New! Couple from TN looking for Sulcata

[crifferdoodle]

Hello everyone! We're from the Mid-South in TN. I (Megan) have been interested in tortoises for a long time and we finally have our own place to get a tortoise. I really want a baby sulcata, but I'm looking for a breader that I can trust to ship to us (we know shipping is expensive) . I saw some people selling on here that looked very reputable, but I just got approved for posting!

I'll be sticking around to learn more about our little Marcel and post pictures after we get them!

Also, I am not very particular about the shell and its patterns, we just want a sweet, healthy, buddy.

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Hi Megan

 

[teresaf]

Don't get two. They don't do well in pairs. Besides, one Boulder strolling around your back yard is enough! There are many you could rescue off Craigslist. Or get one from here. The care is drastically different for a baby than for an adult. Babies are fragile and will die if not kept in the right environment. I would suggest reading up on 'closed chambers' and the requirements of housing a baby. High humidity, high heat, daily soaks(but kept warm), calcium supliments...These are just some of the things you have to consider right away before you get a baby.

 

[crifferdoodle]

Don't get two. They don't do well in pairs. Besides, one Boulder strolling around your back yard is enough! There are many you could rescue off Craigslist. Or get one from here. The care is drastically different for a baby than for an adult. Babies are fragile and will die if not kept in the right environment. I would suggest reading up on 'closed chambers' and the requirements of housing a baby. High humidity, high heat, daily soaks(but kept warm), calcium supliments...These are just some of the things you have to consider right away before you get a baby.

We're only getting one. Sorry for the confusion I say "them" since you can't really tell what the sex is. We've been doing a lot of research, which is why we're wanting to get one from a breader here. We already have a closed chambers area that has plenty of ventilation.
The only think we actually need is the tortoise and some bedding (the small wood chips) to put in there, and some seeds for grass.

Thank you for the welcome!

 

[Tom]

Hello and welcome!

Here is all the sulcata care info in one place, in case you haven't already found all of these:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

 

[teresaf]

We're only getting one. Sorry for the confusion I say "them" since you can't really tell what the sex is. We've been doing a lot of research, which is why we're wanting to get one from a breader here. We already have a closed chambers area that has plenty of ventilation.
The only think we actually need is the tortoise and some bedding (the small wood chips) to put in there, and some seeds for grass.

Thank you for the welcome!

"We already have a closed Chambers area that has plenty of ventilation"
The definition of closed Chambers is LITTLE TO NO ventilation so I'm confused where you're doing your research?
In a nutshell "Closed Chambers" means a big box like an incubator kept at a certain temperature by hanging a che inside (ceramic heat emitter) for nighttime Heat (80-85 EVERYWHERE) a basking light inside at one end for daytime basking at 95-100 degrees underneath it(other end should be 80). Nowhere inside that box would there be a spot that's less than 80 degrees at anytime. The inside of the box would be waterproof-ish and by dumping water into the substrate the humidity Inside the Box would stay about 80-90%. If you can do this consistently then you'll raise a healthy baby. You'll need a couple digital thermometer/hygrometers (one at each end) I've attached a picture of what I use off Amazon for only 12 bucks. The more airtight you make it the easier it is to maintain temperature and humidity. Obviously you would want to set this up before you got the tortoise. It'll take a little time for you to get the temperatures just right on both sides of the chamber and you don't want to make the little ones sick or burn him up. The chamber box will need to be about 25 inches tall in order to accommodate your lamps and square footage about 4x3 or 2x6, 2 x 7 because they grow so fast and you don't want to have to do this again anytime soon. Opening the chamber once or twice a day to feed him or soak him is all the ventilation he'll need. All this is necessary because baby tortoises are so fragile that if their temperatures get too low they'll get a respiratory infection. If they stay too dry they'll get pyramided and they won't grow. Google pyramided tortoise and you'll see what happens when you don't raise a hatchling humid.... Raising them humid to keep them smooth does have its drawbacks. You must keep them at least 80 degrees at all times in every part of the enclosure or they will get a respiratory infection guaranteed. But raising a pyramided tortoise has its problems too. As they grow they become more top-heavy and if they get flipped they can't flip themselves back over. Xtreme pyramiding is very dangerous for the tortoise... they can die. Most here recommend Coco choir for the substrate period because it absorbs the moisture underneath and the top layer stays dry. You can buy it from Amazon (it comes in bricks) you add water and it expands... Hope this helps. I know you want what's best for your baby tortoise. You may think that because they're being sold everywhere that it must not be so hard to raise them but ALOT of them die.

 

[crifferdoodle]

Chris was researching and he found an article saying that the tortoise not having ventilation could cause respiratory problems for baby sulcatas. I'm sorry I was misinformed.

I know there's a lot of information that I need to sort through, and I'm more than willing to get the absolute necessities for my tortoise.
"You may think that because they're being sold everywhere that it must not be so hard to raise them but ALOT of them die." No. I DO understand that it's difficult to raise them, which is why we're on these forums. We've been doing that research which is why I've contacted someone from here to get one that I know will come from a good environment. The tank we have is VERY large as to accommodate growth, and since he does NOT need that ventilation then all we would need is a secure top to put on it.
Thank you for your advice. We will be using it.

 

[teresaf]

Chris was researching and he found an article saying that the tortoise not having ventilation could cause respiratory problems for baby sulcatas. I'm sorry I was misinformed.

I know there's a lot of information that I need to sort through, and I'm more than willing to get the absolute necessities for my tortoise.
"You may think that because they're being sold everywhere that it must not be so hard to raise them but ALOT of them die." No. I DO understand that it's difficult to raise them, which is why we're on these forums. We've been doing that research which is why I've contacted someone from here to get one that I know will come from a good environment. The tank we have is VERY large as to accommodate growth, and since he does NOT need that ventilation then all we would need is a secure top to put on it.
Thank you for your advice. We will be using it.

Lack of ventilation as being a reason for respiratory infections has been debunked. In a way it would be too much ventilation that would be causing this since the air coming in would be the cold air coming from the rest of the house. Tanks work quite well for babies. you can put a piece of tape along the bottom of the glass if they have a problem with seeing out. Home Depot Lowe's and other hardware stores sell plexiglass that you can have cut to a certain size for the top. I used a 200 gallon tank for my Burmese mountain tortoise babies. It was incredibly easy to keep the temperatures that I wanted after I got the plexiglass tops. If you go the plexiglass from route you need to get a thick enough piece that it'll hold its shape and not bow inward.
When you get your baby's home the first thing you should do is put them into a warm soak for 30 minutes. You would get a bowl they can't get out of and fill half an inch with 95-100 degree water and put him in it. Do it daily. Have fun!

 

[teresaf]

@Godfrey's Mom has a three-year-old named Peanut up in Ohio free to a good home...

 

[crifferdoodle]

@Godfrey's Mom has a three-year-old named Peanut up in Ohio free to a good home...

I would love to take Peanut, but I've already told someone I was going to buy theirs. Once I get accustomed to the care, and more space I plan on adopting.

 

[Godfrey's Mom]

Okay keep me in mind, down the road. I am not at this point pressed to find a home, just beginning the process.

 

[crifferdoodle]

Absolutely!