Hey Guys! I'm a new member, currently own a sulcata! :)

Merari Rodriguez

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Hi guys,

I am a new member! I have read comments of post made before which really helped me so I decided to make an account. I currently own a sulcata that my sister couldn't no longer care for, I just stole it from her (jk). We live in Southern CA. I take her (i just call her "her") to her routine check ups to the vet. My tortoise name is Luna, and I am building her a new enclosure. My question was if I can use hay as a substrate. I won't be using the hay for all her enclosure, prop 1/4, I just don't want her food to be getting the loose fiber coconut substrate. What she likes to do is drag her food off her plate so she can lay and eat.
 

bouaboua

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Hello and welcome. Good to have you here. How big is "hre" now?
 

Maro2Bear

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Personally, i wouldnt put hay down over that large of an area, especially in a sully's enclosure that should be quite warm and humid. Those conditions will easily cause mold/mildew to form, possibly creating worse concerns. Get a flat stone, very shallow terra cotta plant saucer, a large tile, etc and place your tort's food on that.
 

tortdad

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Welcome to TFO.
I would also advise against hay. It's too dry and will mild. From the sounds of it Cypress mulch would be better for your tort.
 

Yvonne G

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Hi, and welcome to the forum!
 

Jodie

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Welcome to the forum. Pictures would be great. This is a great place to learn and share.
 

Merari Rodriguez

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Hi, thank you.

I saw some videos on youtube where they had hay and I thought that might be a good idea but I guess not. I can post pictures of her right now since they are saved on my computer, I'll post pictures of the enclosure later :) Luna is a litte bigger than my hand now.IMG_20140824_135730_944 (2).jpg IMG_20140824_135120_655 (2).jpg
 

Maro2Bear

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russian/sulcata/tortoise

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Hi, thank you.

I saw some videos on youtube where they had hay and I thought that might be a good idea but I guess not. I can post pictures of her right now since they are saved on my computer, I'll post pictures of the enclosure later :) Luna is a litte bigger than my hand now.View attachment 121037 View attachment 121040
have you read Tom's care sheet? these tortoises need to be kept in a moist humid enclosure.
 

russian/sulcata/tortoise

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Tom

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Hello and welcome Merari.

I don't know that flower. Make sure you get it identified before offering it. Hopefully someone else will recognize it.

Looks like Luna has received the typical (but no so good) dry start. We have only recently figured out why our tortoises don't grow correctly in captivity. Its because people have been told that sulcatas are a "desert" species and to house them dry for decades now. This is incorrect. They hatch at the start of the hot, humid, wet, rainy season over there. Instead of simulating an African desert we should have been simulating African grasslands in the rainy season. Not everyone has caught on to this yet.

In addition to the car sheet linked above check these out:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/the-end-of-pyramiding.15137/
 
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