I just got a new sulcata! (on wed) and im a bit worried! 
he hasnt pooped and he has some black stuff around his mouth! is it poop?
he hasnt pooped and he has some black stuff around his mouth! is it poop?New Sulcata! :) Help!
- Thread starter SavannanSpike
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Maggie Cummings
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Sulcata are great poop eaters, so I would guess he IS pooping and eating it. That's no big deal, just make sure you are feeding him good and soon enough he will stop eating his own poop. If you turn on his lights in the morning and pay attention to him, he will probably poop soon after waking and you can clean it out and get it before he can eat it...
Sorry about the picture! Ill upload one well try right now! Gotta figure it out!
I got him form a local pet store that said to feed him Romain lettuce. After reading I seen that this isn't what I should be feeding him! So now tomorrow im gonna go to the store and get different stuff.. I leave the heat light on at night bc it does get kind of cold here. I turn his UvB light on in the am and give him a soaking and try and get him to walk around and then i feed him some Romain. Hes been sleeping a lot... Hes pretty tiny fits in the palm of my hand not sure how old he is... Any ideas on what i should be giving him to eat?
I got him form a local pet store that said to feed him Romain lettuce. After reading I seen that this isn't what I should be feeding him! So now tomorrow im gonna go to the store and get different stuff.. I leave the heat light on at night bc it does get kind of cold here. I turn his UvB light on in the am and give him a soaking and try and get him to walk around and then i feed him some Romain. Hes been sleeping a lot... Hes pretty tiny fits in the palm of my hand not sure how old he is... Any ideas on what i should be giving him to eat?
Welcome to the forum If you have not read this start here
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-How-To-Raise-Sulcata-Hatchlings-and-Babies
If you have not read this start herehttp://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-How-To-Raise-Sulcata-Hatchlings-and-Babies
Hi SavannanSpike:
Welcome to the forum!!
May we know your name and where you are?
I start with a base of Spring Mix. That's a packaged mixture of baby lettuces that you can find in the produce section of the grocery store. To that I'll add some leaves from outside. I like to try to find dandelion, fillaree, clover, etc. There are lots of edible weeds growing now because of all the rain we've had.
Spike needs to have a night time period. Its pretty stressful for him to have the sun shining all night long. They sell other forms of heat that don't give off light. I like to use black or red bulbs, but they're getting hard to find because the country is phasing incandescent bulbs out in favor of the fluorescent bulbs. Speaking of which - DON'T BUY THE SPIRAL FLUORESCENT BULB! They are harmful to baby tortoises eyes. There is also a CHE or ceramic heat emitter. This is a little heater that screws into a light fixture and provides heat but no light. You can buy them in pet stores or online.
Welcome to the forum!!
May we know your name and where you are?
I start with a base of Spring Mix. That's a packaged mixture of baby lettuces that you can find in the produce section of the grocery store. To that I'll add some leaves from outside. I like to try to find dandelion, fillaree, clover, etc. There are lots of edible weeds growing now because of all the rain we've had.
Spike needs to have a night time period. Its pretty stressful for him to have the sun shining all night long. They sell other forms of heat that don't give off light. I like to use black or red bulbs, but they're getting hard to find because the country is phasing incandescent bulbs out in favor of the fluorescent bulbs. Speaking of which - DON'T BUY THE SPIRAL FLUORESCENT BULB! They are harmful to baby tortoises eyes. There is also a CHE or ceramic heat emitter. This is a little heater that screws into a light fixture and provides heat but no light. You can buy them in pet stores or online.
Hello, My name is Savanna and Im from So Cal. I live in the High desert. I now know that i need to go out and get a darker bulb for sleep, I thought that he needed this but I wasn't sure i was goign off what the pet store told me. This is why i came to this forum! They dont know much about them! (now i see) Thank you for all the good information! and is it ok to have him on rabbit pellets? or should i have him on something else? Im not sure what kid of weeds I have growing in the yard! Im going to have to do some research, that way I know there ok give to him.
emysemys said:
A lot of us use cypress mulch as substrate, but its hard to find here in Calif. You can buy it in pet stores under the brand names Zoo Med Forest Floor, Cypress Bed, Jungle Bed, etc. Small bags run around $10. If you have an Orchard Supply Hardware near you, they sell orchid bark. Its a good substrate too. It comes in small medium and large. Get the small or fine grade.
