Hi everybody! I'm new in this forum

[Dago ツ]

Hello!

My name is Dago and I'm writing you from Mexico.

I'm so happy to find this incredible forum. At first, excuse me for my bad english, but I trying my best.

About two weeks ago I adopted two tortoise: a Leopard Tortoise and a Sulcata Tortoise.

I would like to ask you two things. How can I identify the age of my tortoises?, and can you give me options to name this little babies?

The Leopard measured 5.5 cm and the Sulcata measured 6 cm. The Sulcata still has the "little teeth" to break the egg and still has its "navel".

I'll show you some pictures of them.
Thank you!

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Hello Dago

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Welcome!

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi, and welcome to the Forum!

I hope you don't mind if I critique your enclosure and give you a bit of advice.

It looks like you might be using a compact fluorescent bulb - the light on the right in the picture?? Those have been known to burn baby tortoise's eyes. If it were me, I would discard that bulb and get a Mercury Vapor Bulb:



The umbilical scar on the sulcata will heal in a couple weeks. It's probably ok to keep your babies together for the time being, but be very vigilant and watch for signs that one or the other of them isn't eating well or maybe sleeps a lot. A 'pair' of tortoises very seldom works out. The is always a dominant and a submissive. The dominant will try to get the submissive to leave the territory, but he's captive and can't get away, so he stays hidden or tries to stay out of the dominant tortoise's way. Besides that though, mixing species isn't a good idea either. The sulcata is going to grow a lot faster than the leopard and he soon will be able to harm the smaller tortoise.

Please notice in the third picture how the baby has to get his body straight up in order to get into the food dish. This is a very unsafe position for baby tortoises. He might over-balance and tip over on his back. I like to use plant saucers sunk down into the substrate so all he has to do is reach in and bite the food.

We have some very good reading for you pinned at the tops of the species specific sections.

 

[RosemaryDW]

Welcome! The forum is a great place to learn! The care sheets mentioned above are excellent references.

Your English is great, by the way.

 

[Alexio]

As far as age they are both so small. I would guess 4-8 months the Leopard maybe 4 the sulcata may be a tiny bit older but they are larger anyway.
I would guess they may have hatched early this year. This is all an estimate though any anyone will be happy to tell you exact age cannot be known for certain with out a hatch date.

 

[Dago ツ]

Hi, and welcome to the Forum!

I hope you don't mind if I critique your enclosure and give you a bit of advice.

It looks like you might be using a compact fluorescent bulb - the light on the right in the picture?? Those have been known to burn baby tortoise's eyes. If it were me, I would discard that bulb and get a Mercury Vapor Bulb:

View attachment 176369

The umbilical scar on the sulcata will heal in a couple weeks. It's probably ok to keep your babies together for the time being, but be very vigilant and watch for signs that one or the other of them isn't eating well or maybe sleeps a lot. A 'pair' of tortoises very seldom works out. The is always a dominant and a submissive. The dominant will try to get the submissive to leave the territory, but he's captive and can't get away, so he stays hidden or tries to stay out of the dominant tortoise's way. Besides that though, mixing species isn't a good idea either. The sulcata is going to grow a lot faster than the leopard and he soon will be able to harm the smaller tortoise.

Please notice in the third picture how the baby has to get his body straight up in order to get into the food dish. This is a very unsafe position for baby tortoises. He might over-balance and tip over on his back. I like to use plant saucers sunk down into the substrate so all he has to do is reach in and bite the food.

We have some very good reading for you pinned at the tops of the species specific sections.

Hi Yvonne!

Thank you for your answer, is very important for me.

About the fluorescent bulb on the right in the picture, I'm using this:



This bulb only provides UVB, but I'm worried that burns the eyes of the babies. Please, tell me if this bulb is bad for them.

The light on the left in this picture is this:



It provides UVA, daylight and heat.

I turn on both bulbs for twelve hours and at night I turn on this:



The terrarium, with this "system", is maintained at 82ºF - 92ºF with 32% humidity during the day and 70°F - 82°F with 40% humidity during the night.

Until now the two hatchlings live quite well. The two have very good activity and eat several times during the day. They sleep and eat together, although the Leopard usually sleep more and have less activity than the Sulcata. Could this be due to living together?

 

[Speedy-1]

Hi and welcome Dago , nice pictures !

 

[Fredkas]

Hi Yvonne!

Thank you for your answer, is very important for me.

About the fluorescent bulb on the right in the picture, I'm using this:

View attachment 176408

This bulb only provides UVB, but I'm worried that burns the eyes of the babies. Please, tell me if this bulb is bad for them.

The light on the left in this picture is this:

View attachment 176409

It provides UVA, daylight and heat.

I turn on both bulbs for twelve hours and at night I turn on this:

View attachment 176411

The terrarium, with this "system", is maintained at 82ºF - 92ºF with 32% humidity during the day and 70°F - 82°F with 40% humidity during the night.

Until now the two hatchlings live quite well. The two have very good activity and eat several times during the day. They sleep and eat together, although the Leopard usually sleep more and have less activity than the Sulcata. Could this be due to living together?

