Baby Sulcata Barely Eats, Please Help

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My girlfriend and I have come across this forum many times before so I finally decided to join. We bought a baby sulcata online, he's a little smaller than law permits but the website never specified how big he was. He never really ate much and hid from us for a week and a half before we noticed him eat anything. Figured it was just a shock in change of environment. We decided to purchase another tortoise to try to entice him into eating. We bought a baby leopard, ended up being slightly smaller than the sulcata, again, the website never mentioned size and it's impossible to buy tortoises in Delaware. Anyways, the leopard is thriving, he runs around, eats a ton, and sleeps just fine. Neither of them like to poop during their soak. We keep their basking area around 80F, sprinkle calcium powder on the food once in a while, plenty of places to hide and get shade, and I've made a moisture box (Rubbermaid container with the side cut away, flipped upside down, with wet sponges glued to the "ceiling") for them to go in to when they need humidity. The only thing we haven't done is regulate water temperature accurately, which we plan to start doing this weekend. The sulcata doesn't seem to have breathing issues, no weird sounds, no nasal discharge, but he still barely eats and we've had him about two months. He's no longer shy, and doesn't mind us touching him and picking him up. Any feces we find laying around seems firm. Is this normal? Shouldn't he eat as much or more than the smaller leopard? Any help is appreciated.
 

dmmj

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First off welcome to the forum, I hope you enjoy your visits here.
In all honesty the should be separated, it sounds like you are keeping them together. There could be any number of reasons why he is not eating.
 

Laurie

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You shouldn't be housing different breeds together. They can make each other sick. Read around the forum a bit and you will find many reasons.

Not keeping a proper temperature is a big mistake with husbandry and can very well be the reason for your sulcata baby not eating. They need the proper temperatures to digest their food and keep their immune system healthy. You need to know four temps: cool side, warn side, basking and nighttime. I don't keep sulcatas, so I don't know their correct temps, but I'm sure others will chime in.

Good luck
 

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I've read reasons for why to keep them apart and have also read where people have housed leopards and sulcatas together with no issue. He hasn't changed because of the introduction of the leopard and seems to be fond of it. My girlfriend seems to think he's showing early signs of the "hatchling failure syndrome" or dehydration. She's started soaking him twice a day, rather than the once a day the leopard gets.
 

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Hi Joiner:

Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!

Tortoise hatchings are almost always under 4". So if you buy a hatchling, you have to understand, you are buying a tortoise that is under 4". The USDA 4" rule applies to businesses, not hobby breeders. I don't know how businesses selling online get around the rule, but everyone who buys a hatchling online is getting a baby that is under 4".

I think you are going to have to take a very active interest in your sulcata baby to get him interested in living. Keep him awake. Carry him around (gently). Wave a piece of food in front of his face to get him to eat. Speaking of food, what are you offering them. Maybe he doesn't recognize what you're offering as food.

Do you use a UVB light? Not a spiral type, I hope.

What would you like us to call you?

...and may we know appx. where in the world you are?
 

dmmj

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I would separate them until you know what is wrong, you could be putting the other's health at risk, but they are your tortoises so you are free to raise them how you see fit, but if they were mine I would separate them.
 

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Joiner said:
I've read reasons for why to keep them apart and have also read where people have housed leopards and sulcatas together with no issue. He hasn't changed because of the introduction of the leopard and seems to be fond of it. My girlfriend seems to think he's showing early signs of the "hatchling failure syndrome" or dehydration. She's started soaking him twice a day, rather than the once a day the leopard gets.

I wasn't suggesting that he/she may not be eating due to the addition of the leopard. I do think you should research more about housing them together for the long run.

There is a good possibility it is your temperatures if you are not maintaining them properly. I would suggest correcting that sooner rather than later and take it from there. Hopefully that gets your little guy eating.

Also, if you can get them into some natural sunlight, if its warm enough where you are (not through glass), it may help to perk him up an stimulate his appetite.

I find my torts are quite active after soaking, maybe try to feed after soaking. I would definitely start with your temps though.

A quick google, and it seems your sulcata needs a basking spot around 100F. Maybe that is your problem? Wait for others more familiar with sulcatas to verify, please.
 

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My last name is Joiner, prefer it, we do have a regular UVB light, not a spiral, the weather has been back and forth between cold and hot here in Delaware. I was reading that if you introduce another tortoise, the solo one should eat more rather than trying to "save his food because he's not aware it's readily available". We pick them an assortment of grasses and weeds from the yard, the leopard seems to love clovers, we've picked hibiscus for them here and there and bought a geranium. The sulcata was listed as a yearling when we purchased him, he's about three and a half inches. He also came with some irregular scutes.
 

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In case he is sick with something, Ashley has quarantined him.
 

