- Joined
- Jan 19, 2013
- Messages
- 4
Hi, guys! I haven't been on in a while, but I'm a little concerned about my sulcata.
A little about him. His name is Doughnut. He's a few days over a year and a half since he finished hatching (42 hour hatch, two days hatched before he ate his first solid food, so I got him pretty early) and his carapace is almost five inches long.
He's on a regular diet of bermuda and centipede grass, Nature Zone tortoise bites (his favorite) and some romaine, endive and a tiny bit of baby spinach once in a while.
He gets soaked for half an hour in warm water 2-4 times a week (I work and have college, so sometimes I forget to soak him). He has a UVB bulb (zoomed) a heat lamp and a night time lamp that he's sharing with his new neighbor (a baby three-toed box turtle that lives in a separate tank). I do handle him regularly and he comes when he's called. He gets plenty of exercise, though not always outside because we get a lot of rain.
His enclosure is a 25 gallon terrarium with tall sides. The bottom is covered thickly in rabbit food so he can dig and scoot around without me worrying about him eating sand. He has a half log in there that he sleeps in. I do try and keep a little bit of moist sphagnum in his sleep area, but he always seems to push it out in a tortoisy fit of rage. (I don't think he likes the idea of sharing his space). His enclosure is cleaned regularly and the litter gets changed completely every couple months.
His poop and pee are normal and he doesn't strain to get anything out.
Here's my concern. I had him outside about an hour ago and, in the light of the Sun, I noticed some spiraling designs on his plastron. They aren't symmetrical, and they almost look like little tunnels just under the surface of his shell. They aren't raised at all, an he hasn't been acting strangely. He basks and sleep and eat totally normally and he still asks to be pet when I take him out. I noticed them on the pale parts of the dorsal side of his shell as well, almost like a really lazy circle around the brown dots. I tried taking a picture, but I don't know how well some of you can see it.
Can any if you tell me what it is and if I should be concerned like I am, now? The only reptile vet is in Petsmart and I guess I can trust them, but I'm hesitant because they weren't very nice the last time I used them.
The pictures are attached. Hopefully everyone can see them. Hopefully I'm being a goof about this and it's nothing. I know these guys are sturdy, but I'm always super careful with any babies I get and I worry over anything I'm not familiar with.
Also, the side of his shell got soft about a year ago when I used the wrong light in his enclosure. His shell is nice and firm, now and it has no areas that are really raised.
If there's anything else you need to know, tell me! I'll be happy to post any additional info on him!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using TortForum mobile app
A little about him. His name is Doughnut. He's a few days over a year and a half since he finished hatching (42 hour hatch, two days hatched before he ate his first solid food, so I got him pretty early) and his carapace is almost five inches long.
He's on a regular diet of bermuda and centipede grass, Nature Zone tortoise bites (his favorite) and some romaine, endive and a tiny bit of baby spinach once in a while.
He gets soaked for half an hour in warm water 2-4 times a week (I work and have college, so sometimes I forget to soak him). He has a UVB bulb (zoomed) a heat lamp and a night time lamp that he's sharing with his new neighbor (a baby three-toed box turtle that lives in a separate tank). I do handle him regularly and he comes when he's called. He gets plenty of exercise, though not always outside because we get a lot of rain.
His enclosure is a 25 gallon terrarium with tall sides. The bottom is covered thickly in rabbit food so he can dig and scoot around without me worrying about him eating sand. He has a half log in there that he sleeps in. I do try and keep a little bit of moist sphagnum in his sleep area, but he always seems to push it out in a tortoisy fit of rage. (I don't think he likes the idea of sharing his space). His enclosure is cleaned regularly and the litter gets changed completely every couple months.
His poop and pee are normal and he doesn't strain to get anything out.
Here's my concern. I had him outside about an hour ago and, in the light of the Sun, I noticed some spiraling designs on his plastron. They aren't symmetrical, and they almost look like little tunnels just under the surface of his shell. They aren't raised at all, an he hasn't been acting strangely. He basks and sleep and eat totally normally and he still asks to be pet when I take him out. I noticed them on the pale parts of the dorsal side of his shell as well, almost like a really lazy circle around the brown dots. I tried taking a picture, but I don't know how well some of you can see it.
Can any if you tell me what it is and if I should be concerned like I am, now? The only reptile vet is in Petsmart and I guess I can trust them, but I'm hesitant because they weren't very nice the last time I used them.
The pictures are attached. Hopefully everyone can see them. Hopefully I'm being a goof about this and it's nothing. I know these guys are sturdy, but I'm always super careful with any babies I get and I worry over anything I'm not familiar with.
Also, the side of his shell got soft about a year ago when I used the wrong light in his enclosure. His shell is nice and firm, now and it has no areas that are really raised.
If there's anything else you need to know, tell me! I'll be happy to post any additional info on him!
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using TortForum mobile app
