New sulcata owner - some ?'s

[rwfoss]

Hello,

My name is Rick and my wife and I were recently given a small African Spurred tortoise from a friend in the neighborhood. We have experience keeping different exotic pets, such as a bearded dragon, crested gecko, and many invertebrates (tarantulas, scorpions, etc.). I have done research online and purchased "A Beginner's Guide to Tortoise Care" by Andrew and Nadine Highfield.

I am already starting the process of building him a larger enclosure, although the tank he is in now will do until it is finished. He did not have any heat/lighting until he came to us, but he now has a UBV and a basking light. Since getting him four days ago, we have provided alfalfa, fresh cut greens (mustard, a little baby spinach, and a little kale), as well as a grass pellet product (add water and mash up) made for sulcatas. However, I do not think he/she has eaten anything since coming to us.

Is this a matter of "they will eat when they're hungry," or should offer something special to at least ensure he is eating something (fruit, tomatoes, etc.)?

Any help will be appreciated, and I look forward to hanging out and getting acquainted with other tortoise owners!

Rick
Florence, AZ

 

[Jupiterannette]

Welcome! there are tons of posts on here about habitats and such..

the most important things i can pass along to you are...

high fiber low protein and add calcium... for the diet.. that means no alfalfa too high in protein, go for timothy hay... and dark leafy greens like kale and spring mix, collard greens and dandelion greens....

75-80f for the main temp, and 100-105f for the basking area

keep the humidity high to avoid pyramiding. a good moist substrate like Cyprus mulch works well.
oh yeah and they need to be soaked in dechlorinated water each day for a few mins. (they cannot swim, so make it warm and shallow)

and plan ahead.. than cute little thing is gonna be over 100 lbs and eating like a horse and pooing like one too in about 10 years.. or less....

and have fun..

also look into mazuri pellets, and zoomed grassland tort pellets, they are the only ones i would recommend, as there actually made of good stuff... anything fruity colored is bad! stay away from sugary stuff like carrots and fruits... there ok for TREATS!

she/ he is a cutie!

 

[jlyoncc1]

Welcome! Like said above, no alfalfa. Also, you should really stay away from spinach and cabbages. Escarole, dandelion greens and other dark greens are good to feed. I only give fruit as a rare treat. You should be able to find the care sheet on here for sulcatas. You may want to try soaking your new guy in some warm water. He may be dehydrated and the temps in the enclosure may not be warm enough. You should give a calcium supplement or some people even through in a cuttle bone for them to nibble on. There are alot of great posts on here with lots of info. Good luck!!

 

[Tom]

I agree with Jupiterannette on all of that. However, the lack of appetite concerns me as these are tropical torts and they do not hibernate, so they should be hungry all the time. Bump the temps up, give them a shallow warm water bath and if the temp is in the high 60's or better and sunny, get him outside for some sunshine and exercise. Make sure he has some shade available at all times and make sure he's safe from predators, both wild and domestic. I like to use a large basin, like a bathtub, for soaking so they can move around a lot in the warm water and get some movement going. Keep the temps around 80 at night too. If you don't see some interest in food after all of that you probably should get him to a qualified reptile vet. There is a listing of them here on the forum.

There is a lot of good info here on the forum for proper care and housing and I also like: africantortoise.com and ivorytortoise.com. The folks here on the forum showed me these sites and they are great. After you get settled in and eating pay particular attention to the pyramiding info on ivorytortoise.com. The man's name is Richard Fife and he know's what he's talking about.

 

[evabug1]

Hi,

Congratz and Welcome. I'm a new sulcata owner too. Looks like you may have a hatchling there (>1 year old). If it is you want to soak it in lukewarm water every day for 10-15 mins only up to the level of where the plastron (bottom of shell) and carapace (top shell) meet. Soaking stimulates them to eliminate. Watch to see if it's drinking. What gallon size is your tank? How many days has it not eaten? If the previous owner didn't have heat/lighting with the current temps in AZ I would be concerned that it might have a respiratory infection and if so it needs to see a Vet that has tortoise experience ASAP. Signs of a respiratory infection are bubbling at nostrils, repeatedly wiping nose, lethargy, lack of appetite, etc. It would be a good idea anyway to take your sulcata in for an exam and fecal. There is a link with a list of TFO vets at the main forum page.

You've already got some great info from more experienced members. It seems like there is a lot of advice and opinions out there. The best advice I've gotten is read, read, read. The vet I went to suggested Fife's book on Sulcata was good. As far as diet it's supposed to be 80+% grasses and weeds. I'm feeding mine organic spring mix and a small quantity of dark leafy greens until I can get tortoise seed mix from these sources: http://www.carolinapetsupply.com/catalog/ , http://www.sulcatafood.com/ . There are some great lists on acceptable and poisonous plants online.

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Rick:

to the forum!!

