another Sulcata Owner (in England) - Need Advice

[sulcata harry]

Hi, I am new to all this and found just the thread i was looking for so joined the site!

The story so far will try and keep it brief. I had a baby sulcata die at 7 months old (unknown but shell was soft - breeder had a few die) got a healthy replacement but as we brought it home, my mums dog jumped in the car as our back was turned and had it in his mouth, unfortunately it was bleeding and they died! Horrific to watch. Anyway the same day my dad had also come back with a 4 year old sulcata and gave me that one.

So i am just looking for the best advice possible. I live in England which obviously isn't very sunny or warm! Its warm at the moment and he is loving it outside (in a large enclosure 1m x 1.5m), really active and thriving, i bring him in at night into a smaller enclosure and he goes to bed in the hidy hole, what sort of heat source should he be getting? Is underfloor heating anygood, should I leave a heat lamp on? Don't want him to get too cold. And when everyone says he should be eating grasses and weeds is this the normal loan grass or if other variations where would i get this.

I just want to do right by him, he is ace!
Any replies would be much appreciated.
Laura.

 

[tortoisenerd]

RE: Sulcata Owner - Need Advice

Welcome to the group Laura. May I suggest you start a new thread so you get the attention you deserve with your introduction? I'm so sorry to hear about your losses and hope you have better luck this time around. What are you going to do when the weather is colder when the Sulcata gets huge?

If he only comes in to sleep, then as long as your house is above 65 F you are fine. If it is any more time indoors than to sleep, but it is still getting out daily for sun, then use ceramic heat emitter/s and light bulb/s to have a gradient from 70-95 F available. If he is spending prolonged time inside, such as in colder weather, then get a 100 Watt T-Rex Mercury Vapor bulb, a deep and wide hood fixture with a ceramic socket, and a lamp stand, mounting the bulb with the face parallel to the substrate, at a distance above the substrate to have the hottest part of the enclosure at the substrate level be 95 F. For additional heat if needed if your house is cold and because the enclosure for that large of a tort should be big (as big as you are using outside at this point, larger later on), use a ceramic heat emitter (again, a fixture with a ceramic socket).

I would not have him outside unless it is over 70F, and make sure you have an area for him to hide and a shallow large water dish. He should eat grass and weeds in your yard if it is chemical free (no fertilizer or pesticides). You can even buy seeds online to scatter over your grass for more variety. What are you currently feeding and how are you caring for him? What are you doing to keep the dog away from the tortoise? I would never use under floor heating with a tortoise as in the wild they get their heat from above, and in some cases it can even be dangerous. That is why I suggest a ceramic heat emitter bulb.

 

[Yvonne G]

RE: [split] another Sulcata Owner - Need Advice

Hi Laura:

Welcome to the forum!

I split your post off to its own thread so you can get the answers you deserve for your tortoise.

 

[tortoisenerd]

Thanks Yvonne!