Yvonne G

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Ok...I MAY know what the problem is. Since the tortoise was a year old when you got "her" (split scute MAY indicate female), she probably doesn't realize that the weeds and grasses you are offering her are food. Buy a package of Spring Mix and a bunch of some kind of dark, leafy greens (escarole, endive, turnip) and chop it all up in tiny pieces. See if that doesn't get her interest better. If she'll eat that, then you can start adding your grasses and weeds a tiny bit at a time until she gets familiar with eating them.
 
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Maggie Cummings

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Your basking temp should be closer to 100 degrees. I think your baby is too young and too cold. Ambient temp should be 85, 100 under the basking light with a cold side of 75.
Buy some Spring Mix from the produce section of the store. Get some raddiccio (sp?) and cut it all up small and offer that to him and see if he'll eat that. Most small babies won't eat grasses or hay until they are older. Spring Mix and radicchio (it's red and they like red. Sorry I can't spell it). Anyhow, Spring Mix is something that should work, and get him to eating. So increase your temp and add the Spring Mix and you'll see a change...
 

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When the bulb was closer and the temperature did get close to 100, he burrowed away from it because it was too hot. If you read into it enough, sulcata tortoises in nature stay in their burrows while the desert is too hot and come out in the morning and evening to eat and drink. 100 degrees is too hot. I will try the spring mix and see if that helps, the place we got him from was feeding him mazuri, we tried feeding him that and he didn't go for it. I did throw in a leaf of spinach a week ago and Ashley is telling me he barely touched that as well, he seems to munch a bit on whatever we put in there but stops after a bite or two, the leopard will mow down some food and keeps coming back.
 

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He didn't touch hibiscus at all, or the geranium, or the dandelion, or the rose (but the leopard loved that one), he barely touches anything and hasn't since we got him. We've had the leopard a month and the sulcata two.
 

Jacob

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Welcome to the forum!
First off, babies are usually stressed out from the big move, it takes a week or so for them to get comfortable.
Just leave fresh food and water out daily, and soak him in lukewarm water every couple days.
You can feed spring mix, kale, dark leafy greens from the store, weeds,grass, dandelion, cactus, grasses, hibiscus.

What are your temps on the cool end, warm end, and basking?
Are you trying to go with the humidity way?
 

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He doesn't have extra scutes or split scutes, three of them are just rather deformed, I think it's merely cosmetic, they have slight indentations or grooves
 
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Maggie Cummings

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Yes, I agree that in the wild Sulcata hide in the heat of the day. But we are talking about a baby who won't eat and if you'll forgive me for saying but you can't waste too much time as babies fade quickly. I stand by what I said. I think he is too cold and a 95 to 100 degree basking area is necessary as well as an ambient temp of 85 degrees.
Spinach has oxalate crystals which pull calcium to them and then the calcium is pooped out. So I see a sick baby and now you're feeding it something that *could* make him sicker. I wouldn't feed spinach until he is older and more healthy. Then in addition to a varied diet you could add spinach...
 

ascott

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Hi!! Well, I have read your thread...then read all of the posts in response....I know that on this forum, as in life in general, we all have a variety of personalities, you know...quirks and such...:D I I would hope that the valuable help offered her will be taken exactly as that....and I understand that the internet is full of a variety of information and can be confusing...I totally get it..

However, you have stumbled onto a forum here that is actually a good source for information...the members here start with folks new to tortoise care all the way through experience levels to those like Maggie and emysemys (Yvonne) who have sound, experienced advice....so I would beg, for the sake of your tort, that you please make some of the changes outlined here...

Yes, your temps should be 95ish under the basking spot along with a general temp of 80ish....and a dry cool spot near 73-75ish.....now, a tort (of this species) should want to burrow and hide...it is whatI evolution has seeded deep in them as a survival action...you know "to don't wanna be a snack" instinct to survive...you are a gigantic creature that moves towards him and grabs him and so certainly he may think he is going to be eaten (lol)...so..now that I have given that extend scenario...understand each tort is absolutely different...one may be a spazzzzz and one may be a hider....so you will want to avoid comparing them to one another and appreciate their individuality....

Soak your babies each day...then offer food....then don't bug bug bug them too much...and please put their temps back to where they should be...

Make sure you have lots of plant canopies for them to hide under and behind .....good luck with your babies and take a breath and take in all of the great help being directed your way...:D
 

lisalove

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Well said Angela!! ;)

I'm sorry, but a 95-100 degree basking spot is in no way too hot.
When I put Nodder outside to roam around, he can often be found on a piece of slate that gets 120 degrees. He has always loved it. I'm not saying to have your basking spot that hot. I'm just saying that if that's where he chooses to lounge outside out of all the other locations he could be, it must not be all wrong.

I hope your little baby starts turning around.
 

Joiner

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Okay, rearranged everything, got the light closer, going to get temperature readings, places to hide, all sorts of fun stuff, and when I put him back in he went for the basking area. You all were probably right, thank you, I'll keep updates

I have 8 minutes before leaving for work, is it okay to just leave him there, I don't know if he can get away from the spot if he needs to
 
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