Syringe feeding a large Sulcata

[Minority2]

How does your sulcata heat his body temp every day? Although you are having "tortoise weather" right now, Cleveland's average temps are way too low for a sulcata. Just this weekend your forcast calls for a high of 68° with no sun and some rain. The average daily high in the heat of the summer there is 77°. IF you get an extended period of no sun and cloud cover, a sulcata is definitely in danger. They need to heat their body temp to the mid 80's° most every day to properly metabolize and to give the body heat to move actively about for extended periods. Without that, they are in constant danger of getting impacted as their gut motility is not enough. This commonly leads to constipation/impaction and/or enteritis. Sulcatas are amazingly tolerant of poor conditions and can survive years in sub-optimal conditions. However, living on the edge, a weakened system, an extended cloudy period, etc, etc, is all it takes to start the process of failure.

A sulcata needs to heat it's core body temperature to 85° every day. It needs activity. They should be marching around its enclosure at least 1 our per day quite relentlessly. They are very active tortoises. If that is not happening, your tortoise is not thriving. Your tortoise sounds like a classic case of a tortoise kept over a prolonged period with sub optimal temps.

@Markw84 Can you explain how you got the number 85F? Article and or source if you have it? And is it only for Sulcatas or does it apply to other tortoises as well?

 

[Markw84]

@Markw84 Can you explain how you got the number 85F? Article and or source if you have it? And is it only for Sulcatas or does it apply to other tortoises as well?

I think it is of value to look at the temperatures embryos develop to see the optimal metabolic temperatures. That is the time of pure growth with no way for the animal to manipulate its own temp in any way. If that temp is not maintained, growth does not happen. The parts of the world where tortoises and turtles live is controlled by the availability of the environment to provide a long enough temperature in a nest to successfully incubate. Areas with shorter summers, sun height too low above the horizon, etc, to keep a nest chamber that warm, for long enough - have no tortoises. Once a tortoise hatches, it is up to the tortoise to find ways to achieve those temperatures. But the environment must be able to again provide enough heat to allow the tortoise to achieve this. In captivity, we must therefore, be sure to to this as well.

 

[Tom]

@Markw84 Can you explain how you got the number 85F? Article and or source if you have it? And is it only for Sulcatas or does it apply to other tortoises as well?

To add to what Mark explained, we also have decades of first hand experience to draw from with 100s of keepers all over the globe. We see the same things over and over again. Whose to say 84 isn't enough? Maybe they really need 86, but 85 seems to be close enough? I know of no scientific lab experiments done to asses this, but as long as they can get up and over 85 with a safe heat source and stay that way in a large enough area, we don't tend to see these issues. Providing a large hot area for a giant active tropical reptile is the primary challenge for housing this species in unsuitable climates. Many do what they think is good enough, based on experience with or reading about temperate species, and sulcatas cannot handle it. They are tough and super hardy, so many of them survive low temps for a long time, but its not good for them.

 

[mark1]

might be helpful , I've seen this type of study on spotted turtles and box turtles preferred body temp also , it always struck me how similar that temp is from tropical species to temperate species , and also as markw said as it is to incubation temps ……….


Patterns of activity and body temperature of Aldabra giant tortoises in relation to environmental temperature

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5817133/