Please help my sulcata baby, need advice

Torrtiehibiscus0928

New Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2021
Messages
27
Location (City and/or State)
Los Banos
so I have a few issues going on here its all my fault but now I'm concerned about her health... starting off my baby sulcata is like 8 months old id say she was given to me by a friend who found her in the gutter of his driveway this past summer, she wasn't in good shape but me n my bf got her all the required things n she got wayyyy better but wed being her on the bed to feed her by hand n it overtime became to her refusing to sleep in her cage constant moving staring up at us wanting out so we'd bring her back onto our bed n shed burrow herself under my stomach under the blanket as close to me as she could get I was pregnant at the time n she had to be wedged up on me now shes at the point of needing her inviroment because I can't keep her on me 24 7 now but when I put her into her cage now she eats the substrate ice literally tried every single one I've seen ppl post on here n she still does it n continues scratching on the side of her house she wants out n won't stop till I bring her up n she's happy again. She eats hibiscus leafs n flowers and alfalfa pallets from petco n broccoli n grasses I noticed I was not soaking her as much as I needed to so I started doing it 2 times a day but since then she poops literally 5 6 times a day now its not runny like diharera but its a softer consistency then before what do I do I love her so much
 

Toddrickfl1

Well-Known Member
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 7, 2018
Messages
7,103
Location (City and/or State)
Ga
First are you sure you have a Sulcata? Its way more likely your friend found a desert tortoise. Can you post pictures?
 

Torrtiehibiscus0928

New Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2021
Messages
27
Location (City and/or State)
Los Banos
20210131_152445-jpg.322892


20201109_022840.jpg
 

Toddrickfl1

Well-Known Member
Tortoise Club
5 Year Member
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 7, 2018
Messages
7,103
Location (City and/or State)
Ga
This is not a Sulcata. I think it's a desert tortoise. Wait for someone else to confirm though.
 

Torrtiehibiscus0928

New Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2021
Messages
27
Location (City and/or State)
Los Banos
First are you sure you have a Sulcata? Its way more likely your friend found a desert tortoise. Can you post pictures?
I posted a few I live in central California n to my knowledge around my area we only have water turtles from what I've seen im probably wrong. How can you tell the difference between a sulcata n desert
 

zovick

Well-Known Member
10 Year Member!
Joined
Nov 17, 2013
Messages
3,386
You have a Desert Tortoise. That little scute (the nuchal scute) in the midline above the head clinches the ID. Sulcatas do not have that nuchal scute. The two scutes on either side of the midline meet in the middle and there is no smaller scute separating them in sulcatas. Check the overhead photo in this ad:


I do not have a Desert Tortoise now, but I used to have a couple of Bolson Tortoises which are similar animals.
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,265
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
so I have a few issues going on here its all my fault but now I'm concerned about her health... starting off my baby sulcata is like 8 months old id say she was given to me by a friend who found her in the gutter of his driveway this past summer, she wasn't in good shape but me n my bf got her all the required things n she got wayyyy better but wed being her on the bed to feed her by hand n it overtime became to her refusing to sleep in her cage constant moving staring up at us wanting out so we'd bring her back onto our bed n shed burrow herself under my stomach under the blanket as close to me as she could get I was pregnant at the time n she had to be wedged up on me now shes at the point of needing her inviroment because I can't keep her on me 24 7 now but when I put her into her cage now she eats the substrate ice literally tried every single one I've seen ppl post on here n she still does it n continues scratching on the side of her house she wants out n won't stop till I bring her up n she's happy again. She eats hibiscus leafs n flowers and alfalfa pallets from petco n broccoli n grasses I noticed I was not soaking her as much as I needed to so I started doing it 2 times a day but since then she poops literally 5 6 times a day now its not runny like diharera but its a softer consistency then before what do I do I love her so much
You have a desert tortoise. Sounds like you got the diet and soaking info correct.

Here is the current and correct care info. Most of the info offered for this species is all wrong and much too dry for babies:

What substrates have you tried, what size enclosure, and what type of bulbs are you using? Give us some info and pics, and we will help get you all set up correctly.

Questions are welcome.
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
Platinum Tortoise Club
Joined
Jan 9, 2010
Messages
63,265
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
Well s***.
I did not read it....
I'm a bit OCD about it. More than any other species, I see sulcatas and DTs dying from dehydration due to being housed all wrong as hatchings and small babies. People argue with me about this all the time, but not one of them has done it the way I'm saying to do it. If they had, there wouldn't be any arguing. Baby DTs thrive with daily soaks, damp substrate, a humid hide, and being housed mostly indoors.
 

New Posts

Top