New Sulcata owner - concerns!

[Outatime]

Hi Guys

Back again and now a proud owner of an adult Sulcata named George, he is about 6 years old from what I can gather and a real beauty, I picked him up locally a few days ago and just have a few concerns I wanted to ask your opinion on please.

Obviously it's still early days but he doesn't seem very active, I was expecting him to be a little more inquisitive but he just has a quick wonder around the garden them plops himself down and doesn't really move much. How much should he eat as he doesn't seem to have a huge appetite either unless he is eating more grass than I have seen, I gave him a bowl of veg today early afternoon and he ate half but still not seen him drink yet and I have placed bowls all over the place.

Right now he is sleeping in a tote in my garage till his dog house I ordered arrives next week but wonder if I am doing anything wrong as he seems really subdued and shy. Is it because he is getting used to his new surroundings maybe ?

Hope someone can offer some advice please as I am still learning.

Thank you

Stu

 

[wellington]

Congrats. I would soak him in warm water every day for 20-30 minutes until you see him drink on his own. He may and most like has been raised too dry. Also, they do need time to get used to their new surroundings. What kind of veg are you feeding?

 

[gustaf]

Yard grass and weeds really are gonna be the best thing for him as a staple diet, which you probably already know. But if it was always fed salad type greens sometimes it takes em a little while for them to catch on to grass. Also if the weather is a bit on the cool side. He may not be apt to eat much.

 

[Tom]

Where are you and what are your temperatures like?

How does a 6 year old sulcata still fit in a tote? How big is your tortoise?

What are you using for heating and lighting?

Dog houses don't work very well. They are not insulated well enough, too drafty, and the doors are much too big and allow all your heat to escape. Here is what I do:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-86632.html
Or this
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-66867.html
And this one works best of all:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-28662.html

 

[Outatime]

Thanks Guys, he seems better today having a walk and munching on grass , I gave him tomatoes and carrots which he ate half of yesterday, I just expected him to be a big eater I guess, will try soaking him but need something big enough to put him in, I take it I just have the water just above his feet?

What starter foods would you guys suggest I start him with first. Also how much do you think? Or do I monitor what he eats and measure for that? Is once a day feeding ok?

Thank you

Stuart

 

[Tom]

Here is a diet sheet:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-76744.html

 

[Outatime]

Hi, sorry just replying when your message popped up. Thanks for the links will take a look when I get home.

I am in Central Florida which doesn't normally get below 30 degrees in winter , don't have a light or heatpad anything for him as I keep reading conflicting reports on what I need in normally hot central Florida.

He fits in the tote but can't move around, he is large so didn't know what else to do with him at nights, it's not uncomfortable he just can't turn around but he is otherwise in the garden a all day, when I left he was sunning himself.



Thanks

Stuart

 

[wellington]

If your weather is good that he can graze outside, let him graze. Try giving him some hay, orchard or alfalfa added to his grazing. Mazuri tortoise diet is another good food to add into a varied diet. Check out thetortoisetable.org.uk for more edible items. Do not give tomatoes, only once in a great while as a treat or not at all, they don't really need it. Let him eat as much as he wants and make sure water is provided always.

 

[Outatime]

Btw this was the house I ordered

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004M0QUC6/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

I thought it would be ok? With a bit of modifying of course like a door to shut at night etc

Thanks

Stuart

 

[Tom]

These are tropical tortoises. They need warm temps year round, day and night. They can sometimes survive colder temps, but its not good for them, and its outright dangerous in your wet humid climate. If he is not active and eating, it is most likely due to being cold. What is the night temp there right now? Cold and damp is a recipe for disaster. If he's big enough to live outside then he needs a proper heated house for cold winter nights and days. In summer you'll have to provide him with a good place and way to cool down, or allow him to burrow.

 

[Outatime]

Thanks for your help so far Tom it's much appricated. Weather right now at nearly midnight is 55 degrees with a high tomorrow of 72 with no humidity. He is back in the big tote right now in my garage.

Are you saying I need a heat lamp on 24/7 for my Sulcata in his house and or a heat mat? Can you please suggest what size I might need please.

Today was a good day for George he was a lot more active and fed well and came to me as I put it down for him so I think he is getting used to his new surroundings.

I do plan on building a tortoise play area shortly so he will have somewhere to burrow in a week or so, just need supply's to get started.

Btw George is about 20" in size.

Thank you

Stuart

 

[Tom]

Are you saying I need a heat lamp on 24/7 for my Sulcata in his house and or a heat mat? Can you please suggest what size I might need please.

Yes. When the night temps are dipping into the 60s or lower and the daytime highs aren't getting all that high, they need a spot to warm up and stay warm. Basically our summers are like their weather year round over there. Your summers are pretty close to their " hot rainy season", and my summers over here are more like their "hotter dry season". You don't necessarily need a "heat lamp", but your tortoise needs a heated area for cold days and nights. Darkness at night is important too. Overhead heat lamps on large tortoises are problematic. They heat too small of an area and not enough. What ends up happening is a large tortoise under a heat lamp isn't getting warm enough due to contact with the cold ground and too much of the body being too far from the heat source. So they sit under the heat bulb and it cooks the top of their carapace, while the bulk of their body still isn't getting warm enough. You'd need a bank of over head lamps making a very large heated area and the bank would have to be set at the right height to not over heat the highest point of the tortoise, yet still be warm enough to heat the bottom of the tortoise. Its just not practical for the big torties.

