Newbie :) Is my sulcata beginning to pyramid?

[Crazy1]

Hi vanessammm, welcome to the forum. I would have agreed with Kate and gotten a edible log from Wal Mart if you have one in your area they have two different sizes. No the torts do not try and eat them. They are unable to climb on them thus taking away the threat of them flipping themselves. Also you have your lights sitting on a screen. If any of those are UVB they are not getting any UVB down to the substrate or your tort. Screen, glass etc will not let the UVB rays pass though or block out most of them. There should be NO barriers between your UVB lamps and your tort. Just an FYI. And as has been said before if you can correct what is wrong now his new growth will be smooth and as young as he is you will more than likely not even be able to tell. I would suggest you invest in a good humidity guage, as well as a good thermometer. Place them at substrate surface level to see what your humidty and temps really are.

 

[nrfitchett4]

I would be careful of the edible logs. they tend to mold easily if your humidity is high.

 

[Meg90]

My tort has never tried to eat them. I also use one in my BP cage, and I have the humidity between 40 and 70% without a problem...

The can get kind of sticky if you spray water directly on them, but that is just the honey I suppose. As long as you are not pouring water on it, it should be completely fine.

Also, since they are not as hard and compact as wood, if you did buy the larger size, you could probably cut it to fit length-wise.

 

[Crazy1]

I would be careful of the edible logs. they tend to mold easily if your humidity is high.

I have been using the edible logs for several years. If they get wet really wet like in the sprinklers (used them outside) or rain they will loose there shape. I have yet to have one mold. I have used them in enclosures where the ambient humidity is 40-70 and have glued a sponge to the top and keep it wetand No mold I have done this with this log for a year. As long as you are mindful of what is in your enclosure check the "furnature" when you clean it you should be fine. And yes I mist mine. I just make sure it is not saturated as I said they will degrade if kept wet-really wet. I personally do not like the wooden logs especially the corner logs as the hatchlings will climb on them and I have found many of mine on their back with the edible logs they can not climb on them.

 

[TKCARDANDCOIN]

Welcome to the forum vanessamm, I think your tortoise looks great as well as your enclosure.I have had my sulcata for five or so years and I am always learning something new about her.My wife and daughter enjoy her just as much as I do.She is a BIG part of the family and she eats like a horse!!!Good luck with bowser,tom.

 

[nrfitchett4]

I have yet to see mine able to climb her hides, I think they are still too big for her:
http://www.reptiledirect.com/cornercabana.aspx
I got the medium ones and put lots of hay in there for her to dig down in.

 

[Crazy1]

nrfitchett4 the wood hides do work fine. I have some that I have outside for my larger torts. It s just my preference to us the edible logs. I have to this date not had a problem with them either trying to eat them nor climbing them however I did have both Greek hatchlings http://tortoiseforum.org/thread-4509.html ((scroll down its about the 6th pic) and the Greek was only about 4 weeks old) and DT hatchlings climb the wooden logs and upon trying to get down flipped. The DT were fosters and had fairly soft shells so they were not able to flip back over (scary). Please note this is just my preference. I know a lot of people use the wooden hides without any difficulties at all I just have had some scary times with them and like to decrease my anxiety.

 

[Yvonne G]

I have an over-abundance of half-log hiding places because when people turn in their turtles and tortoises they usually give me all the equipment they have too. However, I'm planning to look for the edible hiding places next time I'm at Wal-Mart or Petsmart. I, like you, Robyn, have had trouble in the past with the little ones climbing on the half-logs and falling on their backs. I've lost two eastern box turtle babies this year because of that.

Yvonne

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I have half logs in all of my habitats and have never had a problem with them...but being disabled I am home all the time and being obsessive I am constantly looking at my animals and paying attention to them. So I have never lost an animal because of them...I like them because they provide a good place to sleep and they provide the opportunity for activity...

 

[vanessammm]

So I bought Bowser a half log last week, and basically he hasnt come out too much since I got it put in there. He doesn't really burrow too much anymore either. Is this normal? He used to burrow every night in the corner of his enclosure. He doesn't seem any less active he just loves hanging out in his log like a trap-door spider. Should I be worried?

 

[nrfitchett4]

I wouldn't worry. he probably feels safer in there. it is a good place to nap. Mine has started to burrow a little bit in one of hers, but not much.