Some people use dirt from outside. Some use coconut coir. Some mix the coir with dirt. It just depends upon what you like and what works for you. But whatever you decide on, you have to get something that you can moisten. Its important to have some humidity in the habitat for your baby.
Some people use dirt from outside. Some use coconut coir. Some mix the coir with dirt. It just depends upon what you like and what works for you. But whatever you decide on, you have to get something that you can moisten. Its important to have some humidity in the habitat for your baby.
I would get him off the pellets and get some cypress mulch
Hello and welcome. All good advice above.
Ok I just got back from my long day out on a hunt for all the right stuff Tom told me I needed to get. So im gonna post some pictures of Spike and the new home! If you have any suggestions feel free to say so! Thanks Tom so much!!!
Thanks Tom so much!!!
Hi Savanna:
If you stuff some moist sphagnum moss inside that hiding place your baby will feel a bit more secure. It might be stressful to him to not be able to get out of sight of that big bad monster that wants to eat him.
Also, the moist moss serves to keep him growing smoothly. But don't let him get cold. Warm/moist=good cold/moist=BAD!
If you stuff some moist sphagnum moss inside that hiding place your baby will feel a bit more secure. It might be stressful to him to not be able to get out of sight of that big bad monster that wants to eat him.
Also, the moist moss serves to keep him growing smoothly. But don't let him get cold. Warm/moist=good cold/moist=BAD!
Should I have the lid on this little hiding place? Or do you think it is ok without? Where can I get that moss? Or should I just put more of the ground cover in there?
If I'm understanding you correctly, the lid would then actually be the floor? No, you don't need to add the lid. Sphagnum moss can be purchased in most pet stores and in all plant nurseries.
Also, a warm soak usually makes them poop. A container large enough that he walks around in the warm water.
Also, a warm soak usually makes them poop. A container large enough that he walks around in the warm water.
Man you gotta love those dark mouths, when they have been snacking on their poop (normal). Welcome to the forum, I would suggest a hide that he/she can't see through.
Hi Savanna. It looks good and your baby looks like he's in great shape. Here are my suggestions for improvement:
1. It looks like the basking light is over your water bowl. I would move the water bowl more to the middle and put down a flat rock or a piece of slate or sandstone for him to bask on. This will help wear down his nails, make it easier to check your basking temp, and make much more efficient use of the electricity you are using since the rock will safely absorb and disperse the heat when he's not on it.
2. Semi-bury the water bowl so the top of the rim is flush with the substrate or close to it.
3. I used black tape to make a clear hide box like that more opaque. It worked okay for me. Just a few days ago I found black 12 quart dish washing tubs at Walmart for $2.25. I cut the door hole out, flipped it upside down and its working great.
That enclosure will work great... for the next two or three months when he outgrows it! Haha.
Now I can't wait to see what you do for outdoors...
1. It looks like the basking light is over your water bowl. I would move the water bowl more to the middle and put down a flat rock or a piece of slate or sandstone for him to bask on. This will help wear down his nails, make it easier to check your basking temp, and make much more efficient use of the electricity you are using since the rock will safely absorb and disperse the heat when he's not on it.
2. Semi-bury the water bowl so the top of the rim is flush with the substrate or close to it.
3. I used black tape to make a clear hide box like that more opaque. It worked okay for me. Just a few days ago I found black 12 quart dish washing tubs at Walmart for $2.25. I cut the door hole out, flipped it upside down and its working great.
That enclosure will work great... for the next two or three months when he outgrows it! Haha.
Now I can't wait to see what you do for outdoors...
Will do! Thaks for the info! again!! I really thank you a ton Tom! Im gonna go and try to figure out what to do with the hide! Maybe spray paint? Im not sure if this will cause harm or not! what do you think? Or maybe ill go to walmart and see if i can find that same thing! that might work better!
Thaks for the info! again!! I really thank you a ton Tom! Im gonna go and try to figure out what to do with the hide! Maybe spray paint? Im not sure if this will cause harm or not! what do you think? Or maybe ill go to walmart and see if i can find that same thing! that might work better! Tom said:
I wouldn't use spray paint. I'm afraid of the fumes in a "closed" environment like that. Even days after it dries...
So last night I got his hide all ready put him in it and turned on the red bulb, He came right back out of the hide and went straight toward the side with the light and got back in the corner hes always in. I put him back in the box and again he went straight back to the corner and went to sleep. haha.. is this ok? normal? the cooler side is still at about 80-85. I think he just likes the heat?
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