Hello fellow Sulcata enthusiasts! A few questions about my friend Mosby.

[Garrett525]

Hello everyone, new guy here! I just stumbled upon this forum through Reddit and I was like "Hey, these people probably know what they're talking about". I started with reading some of the more popular threads last night as far as general care and diet et. ect. I have already learned so much as in I need to raise humidity, and I need cuttle bone, and a slew of other things people have not been able to answer for me in person.

I have had my dear friend Mosby, a Sulcata tortoise, for going on two years (ish). Unfortunately, I believe I may have fallen victim to being on of those typical noobs - who were told that a dry substrate, high temps and a dark green diet is the way to go. It would seem I was ill advised, even with all the reading I have done about them online. So in order to turn things around for my friend Mosby, I'm going to upload a few pictures of him, where he is currently living, and what his diet consists of. Any and all criticisms and or advice is greatly appreciated, I just want to give this little (hopefully one day, big) guy a quality and happy life.

So right now we live together in an apartment in Michigan. That said - today it is 40 degree outside, but he is not yet an adult so I figure I have some time before I have to cross that bridge (building an outside habitat). I always make sure there is food in Mosby's dish, which ranges from Kale, Timothy Hay, mixed greens to commercial 'Grassland Tortoise Food". About 3 times a week I sprinkle some calcium powder on his food and it goes down just as easy as the rest for him. I ALWAYS have clean water out for him (which I don't see him drink too often) and I bathe him once a day with warm water, along with spraying him with a water bottle about twice a day. In Mosby's enclosure It stays a consistent 80 degrees, in which I also have a UVB to help calcium metabolization. He eats like a horse, and is very active - so I'm thinking I'm not doing the worst job ever, but I know there is room for improvement. I have some basic questions as such:

1- Does Mosby look healthy?
2- Is Mosby 'pyramiding'? If so, how to combat that.
3- What's the best way to emulate his natural habitat?
4- As far as short term, is this a decent indoor habitat for Mosby?

Thank you all so very much, I look forward to your wisdom!

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

Welcome welcome welcome! Mosby is a cute name for a cute tortoise!
You sound like you're doing pretty good. Some corrections will be order, though, but I think that's why you're here.
He is pyramiding. It is not 'overly' severe yet, and by the time he is an adult, you'll hardly tell, just start against it now.
(Juvenile) Sulcata's are excellent at 80% humidity, 15-30min soak everyday. You need to change your substrate, and you probably will need to create a closed top for that. (potting soil without perlite, coco coir and others are very good choices)
The re-appearance of the ZOOMed Tortoise house... How short term? A day? Those are very small for even small tortoises.
I'm not the best at smaller sulcata housing. Inside, too. So here's a shout out to @Tom.
His diet sounds okay. Dial down that calcium to about once a week, three is a bit much Kale is okay once in a while, but a diet made of weeds and grasses are the best. Do you have chemical-free grass/ weeds available?
In see he's outdoors. Do you have the option to give him a long term outdoor home?
His UVB... what does it look like? Coil, right?
You're doing okay so far, and it's awesome you want the best for Mosby

EDIT- Your read the sulcata care sheets, right? Excellent

 

[DeanS]

1. Yes...Read ALL of the following links
2. Yes...Read ALL of the following links
3. A closed chamber for the next year can help immensely! Read ALL of the following links
4. No...it's entirely too dry...unless your house maintains 100% RH

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/african-spurred-tortoise-sulcata-care-sheet.52524/

http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/

There's a whole lotta great info on this forum...from a whole lotta great people! Enjoy and absorb it all!

Welcome!

 

[Jodie]

Welcome to the forum! He has beautiful color. Yes he has a bit of pyramiding. Raising his humidity is how you fix it. That enclosure is on the small side. If you can upgrade, bigger is better, as big as you can, get rid of the hay substrate. It is too dry. I really like coco coir and coco husk on top. Or orchid bark. Keep them moist, and cover the enclosure to hold on the heat and humidity. Soak him in shallow warm water several times a week.

