new mommy of FOUR!! :D

[Minniegumdrop]

Hellooooo!!!!!!

well I have recently inherited FOUR baby sulcata tortoises from my neighbor who has moved. i know they lived a life of romaine lettuce in a cardboard box/house before i had them. i believe they are only a year or two old. i have learned SO much in just a few weeks!! mostly that i was doing everything wrong and the internet is one ridiculous place to research something like this but i think i finally found the right spot! i have changed so many things for them thanks to you all. no more wood chips/dirt/sand, no more RED heat lamp, no more fruits/lettuce, no more cardboard house! they are happily living a new life on topsoil with grasses growing for them to freely graze on and pretty soon(hopefully sooner than later) i'll have a real custom built outdoor enclosure for them. i did not know how much i would just LOVE them!! these tiny creatures are just amazing and i adore the heck out of them <3 cant wait for them to start growing healthily and so far a quick search of the forums is answering my questions! the advice is really amazing and i thank you already.

 

[Yvonne G]

Welcome! Can we see pictures of them?

 

[Rachael403]

Welcome!

 

[Minniegumdrop]

thank you! i will post pictures soon!

 

[Stuart S.]

Welcome!!

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Hi

 

[Minniegumdrop]

I need that coffee mug haha

Okay this picture is of the area that is going to be under construction hopefully within the next month! This was also before knowing about sand being bad for them. The brick border has been moved to the left where they graze all day

 

[Minniegumdrop]

This is where they graze and bathe now while we construct the new enclosure along the wall with shade and a lid. They spend most of their time out here and sleep inside at night since I don't have cover from night time predators.

 

[Minniegumdrop]

Couple close ups

 

[teresaf]

Make sure they have plenty of shady areas. They're so small that it would take them a long time to find a shady spot if they got hot. And if you can get one or two of these Clay Pot saucers that's bigger than they are so they can get in th and wade around that would help keep them hydrated. They are already showing signs of pyramiding. it's not reversible but if it doesn't get any worse then by the time they get five or six years old you won't even be able to see it because they will have grown and the pyramiding will not have. Humid hides and keeping well hydrated slow permitting. At their age they probably would benefit from a 'closed chamber' when you bring them in at night... Enter 'closed chamber' in the search bar above and you'll be able to read about them. Also, just one thing, you do realize how big these are going to get, right? Lol

 

[Minniegumdrop]

i know right, i'm kind of sad how pointy their shells are already! i didn't even realize it until i started all this research so i have been working on fixing that part and will definitely do all i can and search up the closed chamber, thank you so much!!
i honestly didn't initially realize the size they'll grow! but after lots of reading i know now (and actually kind of excited about it haha) and thankfully i have a loving husband who is willing to accommodate and even move to a bigger house! haha i couldn't be happier with our new pets and the husband is happy to oblige! we will eventually be relocating and a yard (or 5 acres) to efficiently house my tortoises is a must

 

[RosemaryDW]

Welcome to the forum!