SULCATA RESCUE

Joined
Sep 26, 2020
Messages
26
Location (City and/or State)
New york
Hi everyone it has been a long time since I posted on here but we helped our cousin rescue this Sulcata tortoise from a “friend” of hers and he was in AWFUL condition. We believe he is super under weight and has yet to poop which is a little alarming.
He was being kept in a small a*! broom closet and only being fed romaine or iceberg lettuce “maybe once a month” which infuriated me so we had to take him. And he was getting no soaks maybe rinsed off with a hose when it was nice enough outside for that. When I tell you I have this man an earful I don’t think he liked me very much when we were done.
Mind you we live in upstate NY so an outdoor enclosure isn’t always an option for us but it was no excuse for the conditions this poor boy was in.
ANYWAYS, he is about 15yrs old and about 20 pounds. Which seems way too small to me we are going to set up a vet appointment for him because I have an amazing tortoise vet that will help us but I wanted to see what advice y’all could give us.
We have been feeding him a mix of leafy greens(dandelion, collard, mustard) some cucumber, he loves strawberries(in moderation of course) he seems excited when we feed him now. We are doing everyday feeding to see if we can get him to a correct weight. Which is another reason I’m alarmed about him not pooping.
Right now we have him in a 6x8 foot wooden enclosure with a mix of repti sand coco coir, and some reptile safe mulch For his flooring, 2 ceramic heat emitters, and a 6’ bar light with a reptisun t8 light in it. Our dad is currently building him a hide we wanted to see how big he actually was before we did that part because if we made it too small we would have felt silly. The picture I have attached was before we put the big bar light in so it’s not a perfect representation of what we have now. Just the skeleton of his cage basically.
We do plan on building him a 12ft^2 enclosure when it gets warmer up here.
We gave him a bath yesterday and I literally scrubbed layers of dirt dust and **** from the babies shell (no shell rot though) :,(
He has perked up so much in the week that we have had him dances for scratches where before he was just hissing and throwing himself into the corners of his cage to get away from us. He is very strong. And has started walking without dragging his shell, I think that was mostly just the change in enclosure.
Alright I’m done rambling, any advice will be appreciated:)
 

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Joined
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Messages
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New york
Wish I got before and after pictures of his scrub he was a dirty boi this was the second night we had him
 

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Maggie3fan

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PacificNorthWest
Hi everyone it has been a long time since I posted on here but we helped our cousin rescue this Sulcata tortoise from a “friend” of hers and he was in AWFUL condition. We believe he is super under weight and has yet to poop which is a little alarming.
He was being kept in a small a*! broom closet and only being fed romaine or iceberg lettuce “maybe once a month” which infuriated me so we had to take him. And he was getting no soaks maybe rinsed off with a hose when it was nice enough outside for that. When I tell you I have this man an earful I don’t think he liked me very much when we were done.
Mind you we live in upstate NY so an outdoor enclosure isn’t always an option for us but it was no excuse for the conditions this poor boy was in.
ANYWAYS, he is about 15yrs old and about 20 pounds. Which seems way too small to me we are going to set up a vet appointment for him because I have an amazing tortoise vet that will help us but I wanted to see what advice y’all could give us.
We have been feeding him a mix of leafy greens(dandelion, collard, mustard) some cucumber, he loves strawberries(in moderation of course) he seems excited when we feed him now. We are doing everyday feeding to see if we can get him to a correct weight. Which is another reason I’m alarmed about him not pooping.
Right now we have him in a 6x8 foot wooden enclosure with a mix of repti sand coco coir, and some reptile safe mulch For his flooring, 2 ceramic heat emitters, and a 6’ bar light with a reptisun t8 light in it. Our dad is currently building him a hide we wanted to see how big he actually was before we did that part because if we made it too small we would have felt silly. The picture I have attached was before we put the big bar light in so it’s not a perfect representation of what we have now. Just the skeleton of his cage basically.
We do plan on building him a 12ft^2 enclosure when it gets warmer up here.
We gave him a bath yesterday and I literally scrubbed layers of dirt dust and **** from the babies shell (no shell rot though) :,(
He has perked up so much in the week that we have had him dances for scratches where before he was just hissing and throwing himself into the corners of his cage to get away from us. He is very strong. And has started walking without dragging his shell, I think that was mostly just the change in enclosure.
Alright I’m done rambling, any advice will be appreciated:)


