Sulcata growth

Manta503

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Hi all

My sulcata is 3 1/2 and he is about 10inches.
I’ve been looking at other pictures and sulcatas seem to be bigger at this age.
Should he be bigger?
 

Tom

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Hi all

My sulcata is 3 1/2 and he is about 10inches.
I’ve been looking at other pictures and sulcatas seem to be bigger at this age.
Should he be bigger?
Yes, and how do you know its a he at that size? Have you been flashed? Unless you have been flashed and seen a penis, you usually can't sex them until they reach at least 14 inches. Sometimes not until 16-18 inches if they were fast growers.

Most breeders don't start them correctly, and most info sources like breeders, vets, pet shops, YT and FB, all give the same old wrong care info. People house them too cool and too dry and feed them too much grocery store produce. Wrong heating and lighting, wrong UV source, wrong type of enclosure... All these things make them grow slower.

Here is a whole bunch of info, plus a suclata care sheet and a heating/lighting breakdown at the bottom. This should be an eye opener for you:
 

Maro2Bear

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Greetings.

Did you get it as a hatchling?

How & where have you been keeping it?

Torts grow differently depending on lots of things. Their innate genetic make-up, food, housing, humidity, etc. There are lots of factors.

What does it weigh?

Upload some pix.
 

Manta503

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Joined
May 31, 2020
Messages
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Location (City and/or State)
Georgia
Greetings.

Did you get it as a hatchling?

How & where have you been keeping it?

Torts grow differently depending on lots of things. Their innate genetic make-up, food, housing, humidity, etc. There are lots of factors.

What does it weigh?

Upload some pix.
 

Manta503

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Joined
May 31, 2020
Messages
14
Location (City and/or State)
Georgia
D99D8432-5FB1-4D27-A4E0-44EEBD49CA8B.jpeg
Up until 6 months ago
He was kept in enclosed tank with reptifogger, heat lamp, uvb, soaks daily, organic mixed greens, once in awhile fruit and dehydrated fruit mix from store. Exercise daily. He always seemed to be fine going to bathroom, never has had any signs of being sick, once in awhile he has looked dehydrated so I have soaked him more often during the day and added water to food along with some fruit with more water content.
During summer I put him outside for awhile depending on how hot and then he comes inside and gets soaked.
I’m just not sure what I’m doing wrong? I have researched and tried my best to adjust living situations often to care for him but still I am not sure what I am doing wrong.
 

Manta503

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Also, I did did get him as a hatchling. He will not eat the tortoise food recommended - the one that starts with M - I can’t think of the name I’m sorry.
Maybe I was mixing it with too much water to make it soft for him. Not sure if he would eat it now without water added?
I have neglected giving him calcium sprinkles as recommended as often as I should. I recently gave him cuddle bone that he seems to like.
 

Tom

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View attachment 355511
Up until 6 months ago
He was kept in enclosed tank with reptifogger, heat lamp, uvb, soaks daily, organic mixed greens, once in awhile fruit and dehydrated fruit mix from store. Exercise daily. He always seemed to be fine going to bathroom, never has had any signs of being sick, once in awhile he has looked dehydrated so I have soaked him more often during the day and added water to food along with some fruit with more water content.
During summer I put him outside for awhile depending on how hot and then he comes inside and gets soaked.
I’m just not sure what I’m doing wrong? I have researched and tried my best to adjust living situations often to care for him but still I am not sure what I am doing wrong.
Fruit is bad for them. They should never be fed fruit. It messes up their gut flora and fauna.

Grocery store foods are not good for them without serious amendments. They should be eating a wide assortment of weeds and grasses, not lettuce from the store.

They should not be breathing wet air from a fogger. That is bad for them too. A closed chamber should not need a fogger. It if it did, then there was too much ventilation.

How have you been heating and lighting? What was the over night low temperature? Where did you get the tortoise?
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
10 Year Member!
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Location (City and/or State)
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Also, I did did get him as a hatchling. He will not eat the tortoise food recommended - the one that starts with M - I can’t think of the name I’m sorry.
Maybe I was mixing it with too much water to make it soft for him. Not sure if he would eat it now without water added?
I have neglected giving him calcium sprinkles as recommended as often as I should. I recently gave him cuddle bone that he seems to like.
Mazuri. Some like it more than others, but any tortoise needs time to be introduced to any new food. If you just put out the new food without gradually mixing it in with old favorites, few tortoises will just walk up and eat something unfamiliar.

Also, few tortoises like the new LS type without a lengthy introduction. Most of them like the original 5M21 type much better. Which type did you get?
 

Manta503

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Location (City and/or State)
Georgia
Fruit is bad for them. They should never be fed fruit. It messes up their gut flora and fauna.

Grocery store foods are not good for them without serious amendments. They should be eating a wide assortment of weeds and grasses, not lettuce from the store.

