Another newbie

Clo8

New Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2018
Messages
3
Location (City and/or State)
Dubai
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Hello everyone,

I've been lurking on the forums for a while soaking up information and tweaking how we care for two babies we got recently. Having read all the info you guys put up I think we got a bit done over by the petshop we got our two from - they just told us they were African tortoises and also that they are a year old, I've included some pictures and measurements - am I right in thinking they are Sulcatas and probably only a couple of months old?

1 - Length: 63mm | Weight: 18g
2 - Length: 60mm | Weight: 19g

Many thanks in advance for any advice! :)
 

EllieMay

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5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 23, 2018
Messages
9,603
Location (City and/or State)
East Texas
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Hello everyone,

I've been lurking on the forums for a while soaking up information and tweaking how we care for two babies we got recently. Having read all the info you guys put up I think we got a bit done over by the petshop we got our two from - they just told us they were African tortoises and also that they are a year old, I've included some pictures and measurements - am I right in thinking they are Sulcatas and probably only a couple of months old?

1 - Length: 63mm | Weight: 18g
2 - Length: 60mm | Weight: 19g

Many thanks in advance for any advice! :)

Those guys are really small! I’m not a tortoise expert but your in the right place because there are plenty on here who are. Can you take a better picture of the guys up close from the front? Are you feeding iceberg? How are you keeping them now in regards to temp, humidity, enclosure, etc...
 

Clo8

New Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2018
Messages
3
Location (City and/or State)
Dubai
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Those guys are really small! I’m not a tortoise expert but your in the right place because there are plenty on here who are. Can you take a better picture of the guys up close from the front? Are you feeding iceberg? How are you keeping them now in regards to temp, humidity, enclosure, etc...

Here's a couple of pics from when we first got them, we've had them approx 2 months and they haven't really changed, the one we were told is a girl (facing sideways in pic of them on their own) has got slightly darker in my opinion but they haven't really grown that we can tell (we should have measured when they first came to us!). We're trying to feed them a mix of some pellets that were recommended and romaine, occasional spinach and other greens but they only really seem interested in the lettuce. We're soaking for 30-45 minutes a day (sometimes they love it and are lively afterwards and other times they just burrow the minute you put them back in the enclosure and we don't see them again that day), minimum temperature is 80 (24c) and we're giving them access to sun and heat - we live in Dubai so we're basically opening the patio door a couple of times a day with the flyscreen across and making sure their enclosure is half in/half out of sunbeams so they can bask if they want to - our midday temp right now is 45 degrees Celsius so I think plenty hot for them! We originally had them in sawdust as that's what the petshop told us but having read info on here I've been and got them Coco soil which they seem to like a lot more. I've got cuttlefish bone and a calcium block in the enclosure - both of which have been sniffed but neither of which have been touched as yet!

On the whole they seem ok but as you said very small when I'm reading everyone else's posts so just wanted to check and also confirm I'd got the breed right :)
 

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EllieMay

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5 Year Member
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Jun 23, 2018
Messages
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East Texas
Someone way more knowledgeable than me should chime in here pretty quick. I’m somewhat new so I don’t know how to “ping” others.. I’m so glad that they seem to be doing well but the first thing that they will tell you on here is to separate those two. (I also have two) apparently they are solitary creatures & it’s very stressful to live in pairs. Also, you said you were told one is a girl... they can’t possibly know that just by looking for several years now .unfortunately ..
There are some very informative care sheets pinned under the Sulcata page. I don’t know how to attach them to make it easier for you.
 

EllieMay

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Joined
Jun 23, 2018
Messages
9,603
Location (City and/or State)
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They are such cute babies and you seem like you have been doing lots of research to start them out correctly. You ended up in the right place for sure.
 

Toddrickfl1

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Tortoise Club
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Jan 7, 2018
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Those I believe are not African tortoises I could be wrong though, definitely not Sulcatas. I'm pretty sure those are Mediterranean tortoises. Some kind of Hermans tortoise. They might even be 2 different subspecies. Also they are definitely younger than a year. I'll tag some more experienced folks to come along and give you a better identification so you can be reffered to the proper care sheet.
@Markw84
@Yvonne G
@HermanniChris
@Will

Most of these folks are on the west coast and it's very early there now so give it a couple hrs and they will be here to help you.
 

Krazyturtlelady

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Joined
Jul 6, 2018
Messages
18
Location (City and/or State)
South Carolina
I am also a newbie. I agree that a more experienced member would be of help. They look very healthy and are lucky you found them. It seems you are doing a great job caring for them. Good luck! And shame on the pet shop. Sickening people will do anything for money.
 

EllieMay

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5 Year Member
Joined
Jun 23, 2018
Messages
9,603
Location (City and/or State)
East Texas
Yay, so now that you have a positive species ID, you can reference the proper care sheets. I’m so proud that there is a place where people can band together to help with a common interest. Your off to a good start so best of luck to you & your new pets[emoji6]
 

Clo8

New Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2018
Messages
3
Location (City and/or State)
Dubai
Thank you all for the responses and advice! Looks like I need to do some more research as to what North African Testudo graeca graeca need to make sure we get it right! Have to say I'm slightly relieved that they don't appear to be a breed that grow to 100lbs+!! :D
 

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