What else should I be doing for my 4month old sulcata?

[Kagyuz]

My little buddy Leonardo is now 4 months old and i hope that i am raising him well. I bought him from red foot ranch and he seems to be doing well. I would like some advice on what to feed him because i do have some reptile calcium and want to know what to feed him. It has mainly been him grazing and lettuce. I give him some fruit from time to time.

I soak him daily for a good half hour up to a little under his chin. He has sphagnum moss in a humid hide (cardboard box until i can 3D print one) that I keep wet and i use eco earth as his substrate. The light bulb is 100 watt i believe and i keep it a bit up to prevent too much heat.

Since i live in Maryland and it is now more warm i let him relax in the little enclosure i have in the front yard and check him constantly to prevent any animals that could pose a threat. Normally my pit bull is outside with him so that also keeps birds away. The pink cloth you see is there to give him the ability to climb over the wooden beam in the middle that helps keep the structure sound.

His water bowl broke the other day while i was cleaning it so i am also 3D printing him a custom one to make things easier.

Here are my questions though, how much and often should i feed him?

How long should i leave him outside in the enclosure so he can get the right amount of uvb?

What should be his normal diet?

How do vets work for tortoise’s?

I wish to get another one later this summer and am also looking for a good place to get one but i want to make sure i am taking good care of Leonardo before getting another one and don’t put them both at risk of being taken care of poorly.

 

[Melis]

Welcome! Have you read our care sheets in the sulcata section?

A few things up front. Fruit should never be offered. He should be offered food daily. Weeds and grass need to be the primary part of his diet. The tortoise table is a great resource to see what is safe to feed.

A terra-cotta plant saucer works well for a water dish, and a plastic shoe box turned upside down with a door coat out would serve as a hide.

Being that tiny, if he is outside you need something to cover that enclosure to keep out predators, as well as shade. A good rule of thumb to follow is 1 hour of sun per 1 inch of tort. We have seen a lot of horror stories involving torts and dogs, so it is not recommended for them to be around one another.

Torts do not do well in pairs, so getting another would require a great amount of space which could be difficult especially in the winter in Maryland (fellow Marylander here lol)

Most people only take their torts to the vets if there is an issue. There are a lot of really knowledgeable people on this forum that offer great advice as well if any health concerns ever arise.

What are the temps and humidity in your enclosure? Babies do best in enclosed chambers, as they need high humidity.

 

[Kagyuz]

Thank you i won’t offer him fruit again. Maryland is a hard place to keep them i can agree lol. The temperature in his cage is normally 80 F and about 85% humid the last time i checked (a few days ago) but i do not have a thermometer or humidity checker so I use a friends of mine every once in a while to check. I plan to buy one soon. My dog does not actually do much to contact the tortoise since he is scared of Leonardo for some reason lol. His total length is 4 inches which would mean 4 hours. I will try to make something to cover up the outdoor enclosure but what about the inside one? How would one go about enclosing that? Also there is a room in the house that i use to keep Leonardo warm during winter (got him in January) i put him in there with a heater on at all times just in case the rest of the house wasn’t heated enough. It is quite a big room so i presume keeping another tortoise in there wouldn’t be too bad.

 

[Maro2Bear]

Our Sully here in Glenn Dale says hello...feel free to ask lots of questions! @Melis already provided you a lot of good pointers.

Your outdoor cage is good for some limited exposure to grass, sunlight, etc. u definitely need a piece of plywood or carpet up over top to provide some shade. Be careful, they can easily dig out under that 2x4 cage. AND be careful with your dog....there are more than enough refs here on the Forum regarding torts and dogs.

Water bowl - just get a terracotta plant saucer...seems a lot easier. Don’t over think things.

Your outdoor cage - at his size, you really only need the one half. If it needs support, just move that lower ground level board up 12 inches or so and screw into the sides...will provide just as much frame, but not be laying on the ground as a blocker. Your sully might easily flip over with the way u have it now. Also, i don’t see a shady hide inside either. Yo7ng sullys like to hide and be safe...

Some answers to your questions from a Sully owner here in MD:

Here are my questions though, how much and often should i feed him?

- Sullys eat daily, so feed every day, grass, weeds, flowers, Mazuri

How long should i leave him outside in the enclosure so he can get the right amount of uvb?

- i think Melis answered this one

What should be his normal diet?

- your young sully should be eating fresh cut grass, weeds, dandelion blooms and leaves, mazuri pellets. You want h8m eating a wide variety of everything

How do vets work for tortoise’s?

- we have had our Sully for four years now, no need for a vet visit yet. Good tort husbandry, food, water, soaking....you won’t need a visit.

Heres a pix of our Sully enjoying some humidity sun and grass and rose of sharon..

Hope this helps and good luck.

 

[Kagyuz]

Thank you for all the useful information! This will surely help out with raising him correctly!

 

[Maro2Bear]

Hey, i didnt see or read what you are doing in his indoor enclosure for heat, light, etc. substrate looks a bit dry. Make sure you are soaking your sully every day...in nice warm water for 35-45 mins or so...

Soaking daily, high humidity, proper temps, good variety of food is essentisl now in these young formative months/years..

• Ps. I have a great indoor enclosure fully equipped for a young sully that I no longer have use for. Our Sully outgrew this a few years back.....let me know if you are interested....I can deliver too!

 

[Kagyuz]

An indoor enclosure?? Can i see it please. I’m sure it’s better than the one I’m working with

 

[TechnoCheese]

Please give these a read-
How To Raise A Healthy Sulcata Or Leopard, Version 2.0 https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php...ealthy-Sulcata-Or-Leopard,-Version-2.0.79895/
For Those Who Have a Young Sulcata... https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/For-Those-Who-Have-a-Young-Sulcata....76744/
Beginner Mistakes https://tortoiseforum.org/index.php?threads/Beginner-Mistakes.45180/

 

[Maro2Bear]

An indoor enclosure?? Can i see it please. I’m sure it’s better than the one I’m working with

Yep....it’s all ready to go. Fully enclosed with glass lid, sockets for CHE and regular bulbs. If you look back through my postings you will see the construct.

 

[Kagyuz]

Yep....it’s all ready to go. Fully enclosed with glass lid, sockets for CHE and regular bulbs. If you look back through my postings you will see the construct.

What a beautifully constructed enclosure! I am interested in it it is a serious upgrade from my current “enclosure”

 

[Big Charlie]

You might want to get rid of the moss in the humid hide. Some tortoises eat it and it isn't good for them.

He only needs a few hours of UV a couple times a week. Keeping him inside his temperature and humidity controlled enclosure is good to prevent pyramiding.

You should think long and hard about whether you really want a second sulcata. These guys get huge and can be destructive. In a very few years, they will be too big to keep in a bedroom for the winter. It is optimum if you have two tortoises that they don't see each other or know each other exists. The more space you can provide your tortoise, the better.

 

[Kagyuz]

You might want to get rid of the moss in the humid hide. Some tortoises eat it and it isn't good for them.

He only needs a few hours of UV a couple times a week. Keeping him inside his temperature and humidity controlled enclosure is good to prevent pyramiding.

You should think long and hard about whether you really want a second sulcata. These guys get huge and can be destructive. In a very few years, they will be too big to keep in a bedroom for the winter. It is optimum if you have two tortoises that they don't see each other or know each other exists. The more space you can provide your tortoise, the better.

Thank you for the advice, i plan on moving in the next few years too a more warm state and with a large amount of space so can own them without issues. I plan on doing this before hey become larger. Also thank you for the advice on the moss!