Here are three practical ways to get it done:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-86632.html
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-66867.html
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-28662.html

Keys here are: Insulation to keep the heat in and the cold out, silicone caulking to stop drafts and water, and large heating elements that do not concentrate the heat in one small spot.

 

[Outatime]

Hi Tom

Sorry for the delay in replying been doing work on my new Sulcata house. As you know I had previously ordered a dog house so I had to go through with using that. I have reinforced the floor with plywood, used laminate flooring over that too to help with cleaning up and maybe keep the warmth in a little, blocked up the large front door and will be installing a lower door on the side with a ramp that folds up and locks the door and will be installing insulation on the ceiling and walls once that's done.

Couple of questions if you don't mind, first I want to order a heat pad but not sure what size to get, as I said he is a big boy about 20" long x 13" wide. Any ideas please? Also I guess I need a thermostat for it too? Could you please recommend one for me?

Will update with photos soon.

Thank you

Stuart

Are you saying I need a heat lamp on 24/7 for my Sulcata in his house and or a heat mat? Can you please suggest what size I might need please.

Yes. When the night temps are dipping into the 60s or lower and the daytime highs aren't getting all that high, they need a spot to warm up and stay warm. Basically our summers are like their weather year round over there. Your summers are pretty close to their " hot rainy season", and my summers over here are more like their "hotter dry season". You don't necessarily need a "heat lamp", but your tortoise needs a heated area for cold days and nights. Darkness at night is important too. Overhead heat lamps on large tortoises are problematic. They heat too small of an area and not enough. What ends up happening is a large tortoise under a heat lamp isn't getting warm enough due to contact with the cold ground and too much of the body being too far from the heat source. So they sit under the heat bulb and it cooks the top of their carapace, while the bulk of their body still isn't getting warm enough. You'd need a bank of over head lamps making a very large heated area and the bank would have to be set at the right height to not over heat the highest point of the tortoise, yet still be warm enough to heat the bottom of the tortoise. Its just not practical for the big torties.

Here are three practical ways to get it done:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-86632.html
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-66867.html
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-28662.html

Keys here are: Insulation to keep the heat in and the cold out, silicone caulking to stop drafts and water, and large heating elements that do not concentrate the heat in one small spot.

 

[Outatime]

Hi Guys, maybe Tom isn't around to answer my question but can anyone else help please?

Thank you

Stuart

 

[Tom]

Sorry Stuart. My time on the forum is sporadic and I didn't see this yesterday. Don't hesitate to PM in the future. I can't keep track of it all sometimes, but I'm eager to help.

I like the Kane 18x28" mats for the big boys (and girls...). I'm not sure of the dimensions of your dog house, but the tortoise needs to be able to get off the mat, but still be in the warm house at night. I also don't think a mat alone is enough for the odd unusually cold night. I like to use overhead radiant heat panels, as shown in that thread. Yes, your heat mat needs to be on a thermostat. You can set both heating elements on the same thermostat.

In the summer months I either set the thermostat down to 70, or just unplug it all. In the winter months, I like to set them at 80-85, since the nights are cold here and the tortoise won't be able to warm up all that much on a cold winter day.

 

[Tfdaisy]

Sorry Stuart. My time on the forum is sporadic and I didn't see this yesterday. Don't hesitate to PM in the future. I can't keep track of it all sometimes, but I'm eager to help.

I like the Kane 18x28" mats for the big boys (and girls...). I'm not sure of the dimensions of your dog house, but the tortoise needs to be able to get off the mat, but still be in the warm house at night. I also don't think a mat alone is enough for the odd unusually cold night. I like to use overhead radiant heat panels, as shown in that thread. Yes, your heat mat needs to be on a thermostat. You can set both heating elements on the same thermostat.

In the summer months I either set the thermostat down to 70, or just unplug it all. In the winter months, I like to set them at 80-85, since the nights are cold here and the tortoise won't be able to warm up all that much on a cold winter day.

Tom-_With the heat mat, do you cover them with Coir or something? I would think it isnt good to have them lay directly on the mat. Also I love the pictures of your enclosures. In the middle one (large green house) is that a space heater? Is that safe with wood covering the front?

 

[Outatime]

Hi Guys

Been a few weeks since I posted and had a few questions please.

The weather has gotten a little warmer at nights here in Central Florida and have noticed George has not been going to his heated house and has been sleeping outside under a bush at nights.

On the flip side before that I had a couple of days where George would not come out of his house even in nice weather, is this normal?

Today was warm but had a strong shower for a couple of hours and he just dig a little and sat under a hedge all day. Hope he is ok.

Thanks

Stuart



Proud owner of George the Sulcata since 2/25/2014.

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