Two new tortoises

[Megatron's Mom]

My husband found these two babies for me for Valentines day. I wasn't quite ready, he completely surprised me, but I had to jump into high gear and be ready. I wasn't sure where to post their introductions since one is a Sulcata and the other a Leopard. So I figured the Introduction forum was the perfect place to show them off.

I cannot believe how much they eat. Both of them eat more in one sitting then Megatron ate in a week. It deffinitly tells me Megatron had something going on right from the start. They are ittybitty. BubbleBee is gaining faster then OptimusPrime but I think Optimus was shy at first and took a bit longer to really start eating like crazy. OMG the poops in their soaks are huge for such a tiny baby. Another thing that is totally different then when I had Megatron. Megatron was more like undigested leaves super green and not formed. These two are dark brown and much more together. Optimus is like logs. How can two tiny things poop so much lol.

I posted my new enclosure pictures and I love how well it's doing. Right now each little guy has their own space of 4x4. Once they are a bit bigger I'll make another and each will have 4x8 to themselves.

 

[Lyn W]

Hi and welcome,
I see you joined a few months ago so you may have already seen these threads, but they will help you make sure your torts have everything they need to be happy and healthy - the care for each species is similar

The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. Babies hatch during the...

tortoiseforum.org

and this one collates information from several threads so that it's all in one place

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

Please read those and then ask as many questions as you like.

Good job you are already planning ahead for larger enclosures, but it won't be long before both will outgrow even a 4 x 8. I have a leopard and at about 2 -3 years he was needing his own room and sullies are even bigger. I don't know what your climate is like but if you have cold, damp winters you'll find indoor and heated accommodation is going to be needed for both, but there are great ideas here for heated night boxes in insulated sheds etc.

Just one thing I can see in your pics is straw which isn't a good idea for substrate because it is sharp for little torts, will go mouldy and can be a fire hazard under lamps, You'll see better options in the threads above.

 

[Jacqui]

What great gifts!

 

[Yvonne G]

Beautiful. What a nice present for you!

 

[Megatron's Mom]

Hi and welcome,
I see you joined a few months ago so you may have already seen these threads, but they will help you make sure your torts have everything they need to be happy and healthy - the care for each species is similar

The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. Babies hatch during the...

tortoiseforum.org

and this one collates information from several threads so that it's all in one place

Info For New People. Please Read This First.

Hello and welcome to tortoiseforum.org! We are all glad you are here! There is no other forum like this anywhere. We have tens of thousands of members from all over the world ranging from kids with their first tortoise to people who have been breeding and keeping high end tortoises since the...

tortoiseforum.org

Please read those and then ask as many questions as you like.

Good job you are already planning ahead for larger enclosures, but it won't be long before both will outgrow even a 4 x 8. I have a leopard and at about 2 -3 years he was needing his own room and sullies are even bigger. I don't know what your climate is like but if you have cold, damp winters you'll find indoor and heated accommodation is going to be needed for both, but there are great ideas here for heated night boxes in insulated sheds etc.

Just one thing I can see in your pics is straw which isn't a good idea for substrate because it is sharp for little torts, will go mouldy and can be a fire hazard under lamps, You'll see better options in the threads above.

Thank you, I have read those a lot. The substrate is actually cyrpess not straw. I knew better from having chickens and ducks how terrible straw is. I have a spare room, but I want to have them outside. Arkansas does get cold from time to time but not usually for long. I'll probably do like I have seen on here and build a shed for them for the days that it is just too cold.

 

[Megatron's Mom]

What great gifts!

Thank you, It was a complete surprise. I'm happy I had some better knowledge this time around for them.

 

[Megatron's Mom]

Beautiful. What a nice present for you!

Thank you

 

[Ray--Opo]

Welcome, what kind of tortoise is Megatron?

 

[Ray--Opo]

Welcome, what kind of tortoise is Megatron?

After reading your post again. It sounds like you no longer have Megatron.

 

[Megatron's Mom]

After reading your post again. It sounds like you no longer have Megatron.

That is correct. We have no idea what really went wrong, but after getting these two I think something was not right with her from the day I got her. She/he was a leopard tortoise too.

 

[Ray--Opo]

That is correct. We have no idea what really went wrong, but after getting these two I think something was not right with her from the day I got her. She/he was a leopard tortoise too.

You're probably right. Undigested food might have given a clue of parasites.

 

[Fire_bug80]

Thank you, I have read those a lot. The substrate is actually cyrpess not straw. I knew better from having chickens and ducks how terrible straw is. I have a spare room, but I want to have them outside. Arkansas does get cold from time to time but not usually for long. I'll probably do like I have seen on here and build a shed for them for the days that it is just too cold.

I’m in Arkansas as well Wondering the housing situation myself

 

[Megatron's Mom]

I’m in Arkansas as well Wondering the housing situation myself

I've been looking at some other member's threads with their outdoor setups. I think the shed will be the way to go, I have time to get it all figured out. If those can work in places that get feet of snow and cold cold cold. It can work here in Arkansas.

