The lil Clunker

[Bambam1989]

Our baby sulcata arrived last week and I thought I would start a thread to keep track of our experiences.
We decided to name him/her Clunker. I'll start keeping track of weight after I get a new scale(mine bit the dust last year and we never had a reason to replace it until now.) Just before being shipped he weighed 53grams though.
Hatch date is September 1st 2017.
Here he is conked out under the basking light after a big meal of chopped grass, rose leaves, and a tid bit of phlox. And after a good soak..

 

[TechnoCheese]

So cute!

 

[Bambam1989]

So cute!

I think so too.

 

[Blakem]

Beautiful baby

 

[Bambam1989]

Well this guy isn't going to be starving anytime soon.
On the menu today is a nice chopped salad of grass(heck if I know what kind), a couple of medium sized plantain leaves, sedum leaves, and a few geranium leaves. I also crushed up some egg shell with it.. it likes to stick to the sedum in clumps though..
The egg shell was an experiment and of course he avoided the larger clumps but still ate the finer stuff. I have cuttle bone on order but it's gonna be about a week til it gets here.
Our mazuri should arrive Thursday.. yay tort crack.

 

[TechnoCheese]

Well this guy isn't going to be starving anytime soon.
On the menu today is a nice chopped salad of grass(heck if I know what kind), a couple of medium sized plantain leaves, sedum leaves, and a few geranium leaves. I also crushed up some egg shell with it.. it likes to stick to the sedum in clumps though..
The egg shell was an experiment and of course he avoided the larger clumps but still ate the finer stuff. I have cuttle bone on order but it's gonna be about a week til it gets here.
Our mazuri should arrive Thursday.. yay tort crack.
View attachment 221141

Looks delicious!

 

[Bambam1989]

Yay! Some opuntia thornless cactus pads arrived today. I will be planting 4 pads and using a small pad as tort food.
I offered a sliver to Clunker and it was like watching a piranha. Definitely one of his favorite foods that I have offered so far..
Least favorite so far? Heuchera. I have a patch and I thought he would be attracted to the purple leaves. Picked a young tender leaf and set it in his pen. He took one bite and started scrubbing his face. Then stomped into his hide and hid there for almost an hour. I guess it tasted pretty bad.

 

[Maro2Bear]

Very cute...aren't they all. you can easily pop into any pet shop, walmart, petco.... And find cuttlebones in the bird section. No sense waiting..

Good luck!

 

[Bambam1989]

Very cute...aren't they all. you can easily pop into any pet shop, walmart, petco.... And find cuttlebones in the bird section. No sense waiting..

Good luck!

The closest pet store is about 45 minutes away and our local Walmart doesn't. I have calcium powder so he is getting it. It's not an emergency requirement so I saved myself a few bucks and ordered online

 

[Bambam1989]

So I forgot to clean out Clunker's food bowl yesterday night due to the effects of vodka. The grass/mazuri mash soured slightly during the night. Of course as soon as I was up this morning I cleaned it out before he was even awake so he didn't eat any.
But now we have the annoyance of some knats in his enclosure.. it's amazing how they find the smallest holes to get in.

 

[Bambam1989]

Found this weed growing by our wood shed. Looked it up and it's ok for torts so offered it to Clunker. Pineapple weed is the name and Clunker has given his seal of approval.

Used a pencil for size comparison.

 

[Maro2Bear]

The closest pet store is about 45 minutes away and our local Walmart doesn't. I have calcium powder so he is getting it. It's not an emergency requirement so I saved myself a few bucks and ordered online

Yep...ur right, not an emergency and hard to justify a 90 min round trip visit for a cuttlebone!

 

[Bambam1989]

Hatch date September 1, 2017

October 10, 2017 - 53 grams. (weight before shipment)

November 4, 2017 - 66 grams

Even though I will weigh every week, I will only post his weight once a month.
I'm happy with his gain so far.

