Baby Sulcata Tortoise, right?

[MollyB]

So, I saw a photo of what the owner thought was a baby Sulcata. I thought it was, but he was told that it wasn't; that it was a desert tortoise. I received mine, with a half an hour warning, and have never owned one. I looked up pictures and thought mine looked to be a Sulcata. Now, I'm not so sure. The owner didn't know, either (long story). Here's Donny's pic. Thanks ahead for your input.

 

[wellington]

Post a clear pic of the front.
But yes, he appears to be a sulcata that needs proper housing ASAP. Already pyramided at his small size.
Be sure to check out the sulcata section for care and closed chamber thread for housing.

 

[Tom]

That is a sulcata.

 

[MollyB]

Post a clear pic of the front.
But yes, he appears to be a sulcata that needs proper housing ASAP. Already pyramided at his small size.
Be sure to check out the sulcata section for care and closed chamber thread for housing.

I don't see the pyramiding on top. Where do you see it. Like I said, I'm new to this. Isn't the pyramiding supposed to be on top?

 

[MollyB]

I don't see the pyramiding on top. Where do you see it. Like I said, I'm new to this. Isn't the pyramiding supposed to be on top?

I'll send a clearer picture.

 

[MollyB]

 

[MollyB]

I just got the little guy maybe 3 weeks ago. I'm reading everything I can on how to take the best care of him.

 

[wellington]

The scutes are raised, that's pyramiding.

 

[zovick]

View attachment 366427View attachment 366428

Yes, it is indeed a sulcata.

There is some minor pyramiding just beginning now. If you get that tortoise into a closed chamber with the proper diet, supplements, and lighting, plus maintain the correct temps and humidity, you will be able to nip it in the bud, and it will be almost unnoticeable by the time it reaches 12" or so in length.

 

[MollyB]

Yes, it is indeed a sulcata.

There is some minor pyramiding just beginning now. If you get that tortoise into a closed chamber with the proper diet, supplements, and lighting, plus maintain the correct temps and humidity, you will be able to nip it in the bud, and it will be almost unnoticeable by the time it reaches 12" or so in length.

Thank you. A kind answer and encouragement needed. 👍🏼

 

[SinLA]

The deep grooves where I have put the red lines, that's "pyramiding". It doesn't look like big "triangle" pyramids yet, but that is where it will end up without proper care. I've attached an extreme example

 

[MollyB]

The deep grooves where I have put the red lines, that's "pyramiding". It doesn't look like big "triangle" pyramids yet, but that is where it will end up without proper care. I've attached an extreme example

Oh my! I definitely don't want that. Poor babies. I can barely see what you're seeing on my tort, but it's there. I'm in the process of getting a better enclosure. I'll be posting as it goes along. Thank you!

 

[zovick]

Oh my! I definitely don't want that. Poor babies. I can barely see what you're seeing on my tort, but it's there. I'm in the process of getting a better enclosure. I'll be posting as it goes along. Thank you!

Good luck with your tortoise.

 

[SinLA]

Oh my! I definitely don't want that. Poor babies. I can barely see what you're seeing on my tort, but it's there. I'm in the process of getting a better enclosure. I'll be posting as it goes along. Thank you!

Great, post a lot and don't hesitate to ask questions!

 

[MollyB]

Great, post a lot and don't hesitate to ask questions!

Kinda worried about getting blasted and judged. Some people think that a person should know it all at the beginning. Had I known that I was all of a sudden taking on a baby tortoise, I would have done my homework/research. But, I didn't have that luxury. I love this guy so much. I will do everything I can to help him live a long and healthy life.

 

[SinLA]

Kinda worried about getting blasted and judged. Some people think that a person should know it all at the beginning. Had I known that I was all of a sudden taking on a baby tortoise, I would have done my homework/research. But, I didn't have that luxury. I love this guy so much. I will do everything I can to help him live a long and healthy life.

Believe me, people in your situation is the NORM here. People more get tetchy about people who are brand new, just like you, arguing against the advice given.

Start here: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/info-for-new-people-please-read-this-first.202363/#post-2036954

its a LOT but its good info.

Just understand sulcata babies are a dime a dozen, often raised very poorly, and they are one of THE MOST DIFFICULT tortoise species to keep as a pet. Life with them is not like people show on instagram. They are delicate as babies, you need to get your operation set up correctly or they do not live long or well, but when they DO live well, then they live REALLY long, and they get big and destructive. Bottom line, many many people get baby sulcatas as pets, 99% of them don't realize what they are getting into...

