad you joined all the best to you and your little buddy??