Just curious. Is the setup the same as when you posted pics on https://www.tortoiseforum.org/threa...ell-i’m-not-sure-what’s-bad-or-normal.170688/ ?
I believe I have a rare sulcata tortoise someone help?
- Thread starter skrapoy
- Start date
Just curious. Is the setup the same as when you posted pics on https://www.tortoiseforum.org/threa...ell-i’m-not-sure-what’s-bad-or-normal.170688/ ?
Skrapoy, sorry to hear about your baby. I only own one sulcata but have kept other turtles and breed some other species of animals. I cannot provide you with the professional experience that Tom has but maybe i take a shot at helping and anyone can correct my mistakes if im wrong. Looks like some sort of growth failure possibly due to breeder if it was hatched and kept wrong. Ive never had a "mini" but most i see at expos and reptile swaps are mini due to terrible conditions they are kept in, almost shocking they are fighting and surviving through it. Some even being anywhere from 5 to 12 months old but still looking like a hatching. This would echo with what Tom has said. My point is I'm not saying this is purely from your care but can be multifaceted.
The breeder i got my sulcata from hatched and kept them dry, my sulcata had some pyramiding and warping. My temps were higher and humidity was kept above 80% and Binkey started to grow fast and smooth. I also stayed away from regular grocery store greens like romain and lettuces. This is a refering to Toms care sheet. Make sure your little guy can get calcium and vitamin D and your light are proper to promote synthesis of calcium and vitamin D. If you cant get them in the sunshine everyday make sure you use proper spectrum of lights (which includes uva and uvb and is not a coil) mercury vapor bulbs i find it to have the most broad spectrum and most similiar to sunshine-dont use without proper setup/ humidity .Some on here dont believe in other vitamin supplementation but as a backup i do supplement with a multivitamin once a week ontop of the daily calcium/ vitamin D supplementation(some may even suggest im over supplementing). Being on the forum you probably know this but i think this step is key. Nothing grows without proper nutrients.
Oh, last point, yeah SulcataFriend is a total troll of the forum atleast from what im seeing.
The breeder i got my sulcata from hatched and kept them dry, my sulcata had some pyramiding and warping. My temps were higher and humidity was kept above 80% and Binkey started to grow fast and smooth. I also stayed away from regular grocery store greens like romain and lettuces. This is a refering to Toms care sheet. Make sure your little guy can get calcium and vitamin D and your light are proper to promote synthesis of calcium and vitamin D. If you cant get them in the sunshine everyday make sure you use proper spectrum of lights (which includes uva and uvb and is not a coil) mercury vapor bulbs i find it to have the most broad spectrum and most similiar to sunshine-dont use without proper setup/ humidity .Some on here dont believe in other vitamin supplementation but as a backup i do supplement with a multivitamin once a week ontop of the daily calcium/ vitamin D supplementation(some may even suggest im over supplementing). Being on the forum you probably know this but i think this step is key. Nothing grows without proper nutrients.
Oh, last point, yeah SulcataFriend is a total troll of the forum atleast from what im seeing.
Matthew M.
New Member
- Joined
- Oct 8, 2016
- Messages
- 8
I live in Round Rock, just north of Austin, TX. If you can get him here, we can take care of him. We have a 20lb, a 90lb and a 110lb sulcata, all doing well for years. Our 20 lb was just 10 lbs last year. She doubled in size! Some fresh air, sunshine and plenty of fresh grass will likely do the trick.
Shinderman
New Member
Where are you located my fiancé and I would gladly take him! We have a young sulcata that is about 5 
I got my sulcata when he was 6 months old he measured 2”x 21/2” he is now 5 years old..and is 10” x 13” .. I made him a house outside when he was 2 years.. I measured him after every summer as they grow mostly in the summer.. I researched about them to get the best info and bought a book on the Sulcata. It is true they have to have a basking spot with the lamp to reach 100 def a cooling lamp for night time to keep a 60 dog temp and a lamp for the sun .. all 3 are essential for winter . I live in Vegas so my tort has a summer house too where he can burrow inside I cover it with the sun shades for a car wind shield and spray occasionally.. you should take your tort to an exotic veterinarian that knows about the sulcata..
queen koopa
Well-Known Member
What are many places? And how can these places tell that he’s “extremely happy” ?