You've gotten some good advice, I'd only like to add that I feed the babies Spring Mix until they get a little bigger and better able to bite. Spring Mix is sold in the produce section of the store in the packaged lettuces area.

It is already washed and clean, however, I usually sprinkle some water on it so that the baby is getting a little water along with his greens. And for the really small babies, like yours, I cut it up in tiny pieces.

You might try to find out what the baby was eating before you got it and feed it that same way for a while.

 

[Stephanie Logan]

Welcome to the forum!

Does your wee hatchling have a name yet?

Are you hoping for a boy or a girl?

Good luck with your enclosure, diet and care routines. Your baby will pay you back by growing large and strong. Check out this thread on one of TFO's Sulcata celebrities: http://tortoiseforum.org/thread-10446.html

 

[tortoisenerd]

For a tort that isn't eating, try to feed exactly what the previous owner was feeding and then improve from there. Many times the tort won't recognize what you are feeding as food yet. Another thing is to make sure there is a hide right next to the food, and right next to the basking spot (if they don't warm up to the 80s they won't eat, and they won't bask if they don't feel safe). Pure calcium (no D3 needed when you have UVB as they can be overdosed when it becomes toxic since it is fat soluble) sprinkled over the greens daily while the tort is a hatchling. Best wishes.

 

[BethyB1022]

You've got some great tips so far, just wanted to say welcome! Thanks for sharing pictures your new buddy is adorable!

 

[rwfoss]

Thanks for the great advice - and so quickly! I love these type of forums because you usually get proper adive from experienced owners.

The previous owner was feeding alfalfa and what looks like romaine lettuce. He may have eaten some of the alfalfa, but I sure haven't caught him doing it yet.

He's had one soak so-far because one source said to only do it 2 times per week at this age. So he will be getting one as soon as I get home this evening. I am also going to be making him a bookshelf-type habitat this weekend so that he has plenty more room to roam around in.

And I have named "him" Gus. (He looks like a grumpy gus.) I know it is hard to tell the sex at this age, so we may have to change it eventually.

I have already got a great tortoise vet located, as two of my co-workers own tortoises. I will be taking Gus in for a check-up shortly anyway, but will try the prior advise immediately.

Thanks again for the welcome!!

 

[Tom]

Grumpy Gus? You must have a little one. Wow Wow Wubzy!

 

[jobeanator]

its good to soak sulcatas, they really benefit from it. getting your sulcata on the right diet is key also. if your still having problems with him eating, usually i soak mine and they are ready to eat. your habitat your constructing sounds good and big is also better for sulcatas since they need tons of room. i have mine in xmas tree storage bins and kiddie pools for the winter time since i live in the sticks! oh, also when buying a light, defently look online then buying them in stores. they charge wayyy too much in stores. what i use for my lighting for my sulcatas and others is zoo med powersun. there really good bulbs. some people also use the t-rex megaray which ive never used, but i heard also is good. anyways show pictures of your enclosure when finished!

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Hi and Welcome. You've already gotten great advice so I won't offer more of the same. Except...Gus is a baby and needs to be treated like a baby. He needs food like what Yvonne said, Spring Mix cut up into small pieces for his small mouth. Sprinkle your calcium powder over his greens. As for him not eating he may be very stressed out from his previous care and moving to your house. Make sure he has a basking temp of 95 degrees. His internal temp needs to be 80 degrees or more so that he can metabolize his food. So make sure of the temps and just think about him as a stressed out baby and keep him warm and quiet. Because he IS a baby his tiny mouth really can't eat hay just yet so I am willing to bet he has just eaten enough to barely keep him alive. Hatchling tortoises are prey to several predators, so they stay hidden most of the time, so put his pile of food there, then leave him so he doesn't see you standing over him like a giant predator. Keep hanging around here and asking your questions and we'll sure try like heck to help you...
I also have a Sulcata, he is Bob, 80 pounds of personality. Read around the forum and you'll find Bob pictures as he is loved here...oh and soak Gus in warm water everyday...

 

[rwfoss]

Just a quick update on Gus.

He started eating a day after my last post, and this weekend, he was introduced to his new home. Good substrate, lots of room, etc. He spent the first day walking around, checking everything out, taking bites of dandelion every time he walked by them. He is getting his warm baths daily, which he seems to enjoy.

Thanks again for the help. I'll be around...

Rick

 

[Maggie Cummings]

It's always a relief when they settle in...

 

[jobeanator]

your enclosure looks really good. mine also love dandilions when they get to go outside! your sulcata looks happy and im glad hes doing good

 

[Stephanie Logan]

Just a quick update on Gus.
He started eating a day after my last post, and this weekend, he was introduced to his new home. Good substrate, lots of room, etc. He spent the first day walking around, checking everything out, taking bites of dandelion every time he walked by them. He is getting his warm baths daily, which he seems to enjoy.
Thanks again for the help. I'll be around...
Rick

He looks much more like gregarious Gus in this photo! On a roll...