I recently bought a Sulcata tortoise. I am not positive on her age but I measured her and she is about 2-2.5 inches long so I would estimate her to be a few months old. I have done a lot of research and read so much about everything Sulcatas need. I’ve read about some people, especially breeders who are really strict with everything, and others are more laid back. Because of this there seems to be a lot of conflicting information around tortoises, I never would’ve thought they could be so complicated! Many people I’ve read tips from seem to be raising multiple tortoises, while I don’t plan on getting another, as of now, and would like to keep her for all my life. Currently I have her set up in a black cement mixing pan that is about three feet long. I put cypress mulch in there along with a decent sized hide, a food bowl, water bowl, and a cuddle bone. She has a heat/UVB combination bulb above, and I am currently waiting on a hygrometer/thermometer that I ordered to come in. Some things I’m a little confused about are diet, heating/lighting, and the specific/different requirements a baby needs compared to an adult. Some people say to leave lamps on all the time, others say to turn them off at night. In the warmer months my house temperature doesn’t go below 75 degrees Fahrenheit at night, but in the winter it could drop to temperatures in the high 60s. I’ve seen some say to never let the enclosure go below 80 degees, and others say that the tortoise is fine as long as the temperature doesn’t go below 65. There’s also the issue of humidity. Do babies really need at least 80% humidity at all times? I plan on soaking her everyday and she will always have access to water, and I also have a spray bottle of water to wet down her enclosure. I’m just not sure with all of that if she still absolutely needs to have very humid conditions at all times. When I think about it, I live in the very dry Arizona desert, though we have been getting some crazy monsoons lately. Considering that, and that when she is older she will be outside in very dry conditions, why exactly does she need such high humidity? Then there is diet. Some say you can feed pellets, others say to avoid them like the plague. Some say certain dark leafy greens are fine for them, like kale and collard greens, but others say to avoid them. I know they should not be a big part of Sulcatas diets, but they have a lot of good vitamins in them, certainly in moderation they wouldn’t be bad for them right? I am also wondering where the best place to find the most natural tortoise food is. Like grasses, clovers, grape leaves, all that good stuff for their diet. I know where to get Timothy and orchard hay, but I know she needs more than just dried grass. The thing is, in Arizona there isn’t much grass, especially in summer, so I am wondering where I get it. Places that do actually have grass, like public parks and such, spray with pesticides so that’s a no go. I’ve thought about growing my own, but I don’t know the first thing when it comes to plants I’m also wondering if babies are any different than adults? Do they need different temperatures, any different foods or supplements, different care, etc? All in all, my biggest questions are on the conflicting information I have seen in my research. I am really curious and genuinely want to know as much as I can from as many people as possible so that my new pet can live a rich and happy life. Any additional tips are also very helpful.