 

[Bambam1989]

So I am determined to provide my lil Clunker as much variety as I can. I am also hoping to avoid buying his food from the grocery store.
Therefore I am going to start a record of the plants that we have tried and his opinion of them with a simple ranking
Will be updated as more plants are offered.
1- refuses to eat it. 2- will eat it. 3- piranha tortoise

Grass- 2
Dandelion leaves- 3
Dandelion flower- 2
Rose leaves- 2
Rose petals- 2
Plaintains- 2
Sow Thistle- 3
Opuntia cactus-3
Sedum- 2
Aloe Vera- 2
Clovers- 2
Geraniums- 2
Hostas- 2
Heuchera- 1
Pineapple weed- 2
Ladies mantle- 2
Cheddar pink leaves- 1
Willowherb- 2
Alyssum- 2
Mazuri Original- 3

Here is Clunker sampling Alyssum.


Despite having a varied diet Clunker has decided that the rocks in his enclosure are tasty.. some minerAll will be here tomorrow.

 

[Bambam1989]

Found a couple of new weeds behind the house yesterday.
Bittercress-
http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/plant-database/viewplants/?plant=48&c=6#.WgiiUDOIbqA
Nipplewort- http://www.thetortoisetable.org.uk/plant-database/viewplants/?plant=260&c=6#.WgiipjOIbqA
Both of these are earning a 3 on the Clunker scale.

Will be updated as more plants are offered.
1- refuses to eat it. 2- will eat it. 3- piranha tortoise

Grass- 2
Bittercress- 3
Nipplewort- 3
Dandelion leaves- 3
Dandelion flower- 2
Rose leaves- 2
Rose petals- 2
Plaintains- 2
Sow Thistle- 3
Opuntia cactus-3
Sedum- 2
Aloe Vera- 2
Clovers- 2
Geraniums- 2
Hostas- 2
Heuchera- 1
Pineapple weed- 2
Ladies mantle- 2
Cheddar pink leaves- 1
Willowherb- 2
Alyssum- 2
Mazuri Original- 3

 

[Bambam1989]

Tried to measure Clunker today.. he tried to run away while I took pictures. Next time I should bribe him with food..


Speaking of food here are some new ones.
Mint leaves- 1. Cats ear- 3
Wild Raddish- 3 green Moss- 2

So the updated list is now...


Will be updated as more plants are offered.
1- refuses to eat it. 2- will eat it. 3- piranha tortoise

Grass- 2
Moss- 2
Mint- 1
Cats Ear- 3
Wild Raddish- 3
Bittercress- 3
Nipplewort- 3
Dandelion leaves- 3
Dandelion flower- 2
Rose leaves- 2
Rose petals- 2
Plaintains- 2
Sow Thistle- 3
Opuntia cactus-3
Sedum- 2
Aloe Vera- 2
Clovers- 2
Geraniums- 2
Hostas- 2
Heuchera- 1
Pineapple weed- 2
Ladies mantle- 2
Cheddar pink leaves- 1
Willowherb- 2
Alyssum- 2
Mazuri Original- 3

Next week i will post his new weight and try to get a good pic of his shell and growth lines.

 

[Bambam1989]

Clunker is up to 97grams... And complete spoiled. Had to put food in front of him to get him to sit still and stop trying to eat the camera.

 

[Bambam1989]

Well I just HAD to share Clunker's cuttlebone beard! HaHa

 

[Bambam1989]

Last Saturday of the month is officially measuring day!
Sow thistle is what I'm using to convince him to stay still for two seconds.



That last photo is pretty darn blurry because he ate all the thistle...
O and more weeds to add to the list.
Campanula- 2, deadnettle- 3, chickweed- 3

Will be updated as more plants are offered.
1- refuses to eat it. 2- will eat it. 3- piranha tortoise

Grass- 2
Moss- 2
Mint- 1
Campanula- 2
deadnettle- 3
chickweed- 3
Cats Ear- 3
Wild Raddish- 3
Bittercress- 3
Nipplewort- 3
Dandelion leaves- 3
Dandelion flower- 2
Rose leaves- 2
Rose petals- 2
Plaintains- 2
Sow Thistle- 3
Opuntia cactus-3
Sedum- 2
Aloe Vera- 2
Clovers- 2
Geraniums- 2
Hostas- 2
Heuchera- 1
Pineapple weed- 2
Ladies mantle- 2
Cheddar pink leaves- 1
Willowherb- 2
Alyssum- 2
Mazuri Original- 3
Next weekend is the big weigh day!

 

[chemprentice]

He is a cutie pie and is growing like a weed! I wish my greek would put on some grams so I can stop fretting!