 

[Tom]

Oh my! I definitely don't want that. Poor babies. I can barely see what you're seeing on my tort, but it's there. I'm in the process of getting a better enclosure. I'll be posting as it goes along. Thank you!

Molly, the whole carapace should be smooth and all at the same level. When it dips down, like on your tortoise in-between the scutes, that is the start of forming pyramids. In time, if not corrected, each scute will form a pyramid.

Pyramiding is caused by growth in conditions that are too dry. Stopping pyramiding in progress is much harder that preventing pyramiding in the first place. Don't be discouraged. Almost no one, myself included, grows every tortoise 100% perfectly smooth. That is the goal, but it is rarely achieved. A tortoise with minor pyramiding can still be a very healthy and long-lived tortoise. When we see extreme cases, that means that the tortoise was housed and cared for incorrectly for a long time.

Here are some tips to stop it:
1. House the tortoise in a large closed chamber with high humidity and warm temperatures. 80-100% humidity 24/7, and no lower than 80 degrees at night. 90-ish during the day is good, and near 100 directly under the basking lamp.\
2. Use a plastic humid hide with a small door for the tortoise. Make the tortoise sleep in it every night. Don't use any sort of moss. Just wet the substrate under the hide. Sulcatas don't get shell rot.
3. Soak the baby every day for 40-60 minutes until it passes 100 grams. Keep the water warm the whole time, and don't worry about it if the baby tries to climb out. That is good exercise and will keep the tortoise healthy. After 100 grams you can start skipping a day now and then, but it does no harm if you want to keep soaking every day for ever. It is not "necessary" to soak larger sulcatas every day, but it is still beneficial and not harmful in any way.
4. Spray the carapace several times a day with de-mineralized water like distilled, RO, or collected rainwater. This dampness will help the new growth come in smoother.
5. Pyramiding is NOT caused by food. Almost everything you see on the internet about it is going to be wrong. Keep free feeding a wide variety of the correct high fiber, high calcium foods. Don't be afraid of a little plant protein either. Protein in the diet does NOT cause pyramiding.
6. A little bit of outdoor time in a safe enclosure is great for babies. Just not too much. All day every day is bad for babies. My general rule is one hour of sunshine access per inch of tortoise per day. So a three inch baby can get three hours of sunning time, but soak the tortoise after this dry outside time. I usually don't sun more than 2 or three times a week for little babies. I do more and more as they grow and eventually, they live outside full time once they reach about 10-12 inches.

Questions are welcome.

 

[Tom]

Kinda worried about getting blasted and judged. Some people think that a person should know it all at the beginning. Had I known that I was all of a sudden taking on a baby tortoise, I would have done my homework/research. But, I didn't have that luxury. I love this guy so much. I will do everything I can to help him live a long and healthy life.

We don't do that here.

Almost all of the care info for this species out in the world is all wrong, so even if you had plenty of time and did lots of research, you'd still be in the same boat. In fact, that is usually even more frustrating for people because they worked so hard and spent so much money to be doing it right, only to find out the info they found was the typical old wrong info.

We want you to have an enjoyable and successful tortoise keeping experience and we want your tortoise to be healthy.

 

[SinLA]

Believe me, people in your situation is the NORM here. People more get tetchy about people who are brand new, just like you, arguing against the advice given.

Start here: https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/info-for-new-people-please-read-this-first.202363/#post-2036954

its a LOT but its good info.

Just understand sulcata babies are a dime a dozen, often raised very poorly, and they are one of THE MOST DIFFICULT tortoise species to keep as a pet. Life with them is not like people show on instagram. They are delicate as babies, you need to get your operation set up correctly or they do not live long or well, but when they DO live well, then they live REALLY long, and they get big and destructive. Bottom line, many many people get baby sulcatas as pets, 99% of them don't realize what they are getting into...

BTW, i was in the same boat. Had a tortoise (two, actually!) fall into my lap (fortunately an adult so easier to deal with). I didn't even know that there were different tortoise species as pets with different needs. These two had been housed together and I'm shocked one of them survived. There had originally been three, but one was "lost" before they made their way to me...

 

[TammyJ]

Welcome to the forum and congratulations on getting a little tortoise to care for! Stay here with us and try to follow all the good advice!