New to this!

[Ksimpson1377]

Hi! I am knew to sulcatas! These are our two. Unsure on age of the bigger one. We have a vet appointment in a couple weeks for well checks. Any thoughts on how they look? Why is the little one so much darker on its head and shell?

 

[wellington]

First thing you need to do ASAP is get them housed separately.
They both need to be in their own closed chamber enclosure with 80% humidity.
The bigger one has a lot of pyramiding already which means he was raised dry
The little one has some barely starting so you can get that to stop if you move quick to house them properly.
Please read our caresheet under the sulcata section and closed chamber

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Hello and welcome!

As wellington has said, these two need separating into their own closed chamber set ups. Tortoise of any species should NEVER be housed in pairs under any circumstances, they’re incredibly territorial, behaviours that look cute to us really aren’t, following one another and sleeping huddled up is all bullying the the tortoise world, you’ll eventually see more extreme signs of aggression. Anyone who tells you pairs are fine, have no idea what they’re talking about.

Small groups are ok when there’s lots of land and the correct male to female ratio.

The smaller one could become significantly stunted under the stress, if that’s not already happening.

Hopefully you’ll find this thread I made useful, I go over correct equipment, levels, appropriately maintaining humidity, there’s lots of visual examples and a good diet link to check out

Leopard/sulcata starter

Hello there! In this thread I’m going to include some information below on how I’d personally tackle an indoor starter set up for this guy until they’re bigger. Hopefully it helps give you some ideas! I know it looks a lot to go over, I like to make sure all bases are covered, I’m happy to...

tortoiseforum.org

This is the other care sheet mentioned above

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

This one is also good to get familiar with, it’ll help you avoid the wrong bulbs, materials, housing etc

Common keeping errors

Hello everyone! I’d been a long time lurker on this site long before joining just under a year ago now, over that time I’ve seen these husbandry issues come up time and time again, sometimes with dire consequences☹️ I thought this thread might serve as a good visual guide for these common...

tortoiseforum.org

Hope they help! Feel free to come back with more questions, they’ll always be someone around to help

 

[Ksimpson1377]

First thing you need to do ASAP is get them housed separately.
They both need to be in their own closed chamber enclosure with 80% humidity.
The bigger one has a lot of pyramiding already which means he was raised dry
The little one has some barely starting so you can get that to stop if you move quick to house them properly.
Please read our caresheet under the sulcata section and closed chamber

Thank you! They were just given to us this week by a family member who no longer could care for them and couldn't find them a home. We are debating keeping them or rehoming since they are such a big commitment but want to make sure they are cared for properly in the meantime. I have been researching nonstop since then but there is alot of conflicting information out there.

 

[wellington]

Thank you! They were just given to us this week by a family member who no longer could care for them and couldn't find them a home. We are debating keeping them or rehoming since they are such a big commitment but want to make sure they are cared for properly in the meantime. I have been researching nonstop since then but there is alot of conflicting information out there.

Yes there is a lot of conflicting info out there. Do your research on this forum. We have the most up to date info and from long time tortoise owners that did their own experiments to figure out the best way to raise tortoises to be smooth and healthy.
They are a huge commitment and need lots of room. Specially with two sulcatas that each need their own enclosure.
They are easier to rehome at the size they are now than as larger adults, if that's what you decide to do. At 10 inches they can live outside but will each need a large heated shed for winters.
This forum will help you in any questions you have in keeping them or can help to rehome them.
Good luck.

 

[Ksimpson1377]

Yes, we have plenty of space (100+acres we would justt haveto put a good fence up) for them and a building that could be modified they could have. I don't want to rehome to someone who is going to end up in the same situation I'm in either. Any guess on how old the bigger one is?

Yes there is a lot of conflicting info out there. Do your research on this forum. We have the most up to date info and from long time tortoise owners that did their own experiments to figure out the best way to raise tortoises to be smooth and healthy.
They are a huge commitment and need lots of room. Specially with two sulcatas that each need their own enclosure.
They are easier to rehome at the size they are now than as larger adults, if that's what you decide to do. At 10 inches they can live outside but will each need a large heated shed for winters.
This forum will help you in any questions you have in keeping them or can help to rehome them.
Good luck.

