just curious

[rochelley]

I never thought anything to be wrong with my tortoise, until I started reading some things tonight, so I signed up to ask,
I've had my tortoise for 4 years now, we got her when she was a couple months old,
I do research quite often, and from day one she has been on great diet. Her favorite is dandelion greens. She has a layer of Timothy hay, I made a hide for her that she loves. I soak her a minimal 2 times a week, and I often wash her with super soft bristled baby tooth brush and warm water. She only poops when she's in water that is why I soak her often. She doesn't drink much, she also doesn't eat much, never has. She is 6" and about 4 1/2 years, pretty hefty in weight, heavier than she looks.
She often sleeps for days at a time, usually I'll leave her be, but reading some posts I see they're not supposed to sleep.
When she is awake I take her outside and place her in my garden box, I made this box just for her, and grow only grass. I don't let people handle her too often. I keep her at around 70 degrees in her tank!!
So My concerns are, is she too small for her age, sleeping for a week at a time ( good or bad ), only pooping when soaking ( could there be a problem ), barely drinking ( is this not normal ), and eating light.
This is all normal behavior for her though, she is very stron and alert when awake, she walks with all four legs under her, never drags.
Sorry so long, but if I'm doing something wrong please tell me.

Also, always wondered If baby goods are alright to give, I've always been nervous about getting her sick, closest vet to see her is hour away and very expensive. All advice is more than welcome.

Thank you

 

[rochelley]

I never thought anything to be wrong with my tortoise, until I started reading some things tonight, so I signed up to ask,
I've had my tortoise for 4 years now, we got her when she was a couple months old,
I do research quite often, and from day one she has been on great diet. Her favorite is dandelion greens. She has a layer of Timothy hay, I made a hide for her that she loves. I soak her a minimal 2 times a week, and I often wash her with super soft bristled baby tooth brush and warm water. She only poops when she's in water that is why I soak her often. She doesn't drink much, she also doesn't eat much, never has. She is 6" and about 4 1/2 years, pretty hefty in weight, heavier than she looks.
She often sleeps for days at a time, usually I'll leave her be, but reading some posts I see they're not supposed to sleep.
When she is awake I take her outside and place her in my garden box, I made this box just for her, and grow only grass. I don't let people handle her too often. I keep her at around 70 degrees in her tank!!
So My concerns are, is she too small for her age, sleeping for a week at a time ( good or bad ), only pooping when soaking ( could there be a problem ), barely drinking ( is this not normal ), and eating light.
This is all normal behavior for her though, she is very stron and alert when awake, she walks with all four legs under her, never drags.
Sorry so long, but if I'm doing something wrong please tell me.

Also, always wondered If baby goods are alright to give, I've always been nervous about getting her sick, closest vet to see her is hour away and very expensive. All advice is more than welcome.

Thank you

Noticed some wrong spelling, very strong not stron, baby foods not baby goods.

 

[WendyJae]

I thought your spelling was pretty good. Your baby sleeps for a whole week at a time???? And maybe hay makes her poop dry. You should look on the list and try to add more variety with softer foods. Stuff like kale, I feed my baby wet chopped up kale once or twice a week. Or go pick some green weeds and chop those up. Also mabye try some mazuri. Good luck

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Welcome!
Did you post what type of tortoise this was? It will greatly help in our helping you and your tortoise.
When it is hot, like right now, my adult Redfoot tortoises stay inside their burrows until it cools off. Sometimes that means 7:00 at night.
Are yours indoors, outdoors and how is it kept? In what? What type of lighting, etc.....

 

[rochelley]

I thought your spelling was pretty good. Your baby sleeps for a whole week at a time???? And maybe hay makes her poop dry. You should look on the list and try to add more variety with softer foods. Stuff like kale, I feed my baby wet chopped up kale once or twice a week. Or go pick some green weeds and chop those up. Also mabye try some mazuri. Good luck

She is quite picky, she does enjoy the cactus fruit, but that's every once in awhile, she doesn't care for kale, it gets wasted, mustard greens she does enjoy. I have they hay for extra bedding, she borrows under it, rarely see her eat it. And she's not in a deep sleep, she stays in the same spot, but I'll notice she has turned.
What is mazuri??

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Mazuri is easily found in the U.S..What is your location?
It is a high quality tortoise chow that members here prefer by a large margin to anything else available.

 

[rochelley]

Welcome!
Did you post what type of tortoise this was? It will greatly help in our helping you and your tortoise.
When it is hot, like right now, my adult Redfoot tortoises stay inside their burrows until it cools off. Sometimes that means 7:00 at night.
Are yours indoors, outdoors and how is it kept? In what? What type of lighting, etc.....

Sulcata tortoise. Born Jan 2011. She's indoors, still small, 6" from head of shell to rear of shell. In a tank, uvb light clamped on one side, her hide on darker side. I'm in mountains 45 minutes above Chico, ca. Summer highs 100 highest, winter lows 20 lowest. I turn her light on at 6:30 am off at 8:30-9pm.
She goes outside into a garden box I made which grows only grass and we will sit with her. She has been quite active last couple days, but just those few things I was curious about. She's a very picky eater, doesn't eat a lot, only poops while soaking, and sometimes sleeps for a week, cutting that sleep she does move. She sleeps in and out of shell.

 

[rochelley]

Mazuri is easily found in the U.S..What is your location?
It is a high quality tortoise chow that members here prefer by a large margin to anything else available.

