HATCHLING EMERGENCY!!!!

[Tank'sMom]

Some of you might remember me talking about my friend who has a male and 2 females for a few years that he nursed back to health. And you might remember that they hadn't bred.
Well guess what?!
We now have 2 hatchlings!!! Brand spanking new. I know they need EXTRA SPECIAL care, I need your expertise now more than ever!!!
Help us help these babies PLEASE!!!

 

[lismar79]

Oh wow! Hope an expert gets back to you. I would soak, keep warm, offer food. Give them a good humid hide with moss, babies like to hide and sleep a lot. Good luck!

 

[Tank'sMom]

Ok. So, since I haven't had much response except from lismar79 (thank you), I've been reading up and trolling the site for all I can find. I also spoke with a colleague of mine, whom I used to work with in the Herpetarium at our local zoo, some of you may have heard of it? Gladys Porter?
They have excellent tortoise breeding programs. So I got the general idea down. High humidity, soaking, natural sunlight, warmth….
If I do manage to get the attention of a expert: What is the best substrate for them and what do you recommend as far as early diet?

 

[sissyofone]

I'm no expert on babies that young but seems I've read if they still have egg sac attached you would Lilly want to keep them on damp paper towels. And keep them warm. I've never had babies that small they are precious.

 

[Tom]

Here is a care sheet, plus a diet sheet:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

Read this one too:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

And I see you have a pair:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/pairs.34837/


Did you hatch them yourself? Do you know about brooder boxes and how to start brand new hatchlings?

 

[Tank'sMom]

Thanks Tom,
I actually read several of your care sheets last night.
This was a complete surprise. My friend had some equipment set up for incubation, but not not hatchlings. He didn't know one of the females had laid! He has them in his backyard. They dig a lot as it is. So little mounds and trenches of dirt are not uncommon for them.
His cat was looking intensely at something in the corner of the yard behind a bush, he went to inspect and found the ground moving! He realized right after a few sweeps what was going on, grabbed his box he had ready for incubating and threw the cat inside.
The picture was exactly how he found them. There were other eggs, but most were either shriveled or broken.
He placed them gently in the plastic shoe box, after putting down a layer of very damp vermiculite and covered that with a damp paper towel (one of the babies still has a bit of a yolk sac).
He has temp and humidity gauges and they are being kept warm and humid.
In your care sheet, it says what not to use as a substrate, but not what he SHOULD use! With the yolk sac issue, we figured keeping it as clean as possible was best until he got advice. Do you go with coco coir right away? He plans to soak them today, but I wanted to ask if that is safe for "yolk sac baby" or do you wait til it is absorbed? And how long should that take?
As far as food, really?, grass clippings and soft greens? They just look so small for that. It's crazy.
I got some fresh squash plants and blooms I'm gonna take him today.
What else???
Currently they are at about 80-85 degrees and 80% humidity. He's going to get a proper set up today. With whatever you recommend as a substrate. He will get ceramic heaters, night bulbs. What do you recommend using as a humid hide?
The care sheets are awesome. Those were the only details we couldn't find.
I hope we've done okay so far.
He has them right now, is getting 2 set ups and I'm taking one, he's keeping the other.
I work today, but I'll be checking in!!!

 

[wellington]

From what I have read in the past, you should keep,them on paper towels until the yolk sack is absorbed. If you read DeanS latest thread on his babies, he goes through his routine and what he is doing on that thread. It's the Aladar babies thread of something like that. Sorry, I can't think of the exact title.

 

[wellington]

I found it. http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/ivory-sulcata-thread-aladars-babies-ultra-photo-heavy.92212/
Hope this helps some. Good luck, keep us posted.

 

[Tank'sMom]

Thank you, Wellington! It sounds like he knows what he is doing.

 

[Tank'sMom]

This has really got me wondering, for those of you who might happen upon this thread who breed.... how the heck do you tell if the female tort is gravid???
Now I'm wondering about the other female!

 

[tortadise]

Just look for signs of pacing, they will sometimes get restless and dig test holes, even stop eating for a few days. Waiting is the best.