Sudan Sulcatas (This never gets old...)

Tom

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Here they are all moved into their first enclosure. I like to have lots of food spread all over the enclosure. Whenever they move into their first enclosures, all babies tend to sample the substrate. Its unnerving, but like most baby animals, they sample their world with their mouth. They pick up pieces of orchid bark and then spit it out, but I like their to be food everywhere so that any direction they look or walk, they run into something to eat. This seems to discourage the substrate sampling. This behavior usually doesn't persist past the first day, but this is something a tortoise owner would never know unless you were hatching babies and starting them in their first enclosures. By the time they go to their first homes, they don't do this anymore.

Those are mulberry branches and grape vines all around the enclosure as well as the day's food in the bowl. After these pics, I put even more stuff in there. The leaves also give the babies a place to hide and feel secure, a concept that @Markw84 has been talking a lot about lately.IMG_1179.jpg

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Maro2Bear

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Here they are all moved into their first enclosure. I like to have lots of food spread all over the enclosure. Whenever they move into their first enclosures, all babies tend to sample the substrate. Its unnerving, but like most baby animals, they sample their world with their mouth. They pick up pieces of orchid bark and then spit it out, but I like their to be food everywhere so that any direction they look or walk, they run into something to eat. This seems to discourage the substrate sampling. This behavior usually doesn't persist past the first day, but this is something a tortoise owner would never know unless you were hatching babies and starting them in their first enclosures. By the time they go to their first homes, they don't do this anymore.

Those are mulberry branches and grape vines all around the enclosure as well as the day's food in the bowl. After these pics, I put even more stuff in there. The leaves also give the babies a place to hide and feel secure, a concept that @Markw84 has been talking a lot about lately.View attachment 303484

View attachment 303482View attachment 303483

Wow Tom. Perfection. You do a great job. I wish folks with hatchlings would just follow your lead. Substrate, plants, a hide, incandescent bulb, .nice slate to feed on, ...etc. ??
 
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Melissacoop

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Pembroke Pines, FL
Man you don't know the half of it... If the SA leopard girls keep going, I'll have more than 200 eggs from them by November. I've got three clutches from my Burmese stars in the middle of summer, I can't imagine what they are going to do in winter when they normally lay. I finally got a male, so I should have radiata eggs this winter. I caught my red ackies breeding for the first time yesterday. I have a bunch of DT babies coming my way to start and adopt out. My roach colonies seem to be on reproductive overdrive. Plus a few other things going on...

Yeah. Busy is an understatement. Since I haven't worked for 6 months, I'm pretty happy to be busy in this way right now.

Roach colonies?!
 

Melissacoop

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Pembroke Pines, FL
Here they are all moved into their first enclosure. I like to have lots of food spread all over the enclosure. Whenever they move into their first enclosures, all babies tend to sample the substrate. Its unnerving, but like most baby animals, they sample their world with their mouth. They pick up pieces of orchid bark and then spit it out, but I like their to be food everywhere so that any direction they look or walk, they run into something to eat. This seems to discourage the substrate sampling. This behavior usually doesn't persist past the first day, but this is something a tortoise owner would never know unless you were hatching babies and starting them in their first enclosures. By the time they go to their first homes, they don't do this anymore.

Those are mulberry branches and grape vines all around the enclosure as well as the day's food in the bowl. After these pics, I put even more stuff in there. The leaves also give the babies a place to hide and feel secure, a concept that @Markw84 has been talking a lot about lately.View attachment 303484

View attachment 303482View attachment 303483
What is that vine plant? Pothos??
 

Tom

The Dog Trainer
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Jan 9, 2010
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What is that vine plant? Pothos??
Yes. Pothos. I'm trying to take advice from @Markw84 and put lots of plants in, but I'm encountering the same problem I've always encountered. If they can reach it, they eat it. All species and all ages. I want them to have some security and foraging, so I cut mulberry and grape vine branches to drop in there for them to hide amongst and nibble on. I replace the benches with fresh ones every couple of days as needed.
 

mastershake

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Florida
they are looking great!! i cant wait till i can get a couple from you. ill def keep in touch about future clutches
 

Sarah2020

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How are they doing. Grown lots I expect?
 

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