What bedding is best for a young sulcata tortoise?

Lori Hutcherson

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what is the best bedding for a young sulcata tortoise? I'm getting one soon and am getting his habitat (a baby pool) in order but I've read several different things to use and most of the pictures I've seen appear to just have dirt and regular looking mulch, Is that safe to use?
 

hingeback

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For hatchlings I am not sure but if it is already stable size coco coir or mulch should be safe.
 

Lyn W

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Hi and welcome,
Great that you are researching first and getting everything set up before your tort comes home it is so much easier and safer for the baby tort if your temps and humidity are sorted out first. Where are you located?
If you look under the Species Specific section there is a good caresheet for sullies written by a very experienced keeper which will tell you about substrate, diet, temps, humidity etc
Some people use baby pools as temp outdoor enclosures so their torts can enjoy some supervised uvb time, but not sure if they are often used as permanent housing. How will you hang your heat and uvb lamps etc? The Enclosures thread has great ideas and the Beginners Mistakes thread (link below) will help you to learn from other peoples mistakes.
 

Lori Hutcherson

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For hatchlings I am not sure but if it is already stable size coco coir or mulch should be safe.
It's going to be a hatchling, I've just heard so many conflicting things that I don't want to do anything wrong!! Someone told me to use only Timothy hay in the baby pool which will be his habitat but I thought they liked to burrow and the hay just doesn't seem the best route for that. Any suggestions on what would be good to mix with the hay? Thanks so much!
 

Lori Hutcherson

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Joined
Jan 1, 2016
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Charleston SC
Hi and welcome,
Great that you are researching first and getting everything set up before your tort comes home it is so much easier and safer for the baby tort if your temps and humidity are sorted out first. Where are you located?
If you look under the Species Specific section there is a good caresheet for sullies written by a very experienced keeper which will tell you about substrate, diet, temps, humidity etc
Some people use baby pools as temp outdoor enclosures so their torts can enjoy some supervised uvb time, but not sure if they are often used as permanent housing. How will you hang your heat and uvb lamps etc? The Enclosures thread has great ideas and the Beginners Mistakes thread (link below) will help you to learn from other peoples mistakes.
Thanks for your help! I'm located in charleston sc. The baby pool is temporary until my boyfriend builds him a larger tortoise box but as far as hanging the heat and uvb light I've somewhat rigged this, I work at a veterinary clinic and had access to a metal IV pole that was being tossed out so my boyfriend has shortened the length so the lamp will hang at an appropriate level above the pool . Thanks again!!
 

hingeback

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It's going to be a hatchling, I've just heard so many conflicting things that I don't want to do anything wrong!! Someone told me to use only Timothy hay in the baby pool which will be his habitat but I thought they liked to burrow and the hay just doesn't seem the best route for that. Any suggestions on what would be good to mix with the hay? Thanks so much!
If it is already a few weeks old, the coco coir, mulch, moss... You could use all those. Just never use any type of sand. Even the calcium sand in some pet shops. You wouldn't want it to get impaction. If it still has its yolk sac, keep it on paper towel, until the yolk sac is fully absorbed.
 

Tom

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what is the best bedding for a young sulcata tortoise? I'm getting one soon and am getting his habitat (a baby pool) in order but I've read several different things to use and most of the pictures I've seen appear to just have dirt and regular looking mulch, Is that safe to use?

Hello and welcome Lori. There is all sorts of conflicting and wrong info circulating around out there. Here is why: For about 3 decades we have all been following and parroting the wrong advice that was based on incorrect assumptions about the natural habitat of the sulcata. Some people have figured this out and some people haven't. Some people have figured out some of the old wrong things, but not all of the old wrong things. To confuse the issue even more, some of the old things were actually correct… I was one of those people parroting the wrong info. I've been keeping sulcatas since 1991. I've hatched and raised hundreds of babies. Only in the last few years have we begun to figure all this out and put it into practice. Most of the tortoise world has not kept up.

Here is the info that was missing: Sulcatas are not a "desert" species. They are a grassland/forest edge species. It takes a lot of annual rainfall to sustain grasslands and forests. Don't get that in a desert. For years every book, website, vet and "expert" repeated that these tortoises come from and arid region of the world and that you must keep them hot and dry or they will get a respiratory infection or shell rot. This is totally false. Yes, the area where sulcatas occur is arid for 8 or 9 months of each year. Know where they are during that time? Underground in damp, warm, humid burrows. You ever wonder about what is going on for the other 3-4 months a year? A little thing called monsoon season. Its rainy, very humid, hot, and there are puddles, marshes and green growing food everywhere. Now guess when babies hatch? Do you think they hatch in the middle of the dry season when there is no water and little food? Nope. They hatch at the start of the rainy season. Ever been to South Florida or New Orleans in June or July? This is the environment we are talking about. Hot every day, super humid, all you can eat buffet, and frequent rain.

So to relate this to your situation: The open topped kiddie pool is not going to work well unless the room where you keep it is warm and humid 24/7. Even the people who live in South FL can't maintain high enough humidity indoors with summer AC and winter heat, in addition to our highly desiccating heat lamps.

To answer your question: Fine grade orchid bark in bulk from your local nursery s the best substrate for baby sulcatas. Hay is not good because its too dry and can't be kept damp. Coco coir can work, but its too messy for sulcatas.

Here is the correct care info for sulcatas:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

In line with all of the above, most people do not start babies correctly and it will kill a large percentage of them weeks or months down the road. To avoid this common pitfall, read this and make sure the source you buy from starts their babies correctly. Most don't.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/hatchling-failure-syndrome.23493/

Last, here is how they out to be started, so you'll know the right questions to ask of any breeder or seller:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-incubate-eggs-and-start-hatchlings.124266/


Please come back and question any of this after reading. You will be glad you did.
 
M

Maggie Cummings

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Lori please read those links. Your baby needs 85% humidity, and he can't get it on hay, he needs 90 or 100 degree basking spot, hay? Not a good substrate, I use fine grade orchid back. In a baby pool you won't be able to keep the ambient temp high enough for a baby. AND....I am so glad you are asking questions and allowing us to help you and give you the most current advice on raising a healthy, smooth Sulcata. Please keep asking questions, after he is set up correctly, he'll be easy to care for....and you'll be happier...I am glad you wrote in....
 

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