New to site and wondering if my sulcata healthy

[dark0angel_13]

Hi I'm new to this site. Just got my first sulfate tortoise he seems to be doing great. Eats bunches everyday. I feed him mizuri pellets and spring mix. He also lives grapes, watermelon, strawberries, and carrots. He looks healthy to me. His shell is very hard which I'm assuming is good. He is in an enclosure right now it's about fifty gallons. Just until I can make him his own space in the back yard. Any advice in what to do for that?

Also I am posting pics please let me know if he looks good. I want to make sure he is well taken care of I love him so much ( I think he's a boy not positive yet though) so please advice and feedback is appreciated thanks

Also, he is a messy eater, is his face supposed to be all brown? I'm worried about that. And he poops A LOT (lol) he poops every time I hold him and clean him. He is a little shy and nervous around me but I'm hoping that will go away with handling. I don't know exactly how old he is when I got him they said about a year. So please advice is welcome

---

Sulcata tortoise sorry guys. Autocorrect on the iPhone is a pain

 

[wellington]

RE: New to site and wondering if my sulfate is healthy

Hello and Welcome. At first I thought his name was sulfate. He looks very nice. Was well taken care of it looks like. I would cut back on the fruit. Once in a great while as a snack is fine. When you make his enclosure, and even now, be sure to give him some humidity. Upto two years they should have around 80% humidity with temps no lower then 80 day and night.

 

[dark0angel_13]

New to site and wondering if my sulfate is healthy

Okay well once he's outside I'm hoping he will be good. I can't do much for the humidity in my house but I live in Florida so outside is always hot and humid. thank you I'm glad he looks good I think he is absolutely adorable I just love him to death. He's my baby. Oh for the winters though how will I make sure he's warm enough? It does get nippy here. Sometimes as low as 50 degrees will he freeze to death? That's the only thing I'm worried about if I make him an outside enclosure.

 

[wellington]

RE: New to site and wondering if my sulfate is healthy

Until he gets older and bigger, I would bring him in on those cold days and or nights. Then when he is bigger, build him a night box. Like one in this post should work good for you. http://tortoiseforum.org/thread-66867.html. Your humidity in Florida is very good for your sully.

 

[dark0angel_13]

New to site and wondering if my sulfate is healthy

Thank you I'm just glad he looks good. And okay I'll be sure to do that. Oh also, is it possible to feed my tortoise too much? I feed him daily and a lot of food for him but when that's all gone he goes around looking for food and trying to eat his mulch I feel bad but I also don't want to over feed him he seems hungry all the time but I don't want to starve him either.

 

[StarSapphire22]

Re: RE: New to site and wondering if my sulfate is healthy

Oh for the winters though how will I make sure he's warm enough? It does get nippy here. Sometimes as low as 50 degrees will he freeze to death?

I'm not laughing at YOU, but you southern US people always make me giggle. I live in North Dakota...winter is anywhere from 20 to -40 degrees with 20-40mph winds most days and oodles of snow. 50 degrees isn't even jacket weather yet! Lol.

I'll leave it to the handier, more experienced people to give you ways to keep your tort warm.

He's beautiful, congrats.

 

[Tom]

RE: New to site and wondering if my sulfate is healthy

He's much too large for a 50 gallon, but he's too small to live outside full time yet. He needs a large indoor enclosure for night time and cold winter days. (Cold by sulcata standards Star Saph. ) I suggest a 4x8' closed chamber, like this:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-32333.html

When you do finally move him out, here are two ways to do it:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-66867.html
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-28662.html

Stop feeding fruit and carrots. Too high in sugar and not good for them. Here is a thread on what to feed them:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-76744.html

He should be fed everyday, and if you are feeding the right foods, he should be allowed to graze as much as he wants all day.

P.S. I hate that darn spell check sometimes. Why won't it learn the word "sulcata", and stop substituting "sulfate". After the 100th time you'd think the stupid machine would figure it out!

 

[StarSapphire22]

Re: RE: New to site and wondering if my sulfate is healthy

Cold by sulcata standards Star Saph.

Haha. I know.

 

[Yvonne G]

RE: New to site and wondering if my sulfate is healthy

Hi, and welcome to the Forum!!

Actually, there's quite a bit you can do to improve the humidity in your tortoise's habitat. Keeping a moist substrate is one, and having a humid hiding place is another. I use orchid bark. I pour a whole pitcher of water over it and stir it up with my hand. The lights quickly dry out the top layer, leaving a nice moist layer underneath. Then covering the enclosure (I use aluminum cooking foil) keeps the evaporated water inside, making the air in the habitat humid.

 

[sibi]

RE: New to site and wondering if my sulfate is healthy

Hi and welcome fellow Floridian I would try not to handle him too much right now. He's in a new environment and he's stressed. Give him time to know that you aren't a predator. Just let him settle down, get to know his hide and enclosure and you, but, without handling him or picking him up for now unless it's necessary.

 

[dark0angel_13]

Wow thank you all! so many great ideas and wonderful advice! Yes I know my phone aggravates me to no end sometimes with the darn autocorrect. I'll start doing the foil for humidity as well thank you. Right now I have Cyprus mulch and coco coir down but the top of his enclosure is a chicken wire fence so I'll try to foil to keep the moisture in. I'll also cut back on the fruit (though he won't like me too much lol he loves his fruit) I don't want to hurt my baby.

He did have a log but he got too big for it so I'm trying to come up with something else for him to sleep in. The poor thing misses it dearly and sleeps in the spot where it was I feel so bad I had to take it out. Any ideas of what to do for his new home? I can't find a log big enough for him and don't know what to do in replacement.

And I was raised in New Hampshire lol so I know cold. But living in fl for the past twelve years thins the blood out quite a bit. So now a days 50 degrees is cold to me lol. And I figured since sulcatas need high heat I wanted to make sure they didn't freeze to death lol.

Oh there are so many thing I want to try now! Thank you all so much. By the way his name is Jesus (pronounced with an h not the j ) because I got him from and old friend who is Hispanic and I thank my lucky stars that I have him. It is all thanks to The Lord that I was blessed with such a wonderful, healthy sulcata! I love him to death

 

[Tom]

Get a large black dishwashing tub from Walmart for about $2. Flip it upside down, cut out a door hole big enough to fit him and you have a perfect humid hide.