1 year old 5" MoMo So many Questions

[TheCobbler]

Hi. So this is my first post! And I have a lot of questions. Hopefully someone can help. I got MoMo a month ago from my nephew/brother-in-law because they just got a dog and couldn't take care of him. He's one year old and about 5" in length and his shell already has pyramids on it...Apparently, they purchased MoMo from a reptile store when he was around 3 inches long. From there, he was kept in a glass cage and fed processed tort food! Bad news.
I've been doing a lot of reading and think I have almost everything to make MoMo happy. I just read Tom's post on the prevention of pyramiding and my first question is: at what age or size should i stop being concerned about high humidity?
I let MoMo out in the backyard for about 3-6 hours 5 days a week. There's an apple tree in my backyard and I read that apple seeds could be fatal. Is this true? And what can I do to prevent the consumption of apple seeds? (can't cut down the tree). Also, are guava, lemon grass, or oranges dangerous?
When's a good age to start housing MoMo outdoors completely?
Lastly, I have cuttlebone in his pen for calcium but just split open my finger getting the backshell off with a knife... is there an easier way to prep it?

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi "The Cobbler":

Welcome to the forum!! May we know your name and where you are?

I always take out the seeds when I feed apples, but I've noticed on TV when watching zoo shows, they just cut them up and don't de-seed them. Seems to me the seeds contain cyanide. But you would have to eat an awful lot of seeds for your body to not be able to handle them. One thing to consider: When a tortoise eats a seed of any kind, it usually comes out the other end still in seed shape and form. They can't chew it to open it and release the toxin.

If your tortoise is not a hatchling, you can just lay the cuttlebone soft-side up on the floor of the habitat. He'll bite off bites when he wants to.

I think the humidity would apply as long as the baby is small enough to still be kept in the house.

Sulcatas shouldn't have too much fruit, so they might get runny stools and parasite blooms from eating too much guava and oranges (and apples), but the lemon grass would be ok. I knew a lady who had several desert tortoises in her back yard. She didn't know anything about tortoises, she just had them. She also had five or six lemon and orange trees. She left the fruit to fall for the tortoises to eat. Far as I know, it never caused the tortoises any problems. We usually just err on the safe side.

 

[Robert]

Welcome

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Welcome!

 

[Laura]

pictures!!! we want to see your new friend!!
welcome to our family!

 

[dmarcus]

Welcome to the forum, good to know you are gonna make things right with the little guy...

 

[pdrobber]

welcome!

 

[TebowHammer]

Welcome to the forum!!

Get ready...

You're about to fall in love with your new pal! You get attached quick.

Wishing you the best,

Tyler

 

[Jacob]

Welcome!
Im new to this forum too, and i have a baby sulcata as well

 

[DocNezzy]

Nice to have you. Glad you want to educate yourself!

 

[TheCobbler]

Thanks for the help and welcomes! It puts me at ease to know that MoMo wont be harmed by dropped fruit. I'll continue to bath and spray him daily until he's around 7-8". And my name is Matthew and reside in the LA valley. Quick question, does pyramiding round/level off? or is MoMo like this forever...

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Matthew:

The bumps you see right now on MoMo's shell will never smooth out, however, as the new growth between those bumps comes in smoothly, you won't notice the old bumps so much.

 

[african cake queen]

hi the cobbler, sure like the name of your new friend! my first pancakes name was momo. WELCOME! good thing you & momo found each other. he needed you. good luck, lindy