Baby sulcata won’t eat

Josh1409

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Mar 12, 2020
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America
Got my baby sulcata a week ago and would only eat a little bit just like a bite of cucumber a bite of grass from outside and some broccoli and the temperature is right I soak it every 2 days tried to do baby food soaks with 100% carrot and nothing is working it sleeps all the time unless it’s out side when I bring it out it walks every where then once I bring it back in to it’s enclosure it walks to it’s hide and then goes to sleep and when I have food in there it walks over it and just ignores the food what should I do I really want to help it I’ve tried so many veggies and fruit but it won’t budge to eat please help.
 

Markw84

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Welcome, Josh. Sorry noone has answered yet, but you have given us nothing to work from...

First off, where are you located? We have the place to put your location in your information with your avatar as where you are located gives us very important information to know what climate, angle of sun, photoperiod, you are dealing with and have to compensate for in trying to provide for your tortoise.

Almost always, a tortoise refusing food is a tortoise that is not being provided the proper "climate" which includes the things above, but also suitable enclosure with suitable hides and security.

If you give us details and pictures of your enclosure, it is easier to focus in on things that are contributing to your problem. You say the temperature is right, but what is right to you? What is the temperature of the coldest corner of the enclosure, the temperature of the main enclosure, the temperature of the basking area, and the overnight low in the enclosure? What is the humidity? What type of substrate. Is the enclosure barren or are there natural places for the tortoise to hide and feel secure? Etc, etc.

Have you read the thread on how to raise a healthy sulcata? That is a great starting place.

 
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Tom

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Got my baby sulcata a week ago and would only eat a little bit just like a bite of cucumber a bite of grass from outside and some broccoli and the temperature is right I soak it every 2 days tried to do baby food soaks with 100% carrot and nothing is working it sleeps all the time unless it’s out side when I bring it out it walks every where then once I bring it back in to it’s enclosure it walks to it’s hide and then goes to sleep and when I have food in there it walks over it and just ignores the food what should I do I really want to help it I’ve tried so many veggies and fruit but it won’t budge to eat please help.
In addition to Mark's questions, where did you get the tortoise and how was it started as a new hatchling? What type of heating and lighting equipment are you using? Got UV? What type of bulb?

We'll try to help.
 

Josh1409

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I live in California and the temp out side is 60 all day so I keep the tortoise inside the temperature in the enclosed is 95 degrees and humidity is at 44 it has a lot to hide under and a small coconut shell with garden moss inside the log that I spray down every day and nothing in the coconut shell just in case it didn’t like the moss but I think it dose since it’s always inside of it I have a rock that is flat for the basking area the substrait is half soil half shredded redwood tree bark and I have some bark mixed in as well it’s in a 60 gallon tub I have a zoo med uvb light and a heating lamp at 100 watts And I have a thermometer that tells me the humidity and temperature and I have a food plate in the middle of the enclosure and a water dish close to it I’ve been trying to give it calcium but if it sees it on the food it won’t eat it so I have to put it on one side and it won’t eat unless I have it right in front of it’s mouth and wait till it eats and it would only take a few bites then walk away I got my tortoise from a fish and reptile pet store they did t give me information on how it was in its hatchling life when I went to get it there was only 2 and this one was the only one active and walking around I checked it’s eyes nose for any puss or fungus to see if it was sick and both the parents were in the store so they raised it them selfs when I went there they had lettuce in the food dish and I knew that wasn’t a good food choice but I didn’t think it was a huge problem And two days ago I gave it some lettuce and it ate some with some calcium on it but it still loves cucumbers takes at least 4 big bites out of a thin slice I offer it grass that I get from my yard and dandi lions it ate some of the dandie lion also been giving it baby food carrot soaks very 2 days hopefully this is some good info for you to try to help on what’s going on with my tortoise
 

Josh1409

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Hello if anyone reads this I need help it’s my first time having a baby sulcata and I’m looking for help my tortoise stoped eating I bought it a week ago from a reptile store in my area before I bought the little guy I reached lots of thing about what they need and what to put them in I have him in a 50 gallon concret mixer tub that I saw in camp kenens video I have half soil and have wood bark I have a zoo med 100w heater and Uv light and I have a hide were I put moss in and mist it every morning I have a thermometer that shows it is at a steady 89 90 degrees at all times except night it’s 79 to 80 at night because I have a heater under the tub I try to feed it dandie lions I got it to eat a strip of it the other day and I do carrot baby food soaks evey 2 days or so it likes to eat cucumbers with some calcium on it and I try to feed it grasses but it doesn’t budge it’s not very active it sleeps in it’s hide all the time and when I bring it outside it is very active but doesn’t eat any grass when it is outside I also live in California if that is needed to help me with this problem I just want the best for the little one I don’t see any signs of it beating sick like runny nose or sunken eyes or any breathing problems I just need help if you guys can give any tips or anything to help it will be much appreciated thanks for whoever reads this.
 

Tofu

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Check the nose.. like literally stare down at its nose and see if its clogged or not because theres 2 types of cold the first one being the milder one shows runny nose while the second type of cold shows clogged nose... The second one is more dangerous because the symptomps are more hidden, also check for its mouth is it opening its mouth trying to gasp for air just like when your nostrils are clogged ? Or is it breathing normally
 
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Tim Carlisle

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Congrats on your new friend! Take it easy with the cucumbers. I'm not sure how often you feed them to it, but they are technically a fruit (they contain seeds) and are only recommended once in a great while, if at all. I've never fed any to my sully. Sulcatas (and babies especially) do not take to environmental changes very readily, so there will be a short period of time they will be withdrawn, not eat a lot, and sleep a lot. This is normal. It'll become more and more active once enough time has elapsed for it to get accustomed to its new surroundings.

Your temperatures seem fine. Have you tested the humidity? Maintaining a humidity level of 80% or higher is very important especially for the younger ones. Proper heat and humidity will also aid in your tort becoming more active. There are many ways to ensure stable temps and humidity. One of the big ones is to have a closed-top enclosure which traps / maintains the levels necessary. Without seeing your current setup, I will just leave the recommendations at that.

What kind of wood chips are you mixing in your substrate? I ask this because a lot of chips can cause impactions if the tort eats them. We generally recommend using orchid moss or coconut fiber for the little ones. When he gets a little older, then you can start using something like organic cypress mulch.

Have you seen the Sulcata Care sheets yet? If not, they are very well worth reading: https://www.tortoiseforum.org/forums/sulcata-tortoises.88/

Anyway, so much info and so little time. I've gotta be getting to work. Others will surely be by to give you their expertise. Again...congrats!
 

Ray--Opo

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Welcome, pics of your tort and the enclosure will help us guide you in the proper direction. Read the care sheets here for sulcata's.
 

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