 

[zovick]

Yes, we have plenty of space (100+acres we would justt haveto put a good fence up) for them and a building that could be modified they could have. I don't want to rehome to someone who is going to end up in the same situation I'm in either. Any guess on how old the bigger one is?

The larger one could be 3-5 years old or even more depending upon how it was kept. Less than ideal conditions result in slower growth so that one may be small for its actual age. How long is the larger tortoise? It appears about 6" to me, but with nothing in the photo to show scale, that's just an educated guess.

Do you know the age of the smaller one? it looks about 2 years old to me.

 

[wellington]

It's hard to say the age. When they don't have ideal conditions, they don't grow as fast as they should.
In ideal conditions, they are usually around 10 inches bottom shell head to tail by 2-3 years old.
If you get them set up correctly and with a good diet, they will catch up if they are small for their actual age.
Sounds like you have the room to do good by them.

 

[Ksimpson1377]

The bigger one is 5 inches and the smaller one is just under 3 inches. Me and the kids just came in from collecting 2x4s and 4x4s to make a new/bigger box for the older one.... would 6'x3' be good for the size it is? I attached more pictures of them and what they are currently in. It is definitely too small

 

[Ksimpson1377]

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Thank you! They were just given to us this week by a family member who no longer could care for them and couldn't find them a home. We are debating keeping them or rehoming since they are such a big commitment but want to make sure they are cared for properly in the meantime. I have been researching nonstop since then but there is alot of conflicting information out there.

There is unfortunately so so much misinformation out there! I know first hand what a mind field that is, I know as a newer member it’s understandably difficult to trust us when we say this should be your best only source of information, but trust me stick around and you’ll see why! Every other source at least has some outdated information mixed in, whereas here that’s not the case(you have to check the dates of the posts obviously)

The bigger one is 5 inches and the smaller one is just under 3 inches. Me and the kids just came in from collecting 2x4s and 4x4s to make a new/bigger box for the older one.... would 6'x3' be good for the size it is? I attached more pictures of them and what they are currently in. It is definitely too small

View attachment 379853

That sizing sounds fine for the size they each are for now, I’d definitely make them closed chambers with some sort of topper for whatever the plan isOh also I’d switch that water dish to a terracotta saucer asap, those dishes can be quite hazardous unfortunately

 

[Ksimpson1377]

There is unfortunately so so much misinformation out there! I know first hand what a mind field that is, I know as a newer member it’s understandably difficult to trust us when we say this should be your best only source of information, but trust me stick around and you’ll see why! Every other source at least has some outdated information mixed in, whereas here that’s not the case(you have to check the dates of the posts obviously)


That sizing sounds fine for the size they each are for now, I’d definitely make them closed chambers with some sort of topper for whatever the plan isOh also I’d switch that water dish to a terracotta saucer asap, those dishes can be quite hazardous unfortunately

Curious what is the hazard ? And what sizd saucer? Like big or small? I had a smaller dish in there but then the little one especially kept going all the way in and soaking in it (I assume) and i didn't think it was big enough.

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Curious what is the hazard ? And what sizd saucer? Like big or small? I had a smaller dish in there but then the little one especially kept going all the way in and soaking in it (I assume) and i didn't think it was big enough.

Because of the steeper sides, they can be a flipping hazard and due to the lack of traction in these kind of dishes, it can make it difficult for the tortoise to right itself. There’s been multiple cases.
The terracotta saucers have grip and shallower sides, making it easier for tortoise to self soakone big enough so the tortoise can fit itself in there is fine, they don’t have to be deep

 

[Ksimpson1377]

Because of the steeper sides, they can be a flipping hazard and due to the lack of traction in these kind of dishes, it can make it difficult for the tortoise to right itself. There’s been multiple cases.
The terracotta saucers have grip and shallower sides, making it easier for tortoise to self soakone big enough so the tortoise can fit itself in there is fine, they don’t have to be deep

Oh okay makes sense. Thank you!

 

[Littleredfootbigredheart]

Oh okay makes sense. Thank you!

No problem!