Hi there, I almost a tortoise mom. For the past few months my fiance and I have been discussing getting a tortoise. We had narrowed it down to a leopard or a sulcata tortoise. In the last month we decided a sulcata was the right choice for us. We have plenty of room for tortoise growth and we have been reading any information we can. It can be difficult to interpret all of the conflicting information out there, but we are very used to conflicting information on the web from exotic pets. It has been several years since either of us has raised a herp so we are quite nervous. Most of my nerves right now are coming from the fact that our tortoise is being shipped to us. I would always prefer to pick up an animal myself, but African tortoises are not easy to find in Wisconsin. We had found a leopard tortoise a few months ago but the timing wasn't right for us yet. Anyway, I am very worried about what condition my tortoise will be in. I know reptiles are shipped all the time with no problems but there are also horror stories. We are supposed to be getting a temperature sexed male sulcata hatchling on Tuesday morning. Right now we have a large plastic bin with coco coir substrate, heat and uv lamps, a hide-a-way, a shallow water dish and food dish, and lots of orchard and timothy hay. the humidity is at 80%, the temperature is around 100 in direct heat, and 80 by the hide-a-way. Am I missing anything? I feel like I am nesting, I'm so nervous.
Tortoise mom to be
- Thread starter Haira32
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Re: RE: Tortoise mom to be
Hi and welcome!
I don't know much about sulcatas but make sure you read up on Toms threads on raising a hatchling by recreating the rainy African season (which sounds like you have given that you told us the humidity levels).
I felt like I was nesting as well, when my hatchling was on the way. Also felt like a kid waiting on Christmas!
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Hi and welcome!
I don't know much about sulcatas but make sure you read up on Toms threads on raising a hatchling by recreating the rainy African season (which sounds like you have given that you told us the humidity levels).
I felt like I was nesting as well, when my hatchling was on the way. Also felt like a kid waiting on Christmas!
Sent from my Nexus 7 using TortForum mobile app
Hello and congrats on your soon to be sulcata 
As stated above, make sure to read Tom's threads. I'm not sure where you are located but make sure to soak him/her once it is delivered. It's been warmer than normal for everyone, but it's always a good idea to soak right away. Sulcatas have great personalities. I wouldn't be set on it being a male though. Temps can play a part but is never a guarantee. Enjoy your new little one. We love pics!
As stated above, make sure to read Tom's threads. I'm not sure where you are located but make sure to soak him/her once it is delivered. It's been warmer than normal for everyone, but it's always a good idea to soak right away. Sulcatas have great personalities. I wouldn't be set on it being a male though. Temps can play a part but is never a guarantee. Enjoy your new little one. We love pics!
You won't need any hay for a hatchling. They don't eat it until they get bigger, and it will mold on your damp substrate.
What's a-hide-away? Do you have a proper humid hide?
How are you maintaing those temps and humidity in an open topped tub? Is it in a reptile room? If so, that's excellent.
How was your baby housed before you got it? On rabbit pellets, no water bowl, and soaked once a week? Or was it started on a damp substrate soaked several times a week, if not daily and offered a humid hide? This will really matter a few months down the road.
What are you going to feed it, and where on earth are you going to put a 150 pound rambunctious tortoise during the long Wisconsin winters?
Lots of sulcata info in the links in my signature. I wish you the best of luck.
What's a-hide-away? Do you have a proper humid hide?
How are you maintaing those temps and humidity in an open topped tub? Is it in a reptile room? If so, that's excellent.
How was your baby housed before you got it? On rabbit pellets, no water bowl, and soaked once a week? Or was it started on a damp substrate soaked several times a week, if not daily and offered a humid hide? This will really matter a few months down the road.
What are you going to feed it, and where on earth are you going to put a 150 pound rambunctious tortoise during the long Wisconsin winters?
Lots of sulcata info in the links in my signature. I wish you the best of luck.
Welcome. Make sure to fallow Tom's threads for care on sulcata hatchlings, even the leopard threads work as well. I think since you've been planning this a long while you know what you are getting into and I know you can handle it. Congrats on the new tortoise. Pictures please when it arrives
Welcome to the Forum!
You won't need any hay for a hatchling. They don't eat it until they get bigger, and it will mold on your damp substrate.