They should not be breathing wet air from a fogger. That is bad for them too. A closed chamber should not need a fogger. It if it did, then there was too much ventilation.

How have you been heating and lighting? What was the over night low temperature? Where did you get the tortoise?
 

Manta503

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Location (City and/or State)
Georgia
I had him mailed from Florida pet shop that I researched and seemed to have good reviews.
Oh I thought fruit was ok once in awhile. Also I read that store bought was ok 😔
Spring time I start to give grass and dandelions. I tried Timothy hay in past and he would not eat it.
I tried growing my own veggies in past but failed. This year I am going to try again and work harder at it.
I have been doing the correct heating (I believe) heating during the day, uvb during the day, low heat during night.
Fogged was only done once in awhile when he looked dehydrated along with extra soaks but now daily or all the time. I didn’t know that was bad 😩
I did my best to research sulcata care and so many different things that are said to do.
I am constantly buying new things and changing his environment to try to get the proper things for his care but I guess I am doing majority of things wrong. He always seems very active and happy (I don’t know how else to describe) He comes to me even after being fed. Walks around.
Please educate me more on different things I am really suppose to do. Everyone here has more knowledge than random websites.
I am really trying to do the correct things for him.
 

Manta503

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Location (City and/or State)
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Mazuri. Some like it more than others, but any tortoise needs time to be introduced to any new food. If you just put out the new food without gradually mixing it in with old favorites, few tortoises will just walk up and eat something unfamiliar.

Also, few tortoises like the new LS type without a lengthy introduction. Most of them like the original 5M21 type much better. Which type did you get?
I always tried the original. I would try to put it in with food I always fed him and he would eat around it.
I must not have given it enough time. I was so worried that he wouldn’t eat.
 

Manta503

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Georgia
Also,
He has been in tortoise table for about a year now. I again read at his age, he doesn’t need as much humidity.
Oh why didn’t I ask you guys 😫
 

Manta503

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Georgia
Should I put him back in here when he is not exercising?
 

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Tom

The Dog Trainer
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Also,
He has been in tortoise table for about a year now. I again read at his age, he doesn’t need as much humidity.
Oh why didn’t I ask you guys 😫
Nobody is born knowing this stuff. I was right where you are back in 1991. I read all the books, talked to breeders and "experts, really tried hard and spared no expense to do it right. But it was all wrong, and it simply didn't work. I had to figure it out for myself over the span of about 20 years. You can skip all that trial and error and just go directly to the good part.

Pyramiding is caused by growth in conditions that are too dry. As long as they are growing, they should have some humidity at least some of the time. I keep them in humid closed chambers when they are babies, but they just get so big so fast. When I have to move them outside, I humidify their sleeping quarters and that helps.

There is a good chance that he was not started correctly as a baby, and that is likely why the growth is so slow.

Hay is for larger juveniles and adults. Babies can't/shouldn't eat it. I don't even start offering it until they are 12+ inches. When the time comes, Timothy is the wrong kind of hay to use. Orchard grass hay is the way to go, and Bermuda is okay too. Start the introduction to hay by grading a handful, cutting it up into small 1-2 inch pieces, soaking it to re-hydrate it, and mixing tiny amount with the day's green. Start with hardly any at first, and gradually add more and more over a period of weeks and months.

Sounds like you have one of those sulcatas that just doesn't care for Mazuri. That is okay. You don't "need" it. It is just a nice supplemental food to round out the diet. You can feed your tortoise other stuff instead.
 

Manta503

New Member
Joined
May 31, 2020
Messages
14
Location (City and/or State)
Georgia
Nobody is born knowing this stuff. I was right where you are back in 1991. I read all the books, talked to breeders and "experts, really tried hard and spared no expense to do it right. But it was all wrong, and it simply didn't work. I had to figure it out for myself over the span of about 20 years. You can skip all that trial and error and just go directly to the good part.

Pyramiding is caused by growth in conditions that are too dry. As long as they are growing, they should have some humidity at least some of the time. I keep them in humid closed chambers when they are babies, but they just get so big so fast. When I have to move them outside, I humidify their sleeping quarters and that helps.

There is a good chance that he was not started correctly as a baby, and that is likely why the growth is so slow.

Hay is for larger juveniles and adults. Babies can't/shouldn't eat it. I don't even start offering it until they are 12+ inches. When the time comes, Timothy is the wrong kind of hay to use. Orchard grass hay is the way to go, and Bermuda is okay too. Start the introduction to hay by grading a handful, cutting it up into small 1-2 inch pieces, soaking it to re-hydrate it, and mixing tiny amount with the day's green. Start with hardly any at first, and gradually add more and more over a period of weeks and months.

Sounds like you have one of those sulcatas that just doesn't care for Mazuri. That is okay. You don't "need" it. It is just a nice supplemental food to round out the diet. You can feed your tortoise other stuff instead.
Thank you for all the advice
 

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