60 degree is too cold for a sulcata day or night and deadly for a hatchling. Please read more from this forum to get the correct info needed for your sulcata to grow properly.
Jenna kamenski
Active Member
I am in no means an expert on tortoises and I’m still learning everyday but what I do know is what Tom is telling you is 100% true - your temps are too low for just about any hatchling...I have a leopard from Tom and that baby is healthy, happy and thriving and I’ve had no issues with anything, torque is over a year and a half and is now 7lbs! - most breeders do start them off the wrong way and that’s bc of the old style method that Tom mentioned...unless a vet appt is necessary for meds I’d trust all info given on here versus a certified vet bc let’s be honest, they are certified with normal animals like cats and dogs...I’d say about maybe 10% of those vets know what they are talking about - and that 10% may be pushing it - please listen to the advice that these people are giving you bc most of them have done their own trial and errors and have learned what works best - a lot of them have personally gone to Africa themselves and studied sulcatas and leopards...these vets that get certified more than likely have not done any of that
The books are all wrong and still repeating the same old wrong info. Ground temps where sulcatas come from are 80-85 all year long every year. There is no 60 there. While some of them can sometimes survive colder temps, it is not good for them and its part of the reason why your tortoise is about half the size and a quarter of the weight it should be at this age. Some of them don't survive the colder temperatures.
Hi . I am very sorry to hear your tort is not growing. I am a loving parent of a sulcata and if you really don’t want this beautiful guy I will take him and give him all the love ❤️ I have
He would be in the best of care and I would send updates...where are you located?
I am in NJ.... I know .... I know... but I have a house full of love that keeps us warm enough!
(Not to mention all the heat lamps Petco
had to offer.! My girl is kinda big but they would be kept apart and heavily guarded...
So if you are in need of support I am here for you.. JUST DONT THROW HIM AWAY like some people do.. hope to hear from you soon either way...... good luck!!
You can reach me at :
[email protected]
He would be in the best of care and I would send updates...where are you located?
I am in NJ.... I know .... I know... but I have a house full of love that keeps us warm enough!
(Not to mention all the heat lamps Petco
had to offer.! My girl is kinda big but they would be kept apart and heavily guarded...
So if you are in need of support I am here for you.. JUST DONT THROW HIM AWAY like some people do.. hope to hear from you soon either way...... good luck!!
You can reach me at :
[email protected]
Nordys
New Member
Nordys is 1 year old the end of this month. She weighs 11 ounces. Eats mostly outside plants. Some strawberry tops, watermelon, cactus, mulberry leaves, yellow bells, peppers, dandelions, grass, and anything else I can find that is natural.
This sounds like your Tortoise is "fearful" of something. When they are afraid they will not grow until they feel secure. The way you describe his reaction to being picked up, sounds like he is afraid. What do you feed him?
I know you believe that what you have been told before is correct and you are doing everything "right", but your tortoise still isn't growing. It might be time, since you are asking for help, to consider trying another way. It appears your tank is too small, your general temps are too cold... When you ask for suggestions, because you have a problem, you shouldn't become defensive about your husbandry practices. If you came here only to get our reaction and our verification that you have a "rare" tortoise, you are probably going to be disappointed. I hope you will accept the suggestions made by these good people who only want to help. I had the exact same problem you have, only it was with a Leopard tortoise. I actually went 2 years before getting help. And guess what? The "rare" midget Leopard Tortoise that I thought I had, was actually a stunted, frightened little creature. It was devastating to find out that I was doing just about everything wrong. I took the information I was given and my little guy began to grow and in a few years caught up and I hope he will live a long, happy and healthy life. Just like I hope your little guy does too.
