We’re picking him up tomorrow!

[Guts]

My fiancé and I are picking up the juvenile sulcata we’re adopting tomorrow and I’m ecstatic.
His current owner is giving his large wooden viv and all his things, I’ve already bought the few more things we need including a new tube uvb and fixture as they were using a coil, some orchard hay, opuntia pads, a pack cuttle bones, a terracotta pot to make into a hide, and two large terra cotta dishes for food and water. I also spent a few hours gathering tort safe weeds and grass that I’ve dried for him.

We’d been planning to adopt a larger tort species in the next few years and this guy popped up in need of a new home. His current owner has been feeding Mazuri and spring mix and soaking daily so he looks like he’s in great shape.

I grew up with tortoises (my dads red foot he got as a hatchling turned 46 this year) and have worked with Aldabras and Galapagos tortoises in the past and I know we’re going to be able to offer him a great home.

My icon is a photo of him from a couple months ago at his first vet visit

This sub has been SO helpful and I’ve read over Toms caresheet at least a dozen times now lol

 

[NorCal tortoise guy]

Congratulations very exciting sounds like you are doing it right!

 

[ErinInCA]

Congrats, what a lucky little tort!

 

[Tom]

Congrats! Post pics when you get him.

If you want us to critique your enclosure and help you fine tune it, post some pics of that too.

 

[Skip K]

Sometimes a new home MAY cause some stress to the tort. Sounds like you are going to expand the torts diet with healthy foods...but have some of the food on hand that the previous owner fed...just in case the torts feeding is a little off at first or needs time to get accustomed to new food items being introduced. I’ve had rehomes transition to a new location and a more varied diet without missing a beat...and others that took a little time to adjust to a wider range of foods.

Congrats

 

[Guts]

Thanks y’all!!

Picked him up this afternoon! I have a few concerns I’d love y’all opinions on.

- he is much smaller then I expected at 70g, which seems quite small for nearly six months old, I’m unsure if this is do to his viv and diet.

- his beak is slightly misshapen, the old owner was a vet tech and said the vet at her work said it was just odd keratin growth but the color seems off to me (gonna take pictures in a bit when I soak him.

- he seems very dry, I attribute this to the viv he’s in Having a partial screen top, I’ve cover the majority with foil and a towel for now but I know keeping humidity in this is going to be a struggle.

- due to his beak he seems to have trouble breaking down his food, it just doesn’t really slice like it should. His appetite is great however, so far I’ve given him grass and weeds I’d picked the other day and dried, and the chopped finely so he wouldn’t have trouble. (Mixed some water in so it would stay in a nice non dusty pile)

- occasionally he makes a slight pop sound but I can’t tell if it’s his beak or his breathing, he doesn’t have any other visible RI symptoms

- she included a coil uvb and a hit spot bulb, the heat gets the basking spot to 100 but doesn’t do much for the ambient temp, the uvb is being replaced as soon as the bulb and fixture I ordered arrive.

ive heavily moistened the viv, added cuttlebone and a large shallow water dish near the hotspot to help with the humidity. I would like to try and get this viv to work but if I can’t I can build or buy something better. I also thought to add an itch on a thermostat to the section off side of the viv for nighttime heat

i can take him the to vet to examine him, I have an amazing exotic only veteranar who I trust completely

 

[YukdaTortoise]

Not to be negative but I don't think Sulcatas should be put in vivariums, I am pretty sure they are on the dry side, and don't like that much wetness

 

[Guts]

Not to be negative but I don't think Sulcatas should be put in vivariums, I am pretty sure they are on the dry side, and don't like that much wetness

juveniles need 80% humidity actually! Toms caresheet goes into great detail if you haven’t read over it!

 

[Guts]

@Tom
ive posted pictures and my current concerns I’d love your input on!

 

[Tom]

Not to be negative but I don't think Sulcatas should be put in vivariums, I am pretty sure they are on the dry side, and don't like that much wetness

You are wrong. Very wrong. That is old, incorrect, outdated info. Please don't parrot that wrong info any more. Not here, not anywhere.

 

[Tom]

Thanks y’all!!

Picked him up this afternoon! I have a few concerns I’d love y’all opinions on.