Now that he's eating...stop with the strawberries...NO fruit! He's big enuf that he needs to be somewhere he can graze. I make pens using cinder block, on the untreated lawn...He's seriously small for his age...he needs a strict diet of blooms, leafs and grass...hay if he will eat it. No fruit, if you want a treat for him use cooked squash. I have rescued numerous Sulcata and I find they need a big area to pace, they need a natural diet. Mine must eat hay and leafy stuff all winter...but spring and summer they need to be in the sun, grazing. Soak him daily...make a humid hide for him...but imho he needs to be on grass and outside...100_0092.JPG100_7875.JPG
This is my last Sulcata rescue...we think she's 8 or 9...and now almost 40 pounds Mary Knobbins...100_7873.JPG100_2004.JPG
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
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Messages
63,264
Location (City and/or State)
Southern California
Hi everyone it has been a long time since I posted on here but we helped our cousin rescue this Sulcata tortoise from a “friend” of hers and he was in AWFUL condition. We believe he is super under weight and has yet to poop which is a little alarming.
He was being kept in a small a*! broom closet and only being fed romaine or iceberg lettuce “maybe once a month” which infuriated me so we had to take him. And he was getting no soaks maybe rinsed off with a hose when it was nice enough outside for that. When I tell you I have this man an earful I don’t think he liked me very much when we were done.
Mind you we live in upstate NY so an outdoor enclosure isn’t always an option for us but it was no excuse for the conditions this poor boy was in.
ANYWAYS, he is about 15yrs old and about 20 pounds. Which seems way too small to me we are going to set up a vet appointment for him because I have an amazing tortoise vet that will help us but I wanted to see what advice y’all could give us.
We have been feeding him a mix of leafy greens(dandelion, collard, mustard) some cucumber, he loves strawberries(in moderation of course) he seems excited when we feed him now. We are doing everyday feeding to see if we can get him to a correct weight. Which is another reason I’m alarmed about him not pooping.
Right now we have him in a 6x8 foot wooden enclosure with a mix of repti sand coco coir, and some reptile safe mulch For his flooring, 2 ceramic heat emitters, and a 6’ bar light with a reptisun t8 light in it. Our dad is currently building him a hide we wanted to see how big he actually was before we did that part because if we made it too small we would have felt silly. The picture I have attached was before we put the big bar light in so it’s not a perfect representation of what we have now. Just the skeleton of his cage basically.
We do plan on building him a 12ft^2 enclosure when it gets warmer up here.
We gave him a bath yesterday and I literally scrubbed layers of dirt dust and **** from the babies shell (no shell rot though) :,(
He has perked up so much in the week that we have had him dances for scratches where before he was just hissing and throwing himself into the corners of his cage to get away from us. He is very strong. And has started walking without dragging his shell, I think that was mostly just the change in enclosure.
Alright I’m done rambling, any advice will be appreciated:)
Here are the problems I see:
1. No sand. It will slowly build up in the intestinal tract and eventually cause an obstruction.
2. No fruit. Its not good for them and wreaks havoc on the gut flora and fauna.
3. The enclosure is way too small for a tortoise of this size. Restricting their movements in this way will lead to muscle atrophy, constipation, and other issues.
4. Dandelion, collards and mustard greens are all okay, but this tortoise needs a high fiber diet of grasses, weeds and leaves. If he doesn't eat those things, its time to introduce them. You can use grass hay in winter if there is no grass. Orchard grass hay or Bermuda work best. No Timothy. Cut the hay into 1-2 inch pieces with scissors, soak it to re-hydrate it, and then mix it in with the other greens. Use only a small amount at first. It will take time to introduce it of he's not used to it. He won't want it or like it at first and it can take several weeks to get them eating it.
5. T8 bulbs are okay for lighting, but they produce hardly any UV. You need an Arcadia 12% HO tube in a reflector for UV. Mount it about 18-20 inches over the tortoise and run it on a timer for about 3 hours mid day, in addition to the other lighting you have.
6. Soak daily for a couple of weeks. 30-40 minutes and keep the water warm. Its fine and actually good if he scrambles against the sides trying to get out of the soaking tub. We call this the "tortoise treadmill" and this is exactly the kind of exercise this guy needs right now.

