Sulcata always looks dry

[Tim I]

Hey everyone
So kind of a long post but

Just looking for some advice or opinion on Rocky and how he always seems dry especially the shell, scales on his neck and face.

Over the winter I noticed his urates were starting to get a little gravely looking so I increases his soaking from once a week to 30 min 3 times a week. Now his urates arnt gravely but his neck and shell still look really dry and have for the last 2 months

Now on how is being kept, he is a little over 3 years old right at 20 inches long and weighs 38lbs, healthy appetite, walks all the time and has normal poops
Lives outside full time with a heated house that has a space heater and radiant heat panel, constant temps of 90
Grazes on grass in the yard for most of his food, gets mazuri twice a week, opuntia pads a few times a month and always has cuttlebone
He always has fresh water in a big saucer, but naturally Iv never seen him drink

Also it seems like the grooves between some of his scutes are really deep
He is supposed to be of Sudanese origin and I have heard that’s a trait they carry but just wondering because it looks nothing like my other sulcata

 

[wellington]

Do you spray down, have misters or run sprinklers to add humidity to his outdoor enclosure? This should help.

 

[Tim I]

Do you spray down, have misters or run sprinklers to add humidity to his outdoor enclosure? This should help.

I have a bucket of water in his heated box that is able to keep the humidity inside the box around 60%
I’m hesitant to spray down the actual inside of it incase it molds

The yard he’s in has a sprinkler that comes in every other day

I live in south East texas stays pretty humid down here most days

 

[TammyJ]

I think he looks good.

 

[wellington]

I have a bucket of water in his heated box that is able to keep the humidity inside the box around 60%
I’m hesitant to spray down the actual inside of it incase it molds

The yard he’s in has a sprinkler that comes in every other day

I live in south East texas stays pretty humid down here most days

No, I never meant for you to spray the box. 90 is a bit high in my opinion for the box though. I would personally drop it to 80-85

 

[Tim I]

I think he looks good.

Thanks I’m just not sure if I’m being paranoid lol

 

[Tim I]

No, I never meant for you to spray the box. 90 is a bit high in my opinion for the box though. I would personally drop it to 80-85

Gotcha I’ll try dropping it to 85 for awhile and see if it helps
Thank you

 

[wellington]

Gotcha I’ll try dropping it to 85 for awhile and see if it helps
Thank you

Keep in mind, I'm assuming you are locking him in the box at night? If not and he can go in and out as he pleases day and night, then you can leave it.

 

[Tim I]

Keep in mind, I'm assuming you are locking him in the box at night? If not and he can go in and out as he pleases day and night, then you can leave it.

Nah I don’t lock him box at night, the back yard is pretty secure

 

[Tom]

Nah I don’t lock him box at night, the back yard is pretty secure

Its in the 60s at night there. That is much too cold. He needs to be in a heated box kept at 80 degrees. I bump it up to 86 in winter when the outside daily highs are lower, and bump it down to 70 in mid summer when out daily highs are over 100 every day.

How are you heating the box? What heat source does he have?

Nobody's backyard is secure from rats, raccoons, fire ants, and other such pests. Lock him up at night for safety and for warmth.

 

[Tim I]

Its in the 60s at night there. That is much too cold. He needs to be in a heated box kept at 80 degrees. I bump it up to 86 in winter when the outside daily highs are lower, and bump it down to 70 in mid summer when out daily highs are over 100 every day.

How are you heating the box? What heat source does he have?

Nobody's backyard is secure from rats, raccoons, fire ants, and other such pests. Lock him up at night for safety and for warmth.

Fair enough on the back yard not being secured from pests

The night box is heated with a space heater and a radiant heat panel on a thermostat and insulated, I used one of your designs you posted a few years ago

It’s supposed to start getting to the low 90s during the day and 70 at night in the next few days so you’re saying I should drop the box temp to low 80s?

 

[EricW]

Looks pretty good to me. Where you are at, humidity is good most of the year outside. A nightime cool down is good and I would agree with previous statements on the night box temps. Tom has good guidlines for the different times of the year as they align well with your area.

The issue right now with the warmer temps is more than likely your stuff turns on quickly and then shuts off quickly. But in that short time can be pretty hot from the heating elements. More than likely drying the air out and then eventually the humidity catches back up.

I'd either turn off the space heater and just use the panel or put both on a rheostat. Lower heat for a more prolonged period should help keep the air from drying out.

 

[Tim I]

Looks pretty good to me. Where you are at, humidity is good most of the year outside. A nightime cool down is good and I would agree with previous statements on the night box temps. Tom has good guidlines for the different times of the year as they align well with your area.

The issue right now with the warmer temps is more than likely your stuff turns on quickly and then shuts off quickly. But in that short time can be pretty hot from the heating elements. More than likely drying the air out and then eventually the humidity catches back up.

I'd either turn off the space heater and just use the panel or put both on a rheostat. Lower heat for a more prolonged period should help keep the air from drying out.

Ahhh I gotcha
Makes sense
I’ll try it with just the panel and see how it works
Thank you!

 

[EricW]

Ahhh I gotcha
Makes sense
I’ll try it with just the panel and see how it works
Thank you!

And to clarify, long prolonged heat is also drying, but because you have a bucket of water in there, it should work more closely like a sauna or a humidity box.

 

[Tom]

Ahhh I gotcha
Makes sense
I’ll try it with just the panel and see how it works
Thank you!

I like the way Eric is thinking here. I prefer to use the minimum amount of electrically generated heat necessary. The box needs to be warm at night, but not hot. If it is getting into the 80s and sunny outside daily, the box only needs to be around 80 overnight. I'd be inclined to just use the radiant oil heater and leave the RHP off, and see if your oil heater can maintain 80 by itself.

 

[Tim I]

I like the way Eric is thinking here. I prefer to use the minimum amount of electrically generated heat necessary. The box needs to be warm at night, but not hot. If it is getting into the 80s and sunny outside daily, the box only needs to be around 80 overnight. I'd be inclined to just use the radiant oil heater and leave the RHP off, and see if your oil heater can maintain 80 by itself.

It shouldn’t be a problem to maintain that temp with just the oil heater
Clearly Iv been keeping it way to hot
I appreciate the advice and the forum

 

[EricW]

Your tortoise looks great though. How did your night box handle the deep freeze that we had before Christmas?

 

[Tim I]

Your tortoise looks great though. How did your night box handle the deep freeze that we had before Christmas?

Handled it great, never got below 88
Was worried about it after first but worked amazing

 

[EricW]

Handled it great, never got below 88
Was worried about it after first but worked amazing

Are you on the ERCOT grid or the MISO grid? I am not on ERCOT, but I know some folks were worried about another power outage. I am on the MISO grid.

 

[Tim I]

I’m on the miso grid but have a back up generator for hurricanes thankfully
Typically if there’s power outage it only last a few hours