Thanks for the welcome, I have been reading through all of the threads, there are still some things I am confused about. I guess by hide-a-way I mean a humid hide. It's a dark wooden box in the cooler part of the enclosure where I am getting my humidity readings from. Honestly I am surprised the humidity has been so stable. I was expecting to be dampening the substrate daily but it has held very well. I don't know if it is because we have had a very humid few weeks or if it is the tall sides of bin. A reptile room would be great in the future but right now we are just beginning to expand our passion for animals over our several acre farm. I've had several different frogs in the past and my man has had geckos but we have mostly kept small mammals. We are getting lots of help and support from a good friend that has been raising and breeding bearded dragons for a few years. My biggest concern is for what condition our baby will be in when he arrives. He was supposed to be shipped today but I have not gotten any confirmation, I realized yesterday that I actually ordered from the wrong website. I was looking through all of them looking for positive signs, like how the animals are kept and in the end I did not order from the site I meant to. I am thinking of canceling the order and going to the website I meant to order from.
I really have not been able to find much information at all though on how hatchlings are kept in any of the sites I have seen.
As far as food, I was very confused on that part in the hatchling thread. I did buy a tortoise food, I looked a mazuri but I was not impressed with the G.A. or ingredients. Protein of 15% seems way too high and with top ingredients of soy and corn, that just did not sound like a balanced diet when you consider their natural diet. Instead I went with a tortoise food with the main ingredients being different hays, and the protein is 9%. I plan on feeding with moistened. As for the hay I have, I was going to cut that up and moisten it as well. We do have lots of weeds but they are mostly grassy weeds like fescue, which is pretty similar in texture to the hay. I can get mustard greens, kale and collards very easily as well. Like I have said, we have acres to spread out on, our plans down the line are to build a heated shed or greenhouse for him as he grows. It is so great to have an up to date forum with real time information for caring for these animals. We are very committed to raising healthy happy animals.
Thanks for the welcome, I have been reading through all of the threads, there are still some things I am confused about. I guess by hide-a-way I mean a humid hide. It's a dark wooden box in the cooler part of the enclosure where I am getting my humidity readings from. Honestly I am surprised the humidity has been so stable. I was expecting to be dampening the substrate daily but it has held very well. I don't know if it is because we have had a very humid few weeks or if it is the tall sides of bin. A reptile room would be great in the future but right now we are just beginning to expand our passion for animals over our several acre farm. I've had several different frogs in the past and my man has had geckos but we have mostly kept small mammals. We are getting lots of help and support from a good friend that has been raising and breeding bearded dragons for a few years. My biggest concern is for what condition our baby will be in when he arrives. He was supposed to be shipped today but I have not gotten any confirmation, I realized yesterday that I actually ordered from the wrong website. I was looking through all of them looking for positive signs, like how the animals are kept and in the end I did not order from the site I meant to. I am thinking of canceling the order and going to the website I meant to order from.
I really have not been able to find much information at all though on how hatchlings are kept in any of the sites I have seen.
As far as food, I was very confused on that part in the hatchling thread. I did buy a tortoise food, I looked a mazuri but I was not impressed with the G.A. or ingredients. Protein of 15% seems way too high and with top ingredients of soy and corn, that just did not sound like a balanced diet when you consider their natural diet. Instead I went with a tortoise food with the main ingredients being different hays, and the protein is 9%. I plan on feeding with moistened. As for the hay I have, I was going to cut that up and moisten it as well. We do have lots of weeds but they are mostly grassy weeds like fescue, which is pretty similar in texture to the hay. I can get mustard greens, kale and collards very easily as well. Like I have said, we have acres to spread out on, our plans down the line are to build a heated shed or greenhouse for him as he grows. It is so great to have an up to date forum with real time information for caring for these animals. We are very committed to raising healthy happy animals.
Hello and Welcome Be sure to read Toms threads below in both his and my post. They are the best for raising both a leopard and a sulcata.
Be sure to read Toms threads below in both his and my post. They are the best for raising both a leopard and a sulcata.
What and no pic congrats, how exciting for you. Please share pics when you get a chance. First thing to do is give a nice warm soak. Then place in enclosure and give some food and let him/her be for a while to get accustomed to its new home.
congrats, how exciting for you. Please share pics when you get a chance. First thing to do is give a nice warm soak. Then place in enclosure and give some food and let him/her be for a while to get accustomed to its new home.- Status