I've fed her Zoo Med grassland tortoise food, I make it with extra water and calcium supplement, she's not a big fan, a lot is usually wasted

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Sulcatas are grass and hay eaters. I have very little experience with them and also know little about the behavior.
Luckily for you, though, MANY other members are Sulcacta experts....

 

[rochelley]

Thank you, she has Timothy hay in her tank, she rarely ever eats it, she likes to burrow under. She's been a very exciting pet, my daughter saved up her money and bought her at age 6, the tortoise was only a couple months old, My daughter named her fuzzball, and I've followed mainly sulcata station website, I believe that's the one. Try to teach my daughter the importance of raising a foreign pet, giving her food and shelter similar to her home land.

Thanks for your time, I really like this site

 

[ZEROPILOT]

This is the very best site IMO.
As soon as everyone wakes up I bet you'll soon agree.
We have members from every corner of the world here. It's a lot of fun!

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

Noticed some wrong spelling, very strong not stron, baby foods not baby goods.

With my spell check and my bad spelling . Why don't we just help the person ' s tort problem and not his grammar or spelling ?

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

I never thought anything to be wrong with my tortoise, until I started reading some things tonight, so I signed up to ask,
I've had my tortoise for 4 years now, we got her when she was a couple months old,
I do research quite often, and from day one she has been on great diet. Her favorite is dandelion greens. She has a layer of Timothy hay, I made a hide for her that she loves. I soak her a minimal 2 times a week, and I often wash her with super soft bristled baby tooth brush and warm water. She only poops when she's in water that is why I soak her often. She doesn't drink much, she also doesn't eat much, never has. She is 6" and about 4 1/2 years, pretty hefty in weight, heavier than she looks.
She often sleeps for days at a time, usually I'll leave her be, but reading some posts I see they're not supposed to sleep.
When she is awake I take her outside and place her in my garden box, I made this box just for her, and grow only grass. I don't let people handle her too often. I keep her at around 70 degrees in her tank!!
So My concerns are, is she too small for her age, sleeping for a week at a time ( good or bad ), only pooping when soaking ( could there be a problem ), barely drinking ( is this not normal ), and eating light.
This is all normal behavior for her though, she is very stron and alert when awake, she walks with all four legs under her, never drags.
Sorry so long, but if I'm doing something wrong please tell me.

Also, always wondered If baby goods are alright to give, I've always been nervous about getting her sick, closest vet to see her is hour away and very expensive. All advice is more than welcome.

Thank you

You might want to raise the temp to 80 degrees at least during the days . You will see she will drink and eat more . Good luck !

 

[Grandpa Turtle 144]

 

[Alaskamike]

Sulcata tortoise. Born Jan 2011. She's indoors, still small, 6" from head of shell to rear of shell. In a tank, uvb light clamped on one side, her hide on darker side. I'm in mountains 45 minutes above Chico, ca. Summer highs 100 highest, winter lows 20 lowest. I turn her light on at 6:30 am off at 8:30-9pm.
She goes outside into a garden box I made which grows only grass and we will sit with her. She has been quite active last couple days, but just those few things I was curious about. She's a very picky eater, doesn't eat a lot, only poops while soaking, and sometimes sleeps for a week, cutting that sleep she does move. She sleeps in and out of shell.

All tortoises grow at different rates, that said, I still feel for a Sulcata, yours is unusually small, and inactive. It's being a good parent to look int it.

Several suggestions to check. These tortoises are normally pretty active during times of the day - walking, exploring, testing stuff to eta, etc. Is it possible the size of your enclosure is an issue? You used the word "tank", and that could be anything. Measure the dimensions of the floor and let us know what that is. Pictures of tortoise and enclosure help.

You said you usually keep the tank at 70f. Tortoises like this cannot digest their food well till their body temperature hits 80f. A ceramic heat lamp could fix this and give a basking area from 80-95f. I would get some Mazuria and soak it, add to offerings.

Even though you don't see your baby drink - it is good to keep a clean terracotta water container (like goes under a plant pot) in there anyway. It should be large enough for the tort to crawl into, level with the substrata, to soak themselves or cool off. At the beginning of the sulcatta section are many "stickies" with detailed care info. You can learn allot there.

Its obvious you have cared for this tortoise, and care about her - welcome to the Forum!

 

[Maro2Bear]

Greetings
The first thing that jumped out to me with your setup for your Sully, as @Alaskamike has already noted, is that 70F reading. From everything Ive read and put into practise, that is way too low. I'll bet if you get your temps worked out that you will see quick changes in your tort's behaviors.

Post some pix of your tort and set-up if u can.

Welcome

 

[Tom]

I think temperature has been your issue. Your tortoise has only been able to function and grow when in the sun outside. 70 is too cool. There are four temperatures to monitor and adjust. Warm side should be around 85. Cool side and overnight low should not drop below 80 for a small sulcata, and basking area needs to be near 100 directly under the bulb.

Another factor has been your substrate. Hay is for adults, and it is far too dry for babies to live on as a substrate. For two and a half decades "we" have been promoting the wrong care info for sulcata tortoises. They are not a desert species and do not need or benefit from dry conditions. In the wild, they hatch at the start of the rainy season. Its hot, humid and there are puddles, marshes and green growing food to eat and hide in everywhere. When the dry season hits, they are in their underground burrows, never experiencing the hot dry above ground conditions. This is why tortoises raised in hot dry CA are all lumpy and grow very slowly, while tortoise raised outside in Louisiana and South Florida where it rains almost every day thrive and grow smooth.

Read more here:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/hatchling-failure-syndrome.23493/

Please feel free to ask lots of questions as you read through these threads.