 

[DeanS]

Another point that'll be covered in the above mentioned links...but I'll elaborate on it now! It is imperative that he be soaked (at least) twice a day for 30 minutes or so! Given your temps right now are in the 40s...I'd do it inside. Keep the water temp between 70 and 90ºF. If you can use the bathtub...all the better. When outdoor temps hit 80 or so....then you can soak him outdoors. Whenever the sun is out, try to get him at least an hour or two of direct sunlight daily!

 

[Garrett525]

Another point that'll be covered in the above mentioned links...but I'll elaborate on it now! It is imperative that he be soaked (at least) twice a day for 30 minutes or so! Given your temps right now are in the 40s...I'd do it inside. Keep the water temp between 70 and 90ºF. If you can use the bathtub...all the better. When outdoor temps hit 80 or so....then you can soak him outdoors. Whenever the sun is out, try to get him at least an hour or two of direct sunlight daily!

Thank you for input! I have actually read your care sheets prior to making this post. I understand that there are some modifications that I need to make in order for Mosby to have a healthy life. I'm off to buy soil and materials to make a humid hide later this afternoon. I have been soaking him, not for that long though - so I will increase that as well.

 

[Garrett525]

I appreciate the feedback I have received thus far! I definitely have some building to do.

 

[Garrett525]

Welcome welcome welcome! Mosby is a cute name for a cute tortoise!
You sound like you're doing pretty good. Some corrections will be order, though, but I think that's why you're here.
He is pyramiding. It is not 'overly' severe yet, and by the time he is an adult, you'll hardly tell, just start against it now.
(Juvenile) Sulcata's are excellent at 80% humidity, 15-30min soak everyday. You need to change your substrate, and you probably will need to create a closed top for that. (potting soil without perlite, coco coir and others are very good choices)
The re-appearance of the ZOOMed Tortoise house... How short term? A day? Those are very small for even small tortoises.
I'm not the best at smaller sulcata housing. Inside, too. So here's a shout out to @Tom.
His diet sounds okay. Dial down that calcium to about once a week, three is a bit much Kale is okay once in a while, but a diet made of weeds and grasses are the best. Do you have chemical-free grass/ weeds available?
In see he's outdoors. Do you have the option to give him a long term outdoor home?
His UVB... what does it look like? Coil, right?
You're doing okay so far, and it's awesome you want the best for Mosby

EDIT- Your read the sulcata care sheets, right? Excellent

I am going to cut down on the calcium as you suggested, I don't currently have any grass available to me other than the Timothy Hay. I am going to go to the store in order to remedy that issue, along with soil that I need for his substrate. When I say short term I mean...maybe a few months? It has been brought to my attention that this is entirely too small and that I need a bigger (and more humid) encapsulation for him. Right now I do have a UVB for him (yes, it is coil).

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, and welcome to the Forum!

As you know by now, your tort table is way too small...even if you bought another one and put two together, it isn't big enough, but would be much better than what you have now.

Mosby isn't pyramided very bad. He looks about like what most sulcatas look like before they've learned about hot/humid. I have one that looks about like Mosby too. No big deal. But you can help him a lot, and make him more comfortable by lining that habitat with plastic and adding moist substrate.

 

[Tom]

Here is all you need to know in one place. Follow all these tips and things will improve:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.78361/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

I am going to cut down on the calcium as you suggested, I don't currently have any grass available to me other than the Timothy Hay. I am going to go to the store in order to remedy that issue, along with soil that I need for his substrate. When I say short term I mean...maybe a few months? It has been brought to my attention that this is entirely too small and that I need a bigger (and more humid) encapsulation for him. Right now I do have a UVB for him (yes, it is coil).

Turn it off. Coil bulbs have been proven not be kind to torts and their eyes, generally affecting their behavior and 'possibly making them ill.

 

[SaraV]

What a beautiful tort. Good job so far! More grass, less pretty flowers. Haha. You can get decent quality hay at most pet shops now in the rabbit aisle. Also grab a cuttle bone from the bird care section and remove the metal parts and just leave it for him to chew when he wants and you won't need to supplement calcium as much. My only suggestion would be daily warm baths and walks outside (supervised, of course) as weather permits. Enjoy his company and, not to sound eccentric, realize he's just a child and is exploring the world. My guy is a healthy teenager and I miss the days I could easily pick him up and bathe him.