Sulcata Not Eating!

[Tortoise Man]

Hi everyone! My Sulcata was purchased from a petstore. He is a juvenile and he is pyramiding. He has not eaten even a HALF of a meal since I got him. Just a couple bites here and there and then he just goes leaves and goes to sleep. I talked to the man at the petstore and he was not very helpful. All he said was that the tortoise was doing fine when he sold it to me. What should I do? Please help! Thanks.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Moving is traumatic to a tortoise. They are pretty territorial, and know where their house is. Soak him daily, offer healthy leaves ,blooms, etc. Read Toms care sheets and Dean S wrote one too. Ask all the questions you need to. Learn to make a humid hide so he will stop pyramiding. Get him on a good diet, make sure he gets a lot of exercise, and good UVB or preferably, sun. I'll get the links for you...


http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/african-spurred-tortoise-sulcata-care-sheet.52524/

There ya go, those should get you started, ask questions and we'll try to help...I forgot to say that everybody is going to want to know how you have him set up now, lights? Temps, humidity? Etc. So you might as well give in now and describe how you are keeping him....pictures are great...

 

[Tortoise Man]

Thanks for your help. I do have a humid hide, and I am soaking him daily. I'm not sure if he gets a lot of exercise. He doesn't really do a lot of walking. Thanks for the links. I have already read Tom's thread. I am going to read Dean's thread now. Thanks again

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Please continue to ask questions, we are glad to help....in the wild they walk for miles. I make my Sulcata walk daily. I took him to a neighbors barbecue last week end, they are 3 houses away....it took 40 minutes to guide, plead, beg and finally treats to get that animal to walk where I wanted him to. At one point 8 cars were stopped taking pictures....it was kewl.

 

[Tom]

Hi everyone! My Sulcata was purchased from a petstore. He is a juvenile and he is pyramiding. He has not eaten even a HALF of a meal since I got him. Just a couple bites here and there and then he just goes leaves and goes to sleep. I talked to the man at the petstore and he was not very helpful. All he said was that the tortoise was doing fine when he sold it to me. What should I do? Please help! Thanks.

I see two tortoises on dry substrate in your avatar? Is this what is going on there?

 

[Tortoise Man]

No. That is an old profile picture. I really should have that updated.
These pictures were taken two days ago. The leopard is eating and the Sulcata is sleeping. I even put a liittle taste of watermelon to see if that changes anything.

 

[Tortoise Man]

This is the enclosure. (I do take them inside at night. Once again, the leopard is eating and the Sulcata is sleeping. The time when I see the Sulcata move around the most is when I soak him.

 

[Levi the Leopard]

Maybe the pair dynamics is having an effect on him.
Maybe he feels uncomfortable in that wide open space.

Personally I'd:
House them separately
And create A LOT of cover. Like A LOT! I'm not a fan of "dirt patch" enclosures. Especially outside. They need cover to feel comfortable and secure. Plus the multitude of plants will offer stimulating self grazing.

 

[Tortoise Man]

I did make a top. This morning in fact. I don't know if it counts as a top but this is what I made...

 

[Levi the Leopard]

I saw the netting top but that isn't what I referred to by saying they needed cover.
We know the net is there but they don't. A good tortoise cover would be tall grass, overgrown weeds, thick bushes... Basically Plant cover to hide in. And like I said in the other post.. A LOT of it

 

[Tortoise Man]

Ok. I went out and bought 2 hibiscus plants, one small zinnia plant, and on giant pot of Coleus. I still would like to buy a cactus pad plant, a patch of grass, and some other smaller plants.

 

[Odin's Gma]

Clover seed. It sprouts ridiculously quick, grows into an excellent low cover for small torts, and they can't resist the seedlings.

This is my favorite supplier:

http://www.outsidepride.com/seed/clover-seed/

Oh, and radish seeds. They also come up in mere days and mine adores them. He doesn't seem to have any interest in them once they get bigger, but when they first sprout he can't get enough.

 

[Tom]

I see a bunch of problems. This is all constructive criticism intended with the problem listed in the thread title.
1. Species should never be mixed.
2. Tortoises should not be kept in pairs.
3. Outside enclosures are great, but little babies like yours should only spend an hour or two a day tops. As the gain size they can stay out longer.
4. Sounds like you've already solved the problem of not enough cover.

How are you housing them when inside. This might be a problem too. Read this and see how close you are:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/