Here is the care info. Most of this applies to older ones too:

Questions are welcome.
 
Joined
Sep 26, 2020
Messages
26
Location (City and/or State)
New york

Now that he's eating...stop with the strawberries...NO fruit! He's big enuf that he needs to be somewhere he can graze. I make pens using cinder block, on the untreated lawn...He's seriously small for his age...he needs a strict diet of blooms, leafs and grass...hay if he will eat it. No fruit, if you want a treat for him use cooked squash. I have rescued numerous Sulcata and I find they need a big area to pace, they need a natural diet. Mine must eat hay and leafy stuff all winter...but spring and summer they need to be in the sun, grazing. Soak him daily...make a humid hide for him...but imho he needs to be on grass and outside...View attachment 342810View attachment 342811
This is my last Sulcata rescue...we think she's 8 or 9...and now almost 40 pounds Mary Knobbins...View attachment 342812View attachment 342813
Oops!!! I did not know sulcata can’t eat fruit we will stop that right away!!! My Marginated tortoise(Shelldon) loves butternut squash as a snack is this okay for the sulcata(crush) as well? And carrots and cucumbers are okay too right? I’m just questioning everything I do now!

It is still dropping below freezing at night where we are, so we are going to wait another week or two to move him outside. But that is the plan!! I saw toms guide on how to build a hot house and Your enclosures are a great base for us to start with! Thank you so much for everything I just want this guy to thrive.
Mary knobbins is beautiful, you loo like you do such a great job with your tortoises how long have you been keeping them?
 
Joined
Sep 26, 2020
Messages
26
Location (City and/or State)
New york
Here are the problems I see:
1. No sand. It will slowly build up in the intestinal tract and eventually cause an obstruction.
2. No fruit. Its not good for them and wreaks havoc on the gut flora and fauna.
3. The enclosure is way too small for a tortoise of this size. Restricting their movements in this way will lead to muscle atrophy, constipation, and other issues.
4. Dandelion, collards and mustard greens are all okay, but this tortoise needs a high fiber diet of grasses, weeds and leaves. If he doesn't eat those things, its time to introduce them. You can use grass hay in winter if there is no grass. Orchard grass hay or Bermuda work best. No Timothy. Cut the hay into 1-2 inch pieces with scissors, soak it to re-hydrate it, and then mix it in with the other greens. Use only a small amount at first. It will take time to introduce it of he's not used to it. He won't want it or like it at first and it can take several weeks to get them eating it.
5. T8 bulbs are okay for lighting, but they produce hardly any UV. You need an Arcadia 12% HO tube in a reflector for UV. Mount it about 18-20 inches over the tortoise and run it on a timer for about 3 hours mid day, in addition to the other lighting you have.
6. Soak daily for a couple of weeks. 30-40 minutes and keep the water warm. Its fine and actually good if he scrambles against the sides trying to get out of the soaking tub. We call this the "tortoise treadmill" and this is exactly the kind of exercise this guy needs right now.

Here is the care info. Most of this applies to older ones too:

Questions are welcome.
Okay we will absolutely have to make some adjustments!! We thought sand because desert…(it’s walnut I think but I’m sure that doesn’t matter) idk it was kind of a dumb last minute thought we had.
and we definitely rushed getting him in here. I just needed him out of that closet and the people were moving so basically we just threw this together so he didn’t get put on the street or something who knows what this guy would have done with him :( No excuses though! We can fix it!
Waiting for the temperatures to stop dropping below freezing at night to move him outside hoping a week or two.
I will read the info page thank you for responding. I will be posting updates as this process is stressing me out and I need help.
 
Joined
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Messages
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Location (City and/or State)
New york
Thank you for rescuing him! Could we see more pictures of the plastron and I forget what the top is called...
I only have a crappy picture of his carapace , he is my cousins so I can ask her about sending more pictures over if not I am going on Thursday to check on him and how he’s doing.
 