- he is much smaller then I expected at 70g, which seems quite small for nearly six months old, I’m unsure if this is do to his viv and diet.

- his beak is slightly misshapen, the old owner was a vet tech and said the vet at her work said it was just odd keratin growth but the color seems off to me (gonna take pictures in a bit when I soak him.

- he seems very dry, I attribute this to the viv he’s in Having a partial screen top, I’ve cover the majority with foil and a towel for now but I know keeping humidity in this is going to be a struggle.

- due to his beak he seems to have trouble breaking down his food, it just doesn’t really slice like it should. His appetite is great however, so far I’ve given him grass and weeds I’d picked the other day and dried, and the chopped finely so he wouldn’t have trouble. (Mixed some water in so it would stay in a nice non dusty pile)

- occasionally he makes a slight pop sound but I can’t tell if it’s his beak or his breathing, he doesn’t have any other visible RI symptoms

- she included a coil uvb and a hit spot bulb, the heat gets the basking spot to 100 but doesn’t do much for the ambient temp, the uvb is being replaced as soon as the bulb and fixture I ordered arrive.

ive heavily moistened the viv, added cuttlebone and a large shallow water dish near the hotspot to help with the humidity. I would like to try and get this viv to work but if I can’t I can build or buy something better. I also thought to add an itch on a thermostat to the section off side of the viv for nighttime heat

i can take him the to vet to examine him, I have an amazing exotic only veteranar who I trust completely

Hi!

-At six months old and 70 grams, this is a baby, not a juvenile.
-It has been cared for totally inappropriately, but this is common and most people just don't know better. At 70 grams, it should survive on grow up fairly normally if you get it into the right growing conditions. It will likely grow slowly for at least a year or two and then sprout.
-That enclosure is not a vivarium. Its an open topped wooden tortoise house, and you will not be able to maintain the correct conditions using that.
-The pics of the tortoise are blurry and I can't see anything wrong with the beak. It looks normal, but I'm not able to zoom in and see it clearly due to the picture quality.
-This baby needs fresh green soft foods. The dried foods you are offering will be okay to add in when it is older and bigger, but I wouldn't recommend that right now.
-Most vets, even exotic vets, know very little about tortoise care. You are likely to get bad advice and harmful procedures if you go to a vet. This is unfortunate, but true. Going to a vet would also serve no purpose and the travel would further stress the baby.

My advice: Get the right enclosure, the right heating and lighting, the right foods, and then soak this baby for 30-60 minutes a day and get those African monsoon conditions going ASAP.

 

[KarenSoCal]

Here's some useful info on closed chambers.

Hi! New here

Hey! I am looking for the "frequently asked questions" and do not see it. Can someone guide me? Thanks

www.tortoiseforum.org

 

[Guts]

Hi!

-At six months old and 70 grams, this is a baby, not a juvenile.
-It has been cared for totally inappropriately, but this is common and most people just don't know better. At 70 grams, it should survive on grow up fairly normally if you get it into the right growing conditions. It will likely grow slowly for at least a year or two and then sprout.
-That enclosure is not a vivarium. Its an open topped wooden tortoise house, and you will not be able to maintain the correct conditions using that.
-The pics of the tortoise are blurry and I can't see anything wrong with the beak. It looks normal, but I'm not able to zoom in and see it clearly due to the picture quality.
-This baby needs fresh green soft foods. The dried foods you are offering will be okay to add in when it is older and bigger, but I wouldn't recommend that right now.
-Most vets, even exotic vets, know very little about tortoise care. You are likely to get bad advice and harmful procedures if you go to a vet. This is unfortunate, but true. Going to a vet would also serve no purpose and the travel would further stress the baby.

My advice: Get the right enclosure, the right heating and lighting, the right foods, and then soak this baby for 30-60 minutes a day and get those African monsoon conditions going ASAP.

Wrong terminology my bad!

yeah the house is...cute I guess? But I most certainly agree temps and humidity are not gonna work in it. My fiancé is happy to build them something superior but the grow tents look very appealing from what I’ve seen. Wed also be able to get a growtent set up more quickly.

