Hi! First time tortoise owner

[MaggieeNicolee]

Hi, I'm Maggie, and I'm from northeast Texas. I just bought a young sulcata tortoise two weeks and a day ago. When I bought him they said he was about 4 to 6 months old. He's been great! He has gotten a bit more used to me petting his shell and holding him, some times he walks around on my hands, and sometimes he lets me pet his little head. I chose not to name him simply because I can't tell if he's a boy or girl. But he's very active I think especially when I get a chance to take him outside. But sometimes I worry if things are wrong with him like if I'm feeding him too much grass and on occasion I'll give him a leaf of spinach or a tiny bit of cantaloupe or tiny bit of tomato.. Also I get really scared if he is loosing one of his hexagons because they all look sepperate, and one of them has a taller edge than the others. And I'm worried about his backlegs because they look sometimes like they don't work or they are pointing in awkward angles and sometimes he will lift his back left one up perpendicular to his body, or suck it in, and he walks around on his front toenails. And I'm also worried because he slept in chilly water with chilly air last night.. And there is a part of his shell that is raised like a pyramiding shell barely but it's like toward his head any it points kinda forward and it's between two hexagons and just barely raised.. And I'm afraid he gets bored alot but I have to do a lot of school work and I don't have an enclosed yard so I have to be done with my work before I take him outside and I have 5 acres in an area with a large dog that I can put inside but I could still loose my tortoise outside because he's small and can be fast when he wants to be.

 

[tortadise]

Welcome!

 

[gregcalverley0327]

Welcome, not sure why he would sleep in cold water but that would definitely cause a respiratory infection, do you have any ceramic heat emitters? What are his temps and enclosure like?

 

[MaggieeNicolee]

How would I tell if he has a respiratory problem now? I know everyone days I need a tortoise table, but one is not exactly possible right now. But I have a basking bulb for during the day as well as a uv bulb but I turn them off at night. But his water is warm now. His habitat had I guess a kind of mulch for the bottom, some kind of wood that they were using at the store. And it has a log he can burrow under and climb over and on top of and he had a little short water pond that's the perfect depth, and it is a like 10 gallon reptile enclosure and I have air conditioning pointed near it as well as an air filter. His temperatures are usually between 80 and 87. When I left for over a night I left the temperature to the room at 85 and left only his uv bulb on because sometimes the basking bulb gets too hot.

 

[tortadise]

Bubbles coming from the mouth, lack of appetites, lethargy, swollen eyes are common symptoms. I would boost the temp. And seal the enclosure. Hot spot for sulcatas need to be 100+ and cool spot mid 80s. The problem with the condition is the ac blowing on him. The temp may read ok temps but that doea not mean the ambient air away from the thermometer isnt cool. Remember these are cold blooded ao they thermal regulate much different than we do as warm blooded creatures.

 

[wellington]

Hello and Welcome please read the threads below in my post. They are Toms, and really some of the best info for raising a sulcata properly and to grow smooth. The one for leopards will apply also.

 

[mainey34]

Hello and welcome...i would be more worried about your heat and humidity at this point. If he. Is laying in his water dish, or pond. He isn't getting proper humidity. He needs 80% humidity. He also needs 3 ranges of temps. A 10 gal. Tank or equivalent will not work. The basking spot needs to be 100-105 * the warm area needs to be in the 90* and the cool, or ambient temp needs to be 80-85* it is important that you never let your setup fall below 80* you will be asking for trouble...

 

[MaggieeNicolee]

Hi I use a raytek mini thermometer gun to monitor the temp, and he has none of those side effects but he's not got air directly ppinted at him just generally in the area, so as it's not to stuffy and the air gets bad. I always check the temperature of his head and shell and it's always around 85-90. Or less. As far as hot and cold temperatures go and everything I'm following this as a guide: http://www.sulcata-station.org/basics.html and I'm sure there are things that are debate able and I don't want to look like a bad owner, but I try to take him outside and keep very close eyes on him and eventually closer to summer I may be able to take him outside more, and possibly build an enclosure. But as for now, he's eating and drinking well, and excersizing.

 

[tortadise]

No one will consider you a bad owner. A lot of new methods are being practiced. Unfortunately 90% of the information out there is incorrect and outdated. Tom has done a thorough job in defining a good way to raise these guys. You can find all this information under the sulcata section of "african" tortoises. Good thing the ac isnt directly on him.

 

[MaggieeNicolee]

Well the best thing I can do is eventually make a tortoise table that can be 19 inches by 27 inches. That's the best I can do for until The end of August, then he's going to a new owner for the semester and he is a biology teacher who raises bearded dragons and snakes, then I'll take him back over breaks till I get an apartment. Please no one judge me.. He also raised a turtle, and he has accommodations for a tortoise

 

[tortadise]

No judgment. Its the best option it sounds like for the animal. As long as you keep him in great care and supply his needs as he gets older and much larger. Then no reason feel insecure. Whats best for the animal is what's needed. You clearly are taking those steps. Good luck. Any other questions and we are here to help.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Maggie, and welcome to the Forum!!

Well, you certainly do seem to have an awful lot of concerns and fears for your new little tortoise.

Go to the sulcata section and read the "stickys" (the important threads) at the top of the section. Make the required adjustments in your care of the tortoise and things should work out just fine.