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Tom

The Dog Trainer
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Okay we will absolutely have to make some adjustments!! We thought sand because desert…(it’s walnut I think but I’m sure that doesn’t matter) idk it was kind of a dumb last minute thought we had.
and we definitely rushed getting him in here. I just needed him out of that closet and the people were moving so basically we just threw this together so he didn’t get put on the street or something who knows what this guy would have done with him :( No excuses though! We can fix it!
Waiting for the temperatures to stop dropping below freezing at night to move him outside hoping a week or two.
I will read the info page thank you for responding. I will be posting updates as this process is stressing me out and I need help.
Its great that you rescued this tortoise and are giving it such good care. I hope to help you with that.

One important concept is that these are NOT desert tortoises. This is a common bit of misinformation that is parroted by nearly every source. They come from grassland areas and forest edge areas. It takes a substantial amount of annual rainfall to sustain Forrests and grasslands. It is somewhat dry over there for part of every year, but babies hatch during the 3-4 month monsoon season when it hot, rainy and the humidity is thick like soup. During get dry part of the year, they are underground most of every day and night where is is more humid and temperature extremes are avoided.

Here is an example of a heated night box that will allow the tortoise to stay outside more of the time:
 

zolasmum

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Messages
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When you said you were doing everyday feeding to get his weight up, I got the impression that you might think normally he should be fed less often - As far as I know, all tortoises,which are grazing animals, should be fed daily anyway.
He is going to be so much happier with you - thank you on his behalf. It will be nice to hear how he gets on - with photos !
Angie
 

Lyn W

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Thank you for rescuing this lovely tort - he'll be much happier and healthier now.
The caresheet will help you with living conditions, diet and temps etc., but ask as many questions as you like - you'll get all the help you need here,
 

Maggie3fan

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Oops!!! I did not know sulcata can’t eat fruit we will stop that right away!!! My Marginated tortoise(Shelldon) loves butternut squash as a snack is this okay for the sulcata(crush) as well? And carrots and cucumbers are okay too right? I’m just questioning everything I do now!

It is still dropping below freezing at night where we are, so we are going to wait another week or two to move him outside. But that is the plan!! I saw toms guide on how to build a hot house and Your enclosures are a great base for us to start with! Thank you so much for everything I just want this guy to thrive.
Mary knobbins is beautiful, you loo like you do such a great job with your tortoises how long have you been keeping them?
20 years or so...Mary K is a rescue and her carapace is much worse then your new guy. Crush? At 20 pounds he's not crushing much!.lol See her carapace?100_2018.JPG
I keep 5 torts here...100_6311.JPG
 

Ray--Opo

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Welcome and thank you for rescuing him. You have been given some great advice. Your sully is lucky to have you wanting to give him a better life.
 

Donna Albu

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Correct me if I'm wrong here, but my guys tend to go out when it is at least 70 out, and they like it much better when it is hot. So above freezing is not good enough. I've heard that they pretty much can't move at 60 and below, and definitely will not digest their food. Having been in a closet, he's going to need to get used to being warm. So happy that you took him!
 

Chefdenoel10

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Now that he's eating...stop with the strawberries...NO fruit! He's big enuf that he needs to be somewhere he can graze. I make pens using cinder block, on the untreated lawn...He's seriously small for his age...he needs a strict diet of blooms, leafs and grass...hay if he will eat it. No fruit, if you want a treat for him use cooked squash. I have rescued numerous Sulcata and I find they need a big area to pace, they need a natural diet. Mine must eat hay and leafy stuff all winter...but spring and summer they need to be in the sun, grazing. Soak him daily...make a humid hide for him...but imho he needs to be on grass and outside...View attachment 342810View attachment 342811
This is my last Sulcata rescue...we think she's 8 or 9...and now almost 40 pounds Mary Knobbins...View attachment 342812View attachment 342813

I shreeeekk at that picture of her looking at yer toes lady!!!!!

You verrerrryy BRAVE lady!!
😟😳😱😨

I am always afraid of the next “oops bite” to my fingers (if I dare to feed by hand that day)…. But the THOUGHT of my TOOOEESSSS being there for that oh so painful chomp from a Sulcata!!!!!!
I think it hurts LESS when bitten BY A SHARK!! 🦈🦈🦈 🤣
 
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