Theyre currently munching on a large pile of torn up spring mix, is dried food fine to offer in addition? The old owner did a shredded Timothy hay on top of their food but I feel like the shredded weeds and grass offers more nutritional verity.

I will take beak photos momentarily, watching them eat it seems like their beak really doesnt cut like it should.

Ive got 65w floods on hand and an appropriate uvb on the way! I also have an uth and thermosta I could use to attempt to warm the covered section of the house until we get something better.

 

[Big Charlie]

Wrong terminology my bad!

yeah the house is...cute I guess? But I most certainly agree temps and humidity are not gonna work in it. My fiancé is happy to build them something superior but the grow tents look very appealing from what I’ve seen. Wed also be able to get a growtent set up more quickly.

Theyre currently munching on a large pile of torn up spring mix, is dried food fine to offer in addition? The old owner did a shredded Timothy hay on top of their food but I feel like the shredded weeds and grass offers more nutritional verity.

I will take beak photos momentarily, watching them eat it seems like their beak really doesnt cut like it should.

Ive got 65w floods on hand and an appropriate uvb on the way! I also have an uth and thermosta I could use to attempt to warm the covered section of the house until we get something better.

Are you soaking daily? That is very important.

 

[Guts]

Are you soaking daily? That is very important.

Yes absolutely! Just finished their half an hour soak a few minutes ago.

also got some pictures of the odd spot on their beak I’d love to hear what y’all think it is. The old owners vet said it was just keratin growth but that seems off to me.

I’m a bit worried about night temps since we keep it about 73 in the house, so I’ve put an uth on a thermostat set to 82 in the far corner just in case they need it.

Were also buying a grow tent tonight!

 

[Big Charlie]

Yes absolutely! Just finished their half an hour soak a few minutes ago.

also got some pictures of the odd spot on their beak I’d love to hear what y’all think it is. The old owners vet said it was just keratin growth but that seems off to me.

I’m a bit worried about night temps since we keep it about 73 in the house, so I’ve put an uth on a thermostat set to 82 in the far corner just in case they need it.

Were also buying a grow tent tonight!

I'm not sure about the beak. Beaks can get overgrown easily. Putting the food on a stone or a rough surface helps keep it worn down. You should have heat on in his house during the night. Do you have a CHE?

 

[Guts]

He eats on a slate tile and I’ve given him a cuttlebone to work on that beak.

I'm not sure about the beak. Beaks can get overgrown easily. Putting the food on a stone or a rough surface helps keep it worn down. You should have heat on in his house during the night. Do you have a CHE?

he eats on a slate tile and I’ve given him a cuttlebone that he’s nibbled at.

ive set up an uth with a thermostat set to 82 while we wait for his grow tent,I’ll be getting a che as soon as we get the grow tent this week!

 

[Skip K]

Still kinda of hard to see sharply the beak issue ( at least for me). In two of the pics there does appear to be a lump on the neck ...in the photos behind the torts right eye. Is it just the way the photos are or can you see it when looking at your tort up close

 

[Guts]

Still kinda of hard to see sharply the beak issue ( at least for me). In two of the pics there does appear to be a lump on the neck ...in the photos behind the torts right eye. Is it just the photo is or can you see it when looking at your tort up close

thats just the angle of his neck, no lump! I’m concerned about the wide, discolored spot on the left side of his beak specific

 

[Skip K]

I can see what APPEARS to be maybe a little swelling...but still not clear to me. I do know this about our babies...sometimes dried on food from eating can become “adhered” to the upper and lower jaws...creating what appears to be spots. Also I believe food can “dye” areas on the jaws. Leaving food on a beak can sometimes lead to issues I’ve read...but when I see the dried food spots on my baby Sulkies...the only way I can gently remove the dried on food ( again it’s looks like blackish spots not dried food)...is when doing a soak in the sink. I gently run water on the entire tort as they soak using my hand to guide the water flow...soaking the head and neck as well then gently using my finger to rub/ remove the dried on food spots or food “dye” on the jaws ( could probably use a q-tip but I prefer the feel of using my finger). This doesn’t take much pressure and our babies tolerate it fine....not frightened or pulling their heads in. But this is just SPECULATION as I can not eyeball your tort as close as I’d like...and could be something else entirely.