Purchased a baby Sulcata & have a few ?'s

[Misskatiekat]

Hello Tortoise lovers!

We purchased a Hatchling this past Sunday & are trying to accomidate him/her as best as possible. I purchased the heat lamp & uvb lamp & got him set up in a good in door habitat but I would like to upgrade once I find out exactly what I need! I have googled my butt off looking for info & found a ton but alot of it seems to very soooo I would love to hear it straight from a fellow sulcata owners mouth!

He ate the day after we purchased him but hasnt bothered with anything we try to give him since. I bought an organic spring mix (as directed by the guy we purchased him from) he ate that and grass the first day. Since then I have offered him lettuce, grass and alfalfa & he doesnt seem to care. I have given him little soakings in hopes that he will drink. He also seems to sleep alot & I am not sure if this is normal hatchling behavior! However once I turn on the Uvb light or take him out into direct sunlight he seems to perk up and become active but still takes his naps!


I would love to hear any advice you all may have about getting him to eat & maybe some good ideas about substrate everything I have read seems to be across the board and I am not sure which direction to go.

Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you all!

 

[Laura]

Heat is important, as is light during the day.
Dont feed alfalfa, too much protein.
try more of the spring mix with cut up hay sprinkled on top. Hatchlings sleep a lot can be difficult to get setteled. Try things with color. Pumpkin, squash, hibiscus flowers.. see if that stimulates him.
have fun and welcome!!

 

[Misskatiekat]

Heat is important, as is light during the day.
Dont feed alfalfa, too much protein.
try more of the spring mix with cut up hay sprinkled on top. Hatchlings sleep a lot can be difficult to get setteled. Try things with color. Pumpkin, squash, hibiscus flowers.. see if that stimulates him.
have fun and welcome!!

What kind of hay should I give ?
All we have is alfalfa hay and as you said thats too much protein...
Thank you so much for your reply! I'll head to the store for some more colorful food and see what we can do !

 

[Itort]

Ask the person with the alfalfa hay if they have access to grass hay.

 

[Yvonne G]

For babies I like to use the "Salad-style hay" from www.carolinapetsupply.com/

Its clean, smells fresh and is already cut up small enough for the babies to eat. I put out a pile of moistened Spring Mix (a packaged greens mixture you can buy in your produce section of the grocery store) then sprinkle a couple "pinches" of the salad-style hay over the top. For very tiny babies that don't have a good "bite" yet, I cut up the Spring Mix.

Yvonne