I recently built a great new outdoor house for Keyser out of an old 1930's Oak desk that I found for free on Craigslist. It's sealed, smoothed, and heated, complete with a door of black vinyl strips (couldn't find any good transparent ones), to help maintain the temperature while allowing for...
As much as NorCal weather allows. I may start introducing a calcium supplement, just to be safe.
Interesting. Now I have something more intelligent to say than, "Uh, Africa," when people ask me where (s)he is from.
I've recently noticed the small slope on the back of Keyser's shell has been getting more pronounced.
Keyser a year ago, for reference:
I know divots are usually a sign of MBD, but MBD suddenly developing would be really strange, as (s)he's about three years old, and has had no extreme...
Six-month update! Time really does fly.
Keyser's grown a lot since I first posted him here ( http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-37877.html ). I knew he was going to get big fast, but seeing it actually happen is incredible.
Getting his noms
A cup, for size comparison. He's big enough...
Keyser just really, really likes red; I know that sounds like an oversimplification, but I swear, it's his favorite.
There are some foods in general that he favors over others, but anything red will always be his top selection, regardless of actual taste. It's the oddest thing. Watermelon...
Alright, so first off, this is a bit of an odd conversation to have here, because it's not completely about my Sulcata.
My sulcy Keyser has been living outside for a few months now; he has a heated indoor hide to go to, and a large outdoor area to roam. This area is closed off by a chain link...
Hi guys. I figured instead of creating new threads every time I took new pictures, I'd just make one thread to update when I see fit. Seems less messy that way.
For those who remember Keyser, his last appearance here was about 6-months ago ( http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-56520.html ). In...
Hi guys :D
I'm in the process of moving Keyser outside full time in order to properly enjoy this beautiful blossoming California summer. I think he's large enough to handle this - at a year-and-a-half, he's somewhere around ten pounds right now, and, eyeballing it, is probably about eight...
In my case, about 2 1/2 lbs, IIRC.
There is no typical weight or size though. A Sulcata of that age could be anywhere from 100 grams to 5 pounds (or more, if you've got a freak).
Tom, is there any advantage to using oil heaters? I'm setting up my guy to be outdoors full time, and was looking for ways to heat his night house. Ceramic heaters seem way cheaper (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000GG8DWA/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20) given that I'm willing to run an extension cord from my...
Amen to this. I commute to school in the West Bay daily, and it's rather depressing driving away from my East Bay sun and into the clouds.
That being said, I'm sure my tort is glad he doesn't have to get dragged along with me. At least one of us should get to enjoy the East Bay sun :D
I go to VCA All About Pets Animal Hospital in Union City, and have had a better experience there than with other so called "herp vets" - for example, the VCA vet fortunately didn't try to suggest feeding live bugs. They seem to have a decent amount of knowledge and some background with sulcatas...
Very few hatchling tortoises are going to come ready to eat grass - even good, home-grown stuff. Spring mix and Mazuri is definitely an acceptable diet for torts this young - in fact, this can be their primary diet for most of the first year. Just make sure to soak the Mazuri and not feed it...
Them being white means they're probably not mites, which are the only small bugs that I can imagine being a pain.
I get little white bugs in my mulch that seem to thrive on the moisture, but they don't seem to really be a detriment to my tort's health.
Getting them out can be a pain - I...
It's cold enough here that I wouldn't leave any young Sulcata outside at night.
Other than that, outdoor setups aren't very reliant on location, as long as there is sunshine. I built mine with four 2x4's nailed together with a 1/4 covered roof (with leftover plywood) for some shade. I built a...