Katelyn Miller
New Member
I rescued a baby sulcata from some a guy who obviously didn't care for him. He had lights and the tub he's in is big enough, but the lights were never on, he never had water or food and was kept right by a window (we live in Oregon! it's much too cold for that!) His enclosure was caked with dog fur and had dried little turds everywhere. His shell was dry and dusty and looked like it had been damaged slightly and healed. I watched him for about a month and none of this changed so I asked if I could have him and luckily the owner didn't seem to care one way or another. I didn't know a single thing about tortoises so I joined a Facebook group and did some research here and on youtube, and felt that even though I have a lot to learn at least I'll try and care unlike his old owner. By the time he's big enough to need a larger enclosure we should have a heated barn for the winter and outdoor area set up for him for the summer.
So fast forward about a year and I thought we were taking great care of him. Daily soaks, a diet of mostly grasses and weeds (dandelions are his favorite) with the occasional cactus pad or bit of kale. His heating lamp is on 24/7 and the UVB is on for roughly 12 hours a day. He has a rock right under his heater, and a little wooden tunnel on the far side of his enclosure next to his water. I have dirt on the side with the heater to give him the chance to burrow (though he never has) and bark on the side with the water because he kept getting the water super gross every ten minutes lol. I have a misting spray bottle that I lightly spray the enclosure down with every day. I thought I was doing a pretty good job!
But I just don't think, or rather I KNOW his heater isn't warm enough. Now that summer is coming I'm less worried because I can bring him outside to warm up but I was very worried during the cold months. I was told that heat from under the shell isn't good for them, otherwise I would have gotten one of those basking rocks that people use for bearded dragons or a heat pad or SOMETHING. I really need tips on how to make his enclosure warmer!! His enclosure doesn't look exactly like the picture anymore because he kept knocking over the succulents (should have expected it lol) so we took them out, and shifted things slightly so now the tunnel is next to the water rather than in front of it.
So fast forward about a year and I thought we were taking great care of him. Daily soaks, a diet of mostly grasses and weeds (dandelions are his favorite) with the occasional cactus pad or bit of kale. His heating lamp is on 24/7 and the UVB is on for roughly 12 hours a day. He has a rock right under his heater, and a little wooden tunnel on the far side of his enclosure next to his water. I have dirt on the side with the heater to give him the chance to burrow (though he never has) and bark on the side with the water because he kept getting the water super gross every ten minutes lol. I have a misting spray bottle that I lightly spray the enclosure down with every day. I thought I was doing a pretty good job!
But I just don't think, or rather I KNOW his heater isn't warm enough. Now that summer is coming I'm less worried because I can bring him outside to warm up but I was very worried during the cold months. I was told that heat from under the shell isn't good for them, otherwise I would have gotten one of those basking rocks that people use for bearded dragons or a heat pad or SOMETHING. I really need tips on how to make his enclosure warmer!! His enclosure doesn't look exactly like the picture anymore because he kept knocking over the succulents (should have expected it lol) so we took them out, and shifted things slightly so now the tunnel is next to the water rather than in front of it.
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