Roger59
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Shelby was a father's day gift and just wanted to find a place where I can make sure I am raising her correctly. Any advice would be welcome.
Happy Father's Day
- Thread starter Roger59
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Hello Roger welcome to the TFO From AZ . If you give us a pict of the tort and it's enclosure or Evan tell us what it is we may be able to help you ! Have a great tort day !
Sent from my iPhone using TortForum
Sent from my iPhone using TortForum
Welcome!
who ever gave you that torts as a father's day gift must loves you very much. And welcome to the forum. If you can share a photo with us some one will jump in to help you really quick.
Welcome.
Welcome.
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Hi Roger, and welcome to the Forum!
What a nice Father's Day present. If Shelby is the little guy in your avatar picture, then I'm thinking he's a sulcata? hard to tell from such a small picture.
We have some great info at the top of the Sulcata section here on the Forum. Release all that old info about tortoises that you may have stored in the back of your brain. We have new and much better ways now-a-days of raising baby tortoises.
Happy reading!
What a nice Father's Day present. If Shelby is the little guy in your avatar picture, then I'm thinking he's a sulcata? hard to tell from such a small picture.
We have some great info at the top of the Sulcata section here on the Forum. Release all that old info about tortoises that you may have stored in the back of your brain. We have new and much better ways now-a-days of raising baby tortoises.
Happy reading!
Hello and Welcome
What a great gift. Yvonne pretty much covered where you will find what you need. Any questions after your reading, shoot away, many experienced members very willing to help.
What a great gift. Yvonne pretty much covered where you will find what you need. Any questions after your reading, shoot away, many experienced members very willing to help.
Roger59
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This is Shelby..one year old female.
Roger59
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She doesn't stay in the aquarium very much. Spend most of her time outside in the grass and Arizona sun or just running around the apartment.
yillt
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Hi. Welcome to the forum. Your tort looks great and it sounds like you are trying very hard. The cage is abit to small and Shelby SHOULD NOT wander round the apartment much (at all really.)I know it is annoying when you find out you are doing something wrong and you will probably now think I just got this cage and I AM NOT getting another one. But just buy a couple of planks of wood and rustle up a large cage. You can find something to put over the top to keep the humidity in. Then it will be perfect. On the enclosures section there are lots of ideas. If you cannot find one just buy a large rabbit hutch or water land tub. A large plastic tub will work to.
Roger59
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We did build her an enclosure out of an old nightstand that she stays in at night. Why shouldn't she wander around inside? I know of a lot of people who let their sulcatas roam around in and out doors. Just curious what your reasoning is. And of course, I want to know if we are doing something wrong. She actually house trained herself which I thought was pretty amazing.
Talk about a delayed response!
We don't recommend allowing a tortoise to roam freely throughout the house because no matter how good a house keeper you are, there are still bad things at tort level that could harm or kill your tortoise. They eat anything and everything. So little bits of plastic, a bobby or safety pin, dust bunnies, the computer cord...anything he sees is fair game to try to eat.
Besides that, it is a lot colder on the floor than what you feel . Take off your clothes and lay on the floor. You'll soon realize how cold your tortoise must be down there. A young tortoise needs to stay warm.
A helpful hint on your waterer: I don't know how you expect your tortoise to be able to extend his neck up and over that waterer. His shell doesn't allow him to bend, and his neck probably isn't long enough to go up, over then down. I like to use a plant saucer and sink it down into the substrate (of a larger enclosure!!).
We don't recommend allowing a tortoise to roam freely throughout the house because no matter how good a house keeper you are, there are still bad things at tort level that could harm or kill your tortoise. They eat anything and everything. So little bits of plastic, a bobby or safety pin, dust bunnies, the computer cord...anything he sees is fair game to try to eat.
Besides that, it is a lot colder on the floor than what you feel . Take off your clothes and lay on the floor. You'll soon realize how cold your tortoise must be down there. A young tortoise needs to stay warm.
A helpful hint on your waterer: I don't know how you expect your tortoise to be able to extend his neck up and over that waterer. His shell doesn't allow him to bend, and his neck probably isn't long enough to go up, over then down. I like to use a plant saucer and sink it down into the substrate (of a larger enclosure!!).
...I forgot to mention: I'll give you odds that in a year or two, Shelby will flash 'her' man parts!
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Welcome
I think I'll take a bet with you on that.
Any how, it's been a few months Roger, how are you enjoying your gift?
Roger59
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Her water dish is sunk into the sand in her enclosure and she has a bigger bowl now. She does enjoy her heat lamp now that it is getting cold (60 degrees overnight). But when she wants out she goes at the sides so hard that I am afraid she is going to hurt herself. What do you mean showing her Man parts? She is most indefinably a girl. LOL
When we go outside she sniffs at everything she sees and we used to have to take her away from the bad stuff...now she sniffs and walks away. She does not get anything she isn't supposed to. My wife works from home and Shelby has learned she is not allowed in the kitchen or near her computer desk. She has a small area in the bathroom (her choice) where she has hay in a dish that she can climb in and out of to use the potty. She figured that one out on her own and it is awesome
I think my wife enjoys her more and Shelby is attached to her but I am sure it is because she is around all the time. My wife will lay on the floor and Shelby will go cuddle up with her and go to sleep. Lets her pet her head and gives her kisses. Kind of jealous lol.
When we go outside she sniffs at everything she sees and we used to have to take her away from the bad stuff...now she sniffs and walks away. She does not get anything she isn't supposed to. My wife works from home and Shelby has learned she is not allowed in the kitchen or near her computer desk. She has a small area in the bathroom (her choice) where she has hay in a dish that she can climb in and out of to use the potty. She figured that one out on her own and it is awesome
I think my wife enjoys her more and Shelby is attached to her but I am sure it is because she is around all the time. My wife will lay on the floor and Shelby will go cuddle up with her and go to sleep. Lets her pet her head and gives her kisses. Kind of jealous lol.
So she is potty/litterbox trained?
Roger59
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Crazy right? Noticed she would only go in one spot to do her thing and she would pace outside of the bathroom door if someone was in there. So wife put a "litterbox" and she uses it religiously.
Roger59
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We are currently looking for a house with a proper (large) backyard for her and will probably have questions on how best to take care of her in the Arizona heat.
Your sulcata is not big enough yet to know for sure if it's male if it's female. The majority of them are male. If you're going by the flat plastron (bottom shell), males don't grow a concave plastron until a couple years after they reach sexual maturity. So you've got a couple years to go before you can tell the sex for sure.
