Returning to the Forum

Hi everyone...Returning here as we have just got 6 new hatchling Sudanese sulcatas.
They are pretty special and would like to share their growth and see comments and opinions you have on them. [emoji4]
I'm particularly interested in the closed humid hide method of Tom's.
Thanks!

Sharon, right? I see you love the aberrant scutes too. I'll be watching this thread to see these beauties develop.

(Don't forget - sulcatas hatch during the monsoon season. You'll be doing them a favor if you keep the substrate wet)

Wow! Look at those crazy patterns!!!!

Yvonne G said:

Sharon, right? I see you love the aberrant scutes too. I'll be watching this thread to see these beauties develop.

(Don't forget - sulcatas hatch during the monsoon season. You'll be doing them a favor if you keep the substrate wet)

Click to expand...

Hi Yvonne! Yes it's me....lol. I am soooo in love with the scute patterns. I was wanting to get a couple Sudanese but my husband wasn't all that crazy about it. We've down sized since the galops girls are out on breeding loan and we took a break from the club for a year. But the yard is so lonely looking. My redfoots are my biggest tortoise now.
Then when these hatched out he couldn't resist! So not only did he come home with just as couple...he came home with all 6 of these babies. [emoji7]
I'm not good at working around websites and I tried to do a search of a closed chamber for pictures. Want to see how others set theirs up. Didn't get anything to come up. Can you (or someone?) perhaps guide me in the right direction please?
And how are you doing Yvonne? Are all your critters still going well? Your sister doing good too?
Hope all is still going well and happy!
Thanks for the reply...
Sharon

That is the coolest thing I've ever seen! Obviously I don't get out much, but still.... that is the coolest thing I've ever seen!

Those are some gorgeous babies!!! Luv those scutes!

I don't know how to give you a link while on my Kindle, but in a few minutes I'll go to the computer and help you.

Hi Sharon!!! Hi Tom!!!

Here is the care sheet info we talked about:
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

Please feel free to share your extensive experience and argue with any of this! That would make for and awesome discussion thread. And next time you come up to see the girls, come over and see me too! Or we can just have a tortoise party at C&As place again.

Ok, here's the link to the "night box" Tom built:

https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/another-night-box-thread.88966/#post-828952

And this one talks about closed chambers:

https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/closed-chambers.32333/#post-304363

Because I'm not a carpenter, I opted for the Vision cage. I just LOVE it:




They're a tad expensive, but a really nice enclosure.

I have two bricks standing up on edge in the back right corner, then there's a radiant heat panel sitting on the bricks. This forms a cave. I have the heat sensor laying on the floor of the cave, and it's set at 80F. But none of the babies ever go into the cave so I'm thinking of removing it and the RHP. The ballast for the fluorescent UVB light puts out a lot of heat, and that keeps the interior plenty warm enough. Since they like hiding in the plant so much, I'll replace the cave and RHP with another plant.

Mizcreant said:

That is the coolest thing I've ever seen! Obviously I don't get out much, but still.... that is the coolest thing I've ever seen!

Click to expand...

They are the wildest patterns that he has ever had hatch! An irregular scute here and there...but Nothing like these. One isn't all that wild but I like things in even numbers. [emoji6]

Tom said:

Hi Sharon!!! Hi Tom!!!

Here is the care sheet info we talked about:
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

Please feel free to share your extensive experience and argue with any of this! That would make for and awesome discussion thread. And next time you come up to see the girls, come over and see me too! Or we can just have a tortoise party at C&As place again.

Click to expand...

Thanks Tom!! I found several of the articles but not the pictures. I am Thrilled to see the vision cage one! [emoji847] I have one just like that and then I have one that is 6' long for later. Just have to move the beaded lizards into the bigger one which I already had planned to do. I'm using a terrarium right now since they are so little. But was told these guys grow fast?
In a couple of weeks I will switch them over to a bigger set up. [emoji4]
I know for sure we will be going up to see the girls after Halloween. We get free pumpkins and hard squash. Got a huge overflowing truckload last year. This year Amber said they could use some...but like half the amount. [emoji1] We figured with all the people they knew with tortoises, horses etc...they wouldn't have any trouble getting rid of them. I'll be sure you get some too! [emoji4]

Yvonne G said:

Sharon, right? I see you love the aberrant scutes too. I'll be watching this thread to see these beauties develop.

(Don't forget - sulcatas hatch during the monsoon season. You'll be doing them a favor if you keep the substrate wet)

Click to expand...

Yes Yvonne...I have raised redfoots in high humidty along with radiated tortoises and it's been awesome.
With these guys however I want to make sure I have a large enough enclosure for them.
A very very heavy rain storm/monsoon came through and within 24 hours the hatching rate just Exploded! There were babies popping up everywhere. My husband couldn't believe it...such a sight to see.
He was gone a month to help our good friends in AZ for the hatching season. Once the babies start hatching it is non-stop work! Since all the babies are hatched naturally and their "enclosures" are in "acres" instead of square feet there is a lot of territory to walk and cover.
I sadly was not able to go and help. [emoji24]
I have RA that is affected opposite of most people. I can't do heat or humidity. Cold and even rain is good and comfortable for me. So in 105° plus days it wasn't going to happen.
I would have been very sick the entire time and not worth anything.
I've got these babies set up in nice wet to very damp conditions with nice warm temps. I do put them outside each day for a short time to sun naturally. So far everything seems to be going along just fine? They are around 1+ month old now.

Maro2Bear said:

Wow! Look at those crazy patterns!!!!

Click to expand...

LOL...That is the only season we have them. I wanted the Sudanese but. I'm my hubby wasn't thrilled about getting into sulcatas again. But when he saw how crazy these hatched out he couldn't resist bringing them home. [emoji6][emoji1]

Were they all from the same clutch?

Oh my GOSH THEY ARE SO FREAKIN’ BEAUTIFUL!!!!

Wow! Such beautiful shells!

I've went through and read all the posts on sulcatas and enclosures now. I am going to use the smaller of 2 vision cages I have. 2' deep x 2' high x 4 ' long. Right now with them being so small this should be perfect for now?
Then I can put them over to a 6'.
After that they should be able to be outside 24/7 all year round hopefully. [emoji4]
Next summer of being outside 24/7 should kick start them off really well?
It sure does with a couple redfoots I grew up. [emoji4]

Wow those are so cool! I like how one of them looks like it has the pattern of their belly on their shell!

Those are going to be such beauties when they grow up!

[email protected] said:

Hi everyone...Returning here as we have just got 6 new hatchling Sudanese sulcatas.
They are pretty special and would like to share their growth and see comments and opinions you have on them. [emoji4]
I'm particularly interested in the closed humid hide method of Tom's.
Thanks!View attachment 252261View attachment 252262

Click to expand...

Crazy scutes!