Baby sulcata will only eat cucumbers

[kewp]

I have tried everything - timothy grass, orchard grass, weeds and garden leaves, mazuri. bananas, a dried fruit and veggie mix, etc, but he will only eat cucumber slices *which I discovered by accident). And forget it if it has ANY trace of calcium powder. He loves those damn cucumber slices, but how do I get him to eat the proper food?

 

[Yvonne G]

Well, the trouble is, you're not offering the right stuff. Forget the grass and hay for now. They don't usually eat that until they get a bit bigger. Fruit is a no no. They shouldn't have any fruit.

What kind of leaves were you offering? Pick one mulberry leaf, one grape leaf, one hollyhock leaf and maybe a leaf or two of prickly lettuce. Add a handful of either Spring Mix (with no spinach) or endive and escarole. Chop this all up into very tiny pieces. Then smash some cucumber with a potato masher. Mix up the cucumber and its juice with the chopped greens and mix it all up real good. The smell of cucumber should make him eat all the other good stuff too. If he eats this, then over time you can slowly decrease the amount of cucumber. But don't try to get ahead of yourself. Take a long time to do it.

When using calcium powder, only take a very small pinch between your thumb and index finger and sprinkle it over the greens then mix it all up so it's not visible and so the cucumber disguises its scent. You only need to add calcium a couple times a week.

 

[kewp]

I've used the leaves of the plants in my yard (hibiscus, rose, begonia, and various others I do not know the names of). I'm not sure where I would get a mulberry or grape leaf. I'll definitely try mashing the cucumbers with the spring mix. Is Muzuri not good when they are little? I've been softening and mashing it up.

 

[lismar79]

Mazuri is fine once in a while but fresh leaves are better. I use mazuri to fill in my diet once or twice a week.

 

[leigti]

Don't feed something if you don't know the name of it. See if your grocery store has dandelion leaves, endive or escarole. Or just use things you know the name of that are safe.

 

[wellington]

You can use the cucumber to entice him to eat the right stuff. Make a pile of the proper foods. Squeeze some cucumber on it, trying to get juice from it. As he gets used to eating the greens, use less and less of the cucumber until there is no more use of the cucumber.

 

[Tom]

I would have clicked "LOVE" on Yvonne's post, but we only have a "Like" button.


Meanwhile: Is all else good? High humidity? Warm temps day and night? No coil bulbs? Daily soaks? Sunshine forays? Etc...?

 

[Tom]

I'm not sure where I would get a mulberry or grape leaf.

Well from a mulberry tree and a grape vine, of course!

KIDDING!!! I know you know this....

 

[kewp]

Thanks for all the advice. I went and bought every leafy green on the list. So nothing goes to waste, I've only eaten what I've dubbed "tortoise salad" (minus the bok choi and dandalion leaves - yuck!) for 2 days so my diet is improving.. The bok choi, mustard greens, and dandelion leaves are a hit. He nibbled on the endive and escarole, but they weren't the favorite.

As far as his conditions, his enclosure has one of those under heating pads that gets up to 95 degrees or so. His hide hole is right over it. The ambient temp is between 81 to 85 and the humidity is about 50%. He spends about an hour outside in a chicken wire type enclosure and about 5 hours walking around my bedroom. He is very active and curious. His eyes are bright and he shows NO fear. If he comes across an obstacle (such as my toe or a cat), he first tries to bite it then he tries to go straight through it. He is up to 59 grams.

My new concern is that I have only seen him poop 2x. I soak him every other day and he doesn't go in there either. I read a thread saying they could me blocked so I tried cleaning his butt (a humiliating experience for all involved), but still no joy. I'm including some turtle butt pics to see if there is something I need to be concerned with.....

 

[leigti]

Soak him daily. This should help keep things moving through and keep him well hydrated. I'm glad he's starting to eat new things. Keep adding new things now and then. The key to the diet is a wide variety.
What do you use for a UVB source?it is not recommended to let your tortoise roam around the house. Especially a baby. I understand is the temp Tatian, when I first got my tortoise I let her run around the house a little bit too, I didn't think there was anything wrong with it. But it is dangerous, a while back there was a thread about somebody who is little baby tortoise was actually killed accidentally when he got his head caught in the door. Accidents happen. The outdoor time is good for him.

 

[kewp]

I have the Zoo Med Reptisun T5 HO with the 5.0 bulb.

He doesn't have run of the whole house. Just my small bedroom and I have taken great care to make sure there are barriers and no places where he could get stuck, flipped over, or lost. He's only out when I'm in the room and I keep one eye on him at all times.

 

[leigti]

Tortoises like to bask in the sun. So an overhead heat source would be a good idea. Such as a CHE or a regular lightbulb.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Believe us please, it is not a good idea to allow a small tortoise on the floor. It's too cold for him and he can eat dust bunnies, cat hair, your hair etc. Their insides must be 80 degrees or more for them to digest food. If that Hermanni is sick please put him in a tort container and keep him warm. An under the tank heater is not right for a baby. They need over head 100 watt UVB ,light and a black or red blulb for heat at night. Those under thank heaters can cause damage to a growing plastron. Please use our considerable experience and get a better bulb for him and KEEP HIM OFF THE FLOOR. He is not a dog. He is a baby and needs to be treated like a baby, and 5 hours on the floor is about 6 hours too long. Put him in a warm container, with a better UVB bulb, no undertank heater, feed him better and soak with carrots twice a day, the Vitamin A will take care of those eyes, and with good food he will improve. But he needs much more proper care.

 

[kewp]

I am feeding him what was recommended here. What os wrong with his eyes?