Sulcatas, Problem with scutes

[angel inverted]

Hello, I am Angel.
I have been breeding Sulcatas (accidentally due to a new roommate) for a few years now. I am having a scutes problem at a ration of 1 to every 3ish. She is producing so many babies they are hard to keep up with but my said roommate moved out and doesn't want his male and tortoises will be tortoises! Am I doing something wrong with humility or temp? Or feeding the parents wrong? Some come out of the shell with the most bizzare patterns and others are perfect. An ideas?

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Hello Angel welcome to the TFO from AZ . I don't have any Sulcatas but I do have leopards and they are a lot a like. We get no pictures not of torts or the enclosure or told how you hatch the eggs .
But I was told too high of heat during hatching can cause deformed scutes


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[angel inverted]

I did try higher temps this time. I think I listened to the wrong person :/ I will turn down the temp on the other three clutches and see if I have better luck. Sorry I didn't post picts, I'm still learning the forum. thank you for your response.

 

[angel inverted]

I also live in AZ. I dig them up and incubate them as soon as she lays them. Temp about 86 87. Parents have free roam of back yard and feed a wide variety of veggies, cactus, and fibrous stuff. very little fruit but they do get melons, banana peels and flowers from time to time. I can post a picture of babies if you want.

 

[bouaboua]

Hello and Welcome to the forum. Looking forward to see your photos.

 

[dmmj]

So are you talking about irregular scute patterns? if so, no one really knows, there are many theories, of course, but no real data, I am aware of.

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Angel
Do you also live in Phx. And a whole melon is a no no . When I give fruit to my Leopards it's only strawberry tops and it's only twice a week or less


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[Yvonne G]

Hi Angel, and welcome to the Forum!

We'll have to see pictures of the babies to know what you're talking about, but I'm guessing its just irregular scute patterns. These are common and sometimes its genetic, sometimes its because the temperature during incubation was too high.

 

[Saleama]

There are lots of people who desire the split scute babies. If I had a bigger place I would love some of the more exotic ones. What do you do with all the babies?

 

[angel inverted]

Some of my babies. Grandpa Turtle, I live in Glendale and they get the melon rind. Saleama:the same person buys every baby every time. Thanks to you guys I'm probable going to find out how he's getting the deal of the century!

 

[angel inverted]

 

[motero]

I think I listened to the wrong person.

This happens alot, Please keep those new babies hydrated, soak them in a inch of water every day for at least 20 mins.

 

[pam]

Welcome

 

[Tom]

I think your thermometer is off, or the room is getting hotter than that during the day possibly. Most cheap thermometers can be pretty far off. if your thermometer is only 4-5 degrees off, it could explain your issue. At a true 86-87 constant temperature you would not be seeing what you are seeing. Your temps are almost certainly creeping over 90 at least some of the time.

 

[angel inverted]

Tom, I normally keep it at 86. I listened to the wrong person and turned it up to 89-90. That's when I got all the extra scutes. I only did it with one batch to see if he was right. All the other eggs are at 86. That's where I will keep them from now on. I'm learning so much here, thank you everyone!

 

[wellington]

Hello and Welcome It would help you and however buys your babies, to read Toms threads below in my post for raising those babies to be healthy and smooth. Well hydrated and high humidity is the trick. Please read them and pass them and pass the info on.

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Welcome!

 

[Tom]

89-90 should produce mostly females, but not split scutes. Its when the temps sneaks past 90 that you start seeing split scutes and other deformities. I suspect your thermometer is a few degrees off and when you set the thermostat at 89-90 according to your thermometer, the temperature would actually be a little higher. Tis would explain what you are seeing.

If you separate the two tortoises she will stop producing fertile eggs after a season or two. They really should not be housed as a pair. That is extremely hard on the female. You really ought to give them each their own enclosure and night box.

 

[angel inverted]

I will buy a new thermometer tomorrow. I'll have to see what I can do with the yard. The way it is now they have the entire back yard together and then she has the side yard with her night box. He can't get to her area, I have it blocked so she is small enough to get by but he isn't. I feed her and everything in her own area but she comes out with him at least once a day to graze on leaves and things. Thank you for your help!