 

[Lyn W]

I've been looking at some other member's threads with their outdoor setups. I think the shed will be the way to go, I have time to get it all figured out. If those can work in places that get feet of snow and cold cold cold. It can work here in Arkansas.

Yes it is possible. The sheds are usually well insulated with an electricity supply for heat and light sources and maybe a heated night box/hide inside it. But they would need their own separate housing and equipment etc because species shouldn't mix or be kept in pairs.

 

[Fire_bug80]

I've been looking at some other member's threads with their outdoor setups. I think the shed will be the way to go, I have time to get it all figured out. If those can work in places that get feet of snow and cold cold cold. It can work here in Arkansas.

Well I’m gonna try Tom’s night box design first I just don’t know what size u put them out there. So I’m gonna leave he/she in the humid box for another yr

 

[Megatron's Mom]

Well I’m gonna try Tom’s night box design first I just don’t know what size u put them out there. So I’m gonna leave he/she in the humid box for another yr

From the posts I've seen so far. You can leave them outside at roughly 3 years old. But I would guess that would depend on how fast they grow. Mine are tiny right now. so I have time to figure it out.

I've seen Tom's night boxes too. I want to make them inside a shed for the days they can't go outside. That way the shed can give extra space to stretch their legs. While the boxes can stay extra warm while the rest of the she could be more ambient at 80F. I have an idea just haven't put it all together yet. I love all the examples on here for the shed. I can make two different spaces and have two yards for them.

I've started collecting plants for the outdoor space and the plants can detox long before the tortes are out there.

 

[Tom]

Well I’m gonna try Tom’s night box design first I just don’t know what size u put them out there. So I’m gonna leave he/she in the humid box for another yr

I move sulcatas outside full time when they are around 10 inches. I try to leave them inside for as long as I can, but they start to get really destructive at some point. Leopards around the same size. Indoors is better for growing babies, so I try to keep that going until it just becomes untenable.

 

[Fire_bug80]

I move sulcatas outside full time when they are around 10 inches. I try to leave them inside for as long as I can, but they start to get really destructive at some point. Leopards around the same size. Indoors is better for growing babies, so I try to keep that going until it just becomes untenable.

I read an old post of yours from 2013 on here. Someone was asking about how long to keep them in high humidity. It stated that around 6inches, pyramiding was no longer a worry anymore. Is that still true?

 

[Tom]

I read an old post of yours from 2013 on here. Someone was asking about how long to keep them in high humidity. It stated that around 6inches, pyramiding was no longer a worry anymore. Is that still true?

No. Not at all. If I said that, I was wrong. We keep advancing knowledge. At one point I used and recommend MVBs too. I was wrong about that too.

Pyramiding is caused by growth in conditions that are too dry. As long as they are growing, it is a concern. Large juveniles and adult tortoises can certainly tolerate and survive dry conditions, but dry conditions are not "good" for any species at any age.

 

[Fire_bug80]

My husband found these two babies for me for Valentines day. I wasn't quite ready, he completely surprised me, but I had to jump into high gear and be ready. I wasn't sure where to post their introductions since one is a Sulcata and the other a Leopard. So I figured the Introduction forum was the perfect place to show them off.

I cannot believe how much they eat. Both of them eat more in one sitting then Megatron ate in a week. It deffinitly tells me Megatron had something going on right from the start. They are ittybitty. BubbleBee is gaining faster then OptimusPrime but I think Optimus was shy at first and took a bit longer to really start eating like crazy. OMG the poops in their soaks are huge for such a tiny

My husband found these two babies for me for Valentines day. I wasn't quite ready, he completely surprised me, but I had to jump into high gear and be ready. I wasn't sure where to post their introductions since one is a Sulcata and the other a Leopard. So I figured the Introduction forum was the perfect place to show them off.

I cannot believe how much they eat. Both of them eat more in one sitting then Megatron ate in a week. It deffinitly tells me Megatron had something going on right from the start. They are ittybitty. BubbleBee is gaining faster then OptimusPrime but I think Optimus was shy at first and took a bit longer to really start eating like crazy. OMG the poops in their soaks are huge for such a tiny baby. Another thing that is totally different then when I had Megatron. Megatron was more like undigested leaves super green and not formed. These two are dark brown and much more together. Optimus is like logs. How can two tiny things poop so much lol.

I posted my new enclosure pictures and I love how well it's doing. Right now each little guy has their own space of 4x4. Once they are a bit bigger I'll make another and each will have 4x8 to themselves.

baby. Another thing that is totally different then when I had Megatron. Megatron was more like undigested leaves super green and not formed. These two are dark brown and much more together. Optimus is like logs. How can two tiny things poop so much lol.

I posted my new enclosure pictures and I love how well it's doing. Right now each little guy has their own space of 4x4. Once they are a bit bigger I'll make another and each will have 4x8 to themselves.

It’s 1185g now