Let me give some advice that i gather from this forum.
That reptile uvb 150 or anything that shape coil like that is bad. Having very high possibility to make tortoise eyes' problem, the worst is blind. So, after you read this post, immediately throw away that bulb.
Humidity should be kept at 80% the less. This is reachable easily if you use closed enclosure. How is that? The best way to learn a lot of nice care sheet is through this forum sticky thread under sulcata tortoise section.
The night bulb according to several members, the best is CHE, Ceramic Heat Emitter. CHE emits only heat and not even a little light. This is very good for our tortoise because they need warm / minimal 80F at night, and they like it dark without any lights.
Still not very complete information, i think you will learn best from the experts here. Because im also a newbie.
Hope i can help you with what i wrote.

 

[JoesMum]

Here's a lighting summary:

Ignore any references to UVA - it's misleading marketing speak.

Your tort needs:

1. A basking lamp. This must hang vertically, not at an angle. Basking is essential to raise your tortoise's core temperature so it can digest food.

2. UVB light. About 12 inches above the substrate. UVB is essential so your tort can process dietary calcium and have healthy bones and shell.

Both 1 and 2 are available from the sun for those able to live outside - yours is too small at the moment.

3. A minimum overnight temperature of (see the care sheet)

An MVB provides combined UVB and Basking

Alternatively you can use 2 bulbs: a tube UVB and a reflector bulb for basking (a household reflector - not low energy or halogen - from B&Q will do the job; it's the wattage that counts)

Compact coil UVB harms tortoise eyes.

Basking and UVB should be on a timer so the light(s) are on for 12 hours a day. Temperature under the basking is regulated by its height above the substrate.

Overnight, depending on your home, you may need additional heat. You get this from a CHE (Ceramic Heat Emitter) which must be on a thermostat.

You will need digital thermometers for accuracy.

A temperature gun thermometer (inexpensive from Amazon) measures temperature accurately in specific places like directly under the basking lamp.

A min/max thermometer so you know the min/max temperatures in your home by day and night.

You should also get a good digital hygrometer to measure humidity.

 

[Yvonne G]

JoesMum sums it up nicely.

 

[Dago ツ]

Let me give some advice that i gather from this forum.
That reptile uvb 150 or anything that shape coil like that is bad. Having very high possibility to make tortoise eyes' problem, the worst is blind. So, after you read this post, immediately throw away that bulb.
Humidity should be kept at 80% the less. This is reachable easily if you use closed enclosure. How is that? The best way to learn a lot of nice care sheet is through this forum sticky thread under sulcata tortoise section.
The night bulb according to several members, the best is CHE, Ceramic Heat Emitter. CHE emits only heat and not even a little light. This is very good for our tortoise because they need warm / minimal 80F at night, and they like it dark without any lights.
Still not very complete information, i think you will learn best from the experts here. Because im also a newbie.
Hope i can help you with what i wrote.

You are right!

At this moment, I really do the changes in the enclosure for the health of my "munchkins".

Thanks!

 

[Dago ツ]

Here's a lighting summary:

Ignore any references to UVA - it's misleading marketing speak.

Your tort needs:

1. A basking lamp. This must hang vertically, not at an angle. Basking is essential to raise your tortoise's core temperature so it can digest food.

2. UVB light. About 12 inches above the substrate. UVB is essential so your tort can process dietary calcium and have healthy bones and shell.

Both 1 and 2 are available from the sun for those able to live outside - yours is too small at the moment.

3. A minimum overnight temperature of (see the care sheet)

An MVB provides combined UVB and Basking

Alternatively you can use 2 bulbs: a tube UVB and a reflector bulb for basking (a household reflector - not low energy or halogen - from B&Q will do the job; it's the wattage that counts)

Compact coil UVB harms tortoise eyes.

Basking and UVB should be on a timer so the light(s) are on for 12 hours a day. Temperature under the basking is regulated by its height above the substrate.

Overnight, depending on your home, you may need additional heat. You get this from a CHE (Ceramic Heat Emitter) which must be on a thermostat.

You will need digital thermometers for accuracy.

A temperature gun thermometer (inexpensive from Amazon) measures temperature accurately in specific places like directly under the basking lamp.

A min/max thermometer so you know the min/max temperatures in your home by day and night.

You should also get a good digital hygrometer to measure humidity.

Hi JoesMum!,

Thank you so much for your help.

I will correct all "details" in my enclosure.

 

[Gillian M]

Welcome to the forum!

Cute little torts. GOD bless.

(By the way your English is very good).

 

[HappyHermanns]

Hello & Welcome!
Your babies are ADORABLE!!
I don't know if anyone will get this reference but it's very fitting!
I want to love them and squeeze them and never let them go!!

 

[Dago ツ]

Hello & Welcome!
Your babies are ADORABLE!!
I don't know if anyone will get this reference but it's very fitting!
I want to love them and squeeze them and never let them go!!

Hi HappyHermanns,

Thank you very much!

What do you think would be a good name for my babies tortoises?

 

[HappyHermanns]

Your very welcome! =)

I will have to think on names!
I love naming things, interesting names are my fav!
Hopefully I can think of something cool for you, I'll let you know
I kind of like Slink... To go with your slinky.. haha