First time tortoise mama from North TX!

[Katashia]

Hello! I'm Katashia and my little shell-baby is named Morla, the Ancient One; she has 2 human siblings: D (13y) & O (1y). ❤ We live in North Texas, where the weather is never what it's supposed to be!

Morla was given to me by my husband as an early Christmas gift, he had ordered her 2 months prior and picked her up as soon as the shop owner called to say she had hatched and had arrived to the shop. I got her November 28, 2016.

I have always loved turtles & tortoises and have owned many turtles in my day (mostly RES, one Mississippi Map and one that I rehomed from a friend and never knew what kind of turtle he was) but this is my first tortoise. I am so nervous that I'm doing it all wrong; there isn't much stuff to go by on the internet for domesticated Sulcata torts.

My biggest concern is what to feed her. The first 5 websites I'd found instructed me to feed her dark greens, so I've been feeding her collard greens & Kale mixed, twice a day; I noticed recently that she as been soaking in her water dish more often & passing urates about twice a day!! I saw a site recommend bermuda & clover with the dark greens seldomly. We got her some fresh Bermuda & have it lined in her tank (it's too cold right now in Texas for her to go outside) but she hasn't been eating it much.

I just want her to be healthy & happy!!! I hope to learn so much from this forum! Any help or recommendations are always readily accepted, just please no judging.

*Also, I know she's too young to know her sex, I go back and forth between she & he.

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Hello, Katashia , and a very warm welcome to Tortoise Forum to you and Morla.
Have a look at http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
and http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
and for food http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/
and i like http://www.chelonia.org/Articles/nutrientanalysis.htm
the one's in bold are best.

 

[SarahChelonoidis]

When you say you lined her tank with Bermuda, you mean you laid down strips of sod inside? If you purchased it commercially, it likely has been treated to look nice, not to be edible. I'd remove it and replace your substrate.

The links you were given above have lots of helpful suggestions on diet ideas.

Congrats on the new addition to your family!

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Hi Katashia

 

[Katashia]

When you say you lined her tank with Bermuda, you mean you laid down strips of sod inside? If you purchased it commercially, it likely has been treated to look nice, not to be edible. I'd remove it and replace your substrate.

The links you were given above have lots of helpful suggestions on diet ideas.

Congrats on the new addition to your family!

I did speak to the nursery that we bought the Sod off of about what it has been treated with and luckily during the winter they don't spray their rolls. It's an older man who is friends with my grandfather & he knew what I was buying it for, he said he wouldn't have sold it to me if it was full of pesticides & chemicals. We are going to take it out & refill her tanks substrate to be safe. Thank you for bringing that to my attention.

 

[Katashia]

Hello, Katashia , and a very warm welcome to Tortoise Forum to you and Morla.
Have a look at http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
and http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
and for food http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/
and i like http://www.chelonia.org/Articles/nutrientanalysis.htm
the one's in bold are best.

Thank you for all of the links. I read over a few of them last night actually. My biggest confusion is over feeding though to be honest. What would you recommend for torts this young? She doesn't like cactus. She loves kale but I've noticed that she has been passing more urates (it's getting thicker) since being on kale, when she was on collard greens it seemed normal, rarely saw it. She speaks in her water A LOT, like several times a day & that's where I find the urate mostly.
I really want to get her on a good diet but with it being winter there's not much grass around outside. What can you suggest?

 

[Katashia]

Hi Katashia
View attachment 197085

Hello!

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Great morning to you ! And have a happy day !

 

[Katashia]

When you say you lined her tank with Bermuda, you mean you laid down strips of sod inside? If you purchased it commercially, it likely has been treated to look nice, not to be edible. I'd remove it and replace your substrate.

The links you were given above have lots of helpful suggestions on diet ideas.

Congrats on the new addition to your family!

I responded but don't see it, so sorry if this is a repeat. But yes, I spoke with the owner of the place where we got the roll of Bermuda & he said that it WAS pesticide free, that he doesn't spray anything he gets in during the winter. However, he also said that 60 days AFTER being sprayed that the chemicals are no longer on the leaf & would be safe again - how true do you think that is? Also, when we bought it, it was in a roll & it was just like the hay part (weeds or whatever) but since putting a little strip in her tank & watering it, green grass has sprouted up & that is what she eats, she won't eat the hay-like weeds. Thanks for bringing this to my attention though!

To be honest, it's what to feed her that stresses me out so much. Lol.

 

[Katashia]

Great morning to you ! And have a happy day !

Thank you! You too. I am about to begin looking into new foods for my baby. I feel like everything I feed her is wrong. LOL

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Thank you! You too. I am about to begin looking into new foods for my baby. I feel like everything I feed her is wrong. LOL

 

[Tidgy's Dad]

Thank you for all of the links. I read over a few of them last night actually. My biggest confusion is over feeding though to be honest. What would you recommend for torts this young? She doesn't like cactus. She loves kale but I've noticed that she has been passing more urates (it's getting thicker) since being on kale, when she was on collard greens it seemed normal, rarely saw it. She speaks in her water A LOT, like several times a day & that's where I find the urate mostly.
I really want to get her on a good diet but with it being winter there's not much grass around outside. What can you suggest?

In winter pretty much anything I can find goes.
I feed special foods like Mazuri as well as kale, turnip tops, pumpkin leaves, lettuce, raddichio and chicory.
Anything you can get your hands on that's on those lists, really. Experiment and see what she goes for.
As for the urates, if it's soft and smooth like toothpaste, don't worry, it's only id it becomes gritty or has crystals in that it's a problem.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, and welcome to the Forum!

There are so many edible weeds growing during this time of year. Try to find mallow, filaree, dandelion, purslane, clover, lamb's quarters, plantain, chickweed, wild amaranth, dock, thistle, chicory, sow thistle, prickly lettuce, miner's lettuce - the list is endless. I grab a handful of tall grass then hold it together tightly and cut it into bite-sized pieces with the scissors over the bowl of food I'm preparing and mix it all up.

 

[BILBO-03]

Hi and Welcome!

 

[Katashia]

As for the urates, if it's soft and smooth like toothpaste, don't worry, it's only id it becomes gritty or has crystals in that it's a problem.

Thank you. I'm trying to learn about it and how to keep it in the right degree of consistency.

Thank you so much for those attachments! I will be adding them to my other sheets!

Hi, and welcome to the Forum!

There are so many edible weeds growing during this time of year. Try to find mallow, filaree, dandelion, purslane, clover, lamb's quarters, plantain, chickweed, wild amaranth, dock, thistle, chicory, sow thistle, prickly lettuce, miner's lettuce - the list is endless. I grab a handful of tall grass then hold it together tightly and cut it into bite-sized pieces with the scissors over the bowl of food I'm preparing and mix it all up.

Yes, I am trying to familiarize myself with the grasses & weeds in my area because I don't want to feed Morla something that is hazardous to her health (like oxalis).

We did renew her substrate & removed the sod, even though they assured me they hadn't sprayed it; we did keep a small square because we are beginning to actually get green sprouts on it. Instead I bought a little carton of wheatgrass, as suggested in one of the links Tidgy's Dad posted, as well as got a little kit to grow my own wheatgrass. I mixed in some wheatgrass & greens & plan to slowly reduce the amount of leafy greens I mix in with it. I also plan to look into growing some clover in our window sill as well. I really appreciate everyone's tips & hungrily absorb any knowledge passed my way!

Hi and Welcome!

Hello!