Sulcata Shell Damage

[SanDiegoRocky]

Hello. I acquired a large adult male Sulcata a few weeks ago. I've finally got his yard in order (thanks in large part to advice gleaned from this site). He's got some shell pyramiding, and some damage to the highest point. Should I be concerned, or is this kind of wear normal?

 

[Tom]

That is not "normal" but it is fairly common, unfortunately. Its usually caused by a small hot heat source over a large tortoise on cold nights. Like a CHE in a dogloo, for example. The damage is done, and there is nothing you can really do about it, except make sure further damage does not occur.

I prefer something like this for large outdoor sulcatas: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-66867.html

No hot spots, just nice even warm air all around them on a cold winters night.

Recently my friend Joe helped me out with getting some computer fans to circulate the air past the heater, and this is working very well. It makes the whole thing work even more efficiently. Thanks to Joe for the help acquiring the fans, and thanks to both Ken AND Joe for the idea. I'll make a thread on this sometime soon.

 

[T33's Torts]

Tom, how would you recommend heating a small space, such as a doh igloo?

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

The damage is not, by any means, normal. Commonish, but not normal.

Tom, shucks.

 

[Yvonne G]

If you're using a dogloo, then my recommendation is to scrap that idea and build the tortoise something a little bigger. You need to have the ceiling high enough so that your light/heat source and be at least 12" above the top of the carapace. Since you are in San Diego, where it really doesn't get all that cold, maybe you could just use a bottom heater like what they sell for dogs to lay on. Make sure you get one with a thermostat and one that can stand up to the sulcata's claws when he digs at night to make his "burrow" more comfortable.

 

[Tom]

Tom, how would you recommend heating a small space, such as a doh igloo?

I recommend NOT using dogloos, and this is one reason why.

Here is what I recommend instead:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-66867.html
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-28662.html

Alternatively, I also like smaller 4x4 boxes with Kane heat mats and over head radiant heat panels on thermostats, but these must be well insulated and sealed to work in our climate, which is why dogloos fail.

 

[SanDiegoRocky]

Thanks for the advice!

I just adopted him at the beginning of November, and I'm still feeling my way along. I've put together a first draft shelter for him under the back porch. He's got a large thermostat controlled Zoomed heating pad, and a CHE hung about 16" over the high point of his shell. It's just enough so that his shell gets warm, but not hot. He seems pretty happy with it. Until I can get it insulated, I've been bringing him inside whenever it goes below the mid 40s F.

 

[Yvonne G]

Heck! That's all ya need. That's a great-looking space. Build him a little ramp or put a brick in front of the step.

 

[Dizisdalife]

Good looking sulcata! Add the insulation and be sure to seal all the joints with a silicone. I suggest making a lockable door or a barricade of some sort. You just never know what predators are lurking out there at night.

 

[Tom]

It is EXACTLY that sort of set up that does the kind of damage shown in your pic. With no insulation and an open door like that, the air temp in your box will remain cold on a cold night and your tortoise will just sit under that CHE with his carapace cooking all night because he won't be able to get warm enough. Continuing to use a set up like that will continue to damage his carapace.