Safe for baby sulcata?

kyriaki

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Hello guys,
These grow a lot in my back yard, anyone knows what kind of plant / grass they are and if they are safe to feed my baby sulcata? Thanks ?
 

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KarenSoCal

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Hello, and welcome to the forum!

I'm not good at ID'ing plants, especially ones that grow where you live! ?

But there are apps that can help if they're available in Cyprus.

I especially like Seek. You can download it from the App Store or Google Play Store.

Another is Picture This, which is also in the above app stores.

When you ID the plant, then you go to www.thetortoisetable.org.uk to find out if it's safe for a tortoise to eat.

We have another member from Cyprus. He isn't on the forum all the time, but we'll see if we can catch him.

@Tolis Can you help here?
 

Tolis

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Good morning ladies. Kyriaki those are safe to feed but in my experience they dont like them they will eat them if theres nothing better available. They are supposed to eat grass as well but they will go for something tastier if they have the option. When your sulcata grows big and need more food Im sure he will happily mow the lawn as well.
Mallow (μολοχες) are a good option as well as they taste good and grow everywhere. DO NOT give τσουκνίδες, κραμπί, as they are toxic to tortoises. Download the application "tortoise table" and check everything before feeding it to your sulcata.many plants look innocent but they are not. In Cyprus you can easily find year-round hybiscus leaves and flowers and mulberry leaves (μουρια), dandelions, opuntia pads (παπουτσοσυκοφυλλα). You dont have to buy food theres plenty everywhere.
Check the care guides posted on this forum for sulcata care and the guide for feeding. I believe both are written by Tom. There's a goldmine of knowledge here much more than the best vets in Cyprus can offer.
Be sure to keep your sulcata well hydrated in a proper heated setup otherwise it will not survive the night temps in winter. Dont use mercury lamps they are tort killers I learned that the hard way ?. Do not listen to petshops and vets they are all ignorant.
Here to help if have any more questions you can send me a DM or tag me.
 

kyriaki

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Thank you so much @Tolis . Very helpful information. I try to follow Tom’s guide for feeding and enclosure. Will definitely find some of those in my neighbourhood !! Lots of useful information here. Thanks you guys
 

KarenSoCal

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@Tolis It's nice to see you back! Don't be gone so loooong next time! ?

@kyriaki In case you haven't seen it, here is the most up-to-date and accurate care sheet you can find for a sulcata.


And here are a few more...Please don't be overwhelmed. Anything you need help with, like if something isn't available, just tag Tolis. He will be an excellent resource for you.


For Those Who Have a Young Sulcata:



4 elements of heating: By Tom
There are four elements to heating and lighting:

Basking bulb. I use 65 watt floods from the hardware store. I run them on a timer and adjust the height to get the correct basking temp under them. I also like to use a flat rock of some sort directly under the bulb.

Ambient heat maintenance. I use ceramic heating elements or radiant heat panels set on thermostats to maintain ambient above 80 degrees day and night for tropical species. You'd only need day heat for a temperate species like Testudo or DT.

Light. I use LEDs for this purpose. Something in the 5000-6500K color range will look the best. Most bulbs at the store are in the 2500K range and they look yellowish.

UV. If you can get your tortoise outside for an hour 2 or 3 times a week, you won't need indoor UV. If you want it anyway, get one of the newer HO type fluorescent tubes. Which type will depend on mounting height. 5.0 bulbs make almost no UV. You need a meter to check this: https://www.solarmeter.com/model65.html
 

Tolis

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You can share pics of your setup it will be easier for us to give you advice. Get something with a lid on top to maintain humidity levels and use fine bark not coco peat for substrate. My sulcata died from eating coco fibers.
You are probably surprised with how much you have to buy to create a suitable habitat since the petshop that sold you the sulcata probably only offered to sell you a mercury bulb if any. Sad truth is that 99% of sulcatas and leopards sold in Cyprus die within the first year. Thats why you dont ever see any adult sulcatas.
It's also hard to find a bulb for basking since hardware stores only sell led bulbs that dont emit any heat. I had to buy one online. Get a temp gun to measure basking temp.
 

kyriaki

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Thank you for this! Actually I didn’t buy her from a pet shop but from a friend who got it from a breeder. I don’t have a closed enclosure (at least not yet) but I always keep the temperature above 25 degrees and humidity around 75-80%. Basking temp is around 35. At night I cover the whole thing which increases humidity above 85% but the temperature drops at 20 (not sure how to keep the temp up without a lamp). I use orchid bark as a substrate. I keep a shallow bowl of water and a humid hide (which btw if you could advise on how it looks would be great because I wasn’t sure what to use). The heating lamp is 60 or 65 watt I think, and its on for 8-12 hours but I don’t have a UV lamp. I take her out when its sunny around 2x a week for as many hours as the sun is up (with available shade of course). Now that the weather is changing maybe I should get a UV if no sunlight is available? However I’ve seen some posts about lamps that burn tortoises eyes so I wasn’t sure which one to get and from where. I soak her everyday for 30 mins at least, if she doesn’t try to climb out she might soak for an hour or so, sometimes soaks twice a day. I know the enclosure it’s a little small but she is staying there until I can figure out what is the best enclosure to buy or make. I was initially going for a wooden table but after my research on this forum I don’t aim for dry enclosure.

ps - Sorry for the long text. Any suggestions and advise would be highly appreciated as I am new with tortoises. I have her for around 2 weeks now. Thanks ?? ?
 

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Lyn W

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Hi and welcome,
Many of us use a ceramic heat emitter (CHE) run through a thermostat for night heat because it just gives heat, so the tort has darkness to sleep. The thermostat keeps temps even and stops it getting too hot which would overheat your tort.
What do you cover the tub with?
For UVB, T5 HO tubes and fittings are commonly used, with separate food basking bulbs.
I can't see if your lamp in the picture has a clamp fitting it to the side, but if so they have been known to fail and start fires, so it's better to hang lamps, that way they can be raised or lowered to adjust temps.
The lamps that have been known to burn tort eyes are the coiled and cfl type so avoid those and the MVB all-in-one (heat, light and uvb) lamps can dry and damage shells so they aren't recommended anymore. Red lamps often confuse torts and encourage them to eat things they shouldn't.
Karen's given some great advice above and included Tom's heating/lighting guide so refer to that.
 

Tolis

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Pet stores sell ceramic lamp holders best if you use those for fire safety for your CHE and basking bulbs.
 

Jan A

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Pet stores sell ceramic lamp holders best if you use those for fire safety for your CHE and basking bulbs.
Why pay pet stores 2 or 3 times as much? Go to a feed store, Tractor Supply, Home Depot, etc. & look for a "brooder lamp" & pay under $15. They come with a hook & a clamp (don't use the clamp). Pick the lamp with the ceramic bulb holder & make sure it handles the wattage of your CHE or bulbs.
 

Tolis

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Kyriaki how is your sulcata doing. Keep us updated!
 

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