Lost my baby African tortoise

[Terri Collins]

There's a place here in North Carolina kernersville North Carolina that sells reptiles and he call himself The reptile specialist zoo. I bought two AFRICAN tortoises from him not really checking them out because he was holding them for me. but on the way home I noticed that roadie the biggest baby both 4 months old had something wrong with his eye I called him and back and he said it was stress so when I got home I put him on his piece of slate under his lights. Thath is what the man recommended and to be out in the sun with him everyday above 70 so he could eat clover and move around well I did but I noticed he kept getting worse and I asked for more advice and it was the same old same old I soaked him every other day in warm water he wasn't very strong you kept getting weaker and weaker no reptile specialist or vet could you tell me anything about him in my immediate area told me to switch to Cypress mulch and sand instead of topsoil and Timothy Hay. So I'm sitting here weeping over RIP ROADIE

 

[Yvonne G]

I'm so sorry that your baby tortoise didn't survive. In my opinion they should have refunded your money.

At any rate, here's my advice to you:

Read the threads pinned at the top of our sulcata section. There's new and informative reading material there for you on how to keep the other baby alive.

Tortoises don't do well in pairs. In the wild tortoises are territorial, this means that one tortoise won't allow other tortoises into his territory, and when you have two in the same enclosure, one will always be telling the other to get out. This is very stressful for both of them. Eventually one will stop eating, and maybe even die.

So I advise to not get another baby to put with your existing baby.

 

[Terri Collins]

I'm so sorry that your baby tortoise didn't survive. In my opinion they should have refunded your money.

At any rate, here's my advice to you:

Read the threads pinned at the top of our sulcata section. There's new and informative reading material there for you on how to keep the other baby alive.

Tortoises don't do well in pairs. In the wild tortoises are territorial, this means that one tortoise won't allow other tortoises into his territory, and when you have two in the same enclosure, one will always be telling the other to get out. This is very stressful for both of them. Eventually one will stop eating, and maybe even die.

So I advise to not get another baby to put with your existing baby.

Thank you you are so much appreciative help me with this advice glad I joined before I got crazy. I have a hundred of these babies but one's enough and one loss is too much thank you so much for replying sincerely Terri

 

[Terri Collins]

I'm so sorry that your baby tortoise didn't survive. In my opinion they should have refunded your money.

At any rate, here's my advice to you:

Read the threads pinned at the top of our sulcata section. There's new and informative reading material there for you on how to keep the other baby alive.

Tortoises don't do well in pairs. In the wild tortoises are territorial, this means that one tortoise won't allow other tortoises into his territory, and when you have two in the same enclosure, one will always be telling the other to get out. This is very stressful for both of them. Eventually one will stop eating, and maybe even die.

So I advise to not get another baby to put with your existing baby.

I want to thank you for all your advice my sister always had to tortoises but she never kept them in a enclosure she had a light and they had the run of your room they had a food dish and they had a water dish and a bathing pool they would follow her around the house all the time. I so much thank you for your advice and we really would love to talk to you more on Phone or site you sound very interested in have a lot of knowledge I'm a pet care specialist I know how to take care of reptiles but I've never had one myself besides red-eyed green green tree frogs. And it's not a reptile. So I'm lost for clues thank you so much I appreciate it sincerely Terri

 

[Terri Collins]

I'm so sorry that your baby tortoise didn't survive. In my opinion they should have refunded your money.

At any rate, here's my advice to you:

Read the threads pinned at the top of our sulcata section. There's new and informative reading material there for you on how to keep the other baby alive.

Tortoises don't do well in pairs. In the wild tortoises are territorial, this means that one tortoise won't allow other tortoises into his territory, and when you have two in the same enclosure, one will always be telling the other to get out. This is very stressful for both of them. Eventually one will stop eating, and maybe even die.

So I advise to not get another baby to put with your existing baby.

Thank you so much for all your advice I just don't know how to thank everybody it's just a mean cruel world out there and I can't say it but I understand what you're saying sincerely Terri

 

[Tom]

Sorry this happened Terri. You got bad advice and it led you to make all sorts of mistakes. This is common. Most of the breeders and sellers of this species have been doing it all wrong for 3 decades, and that wrong info just keeps getting passed down from generation to generation. We are trying to turn that situation around here, but we can't reach everybody all the time.

Read these so you'll know better how to care for your remaining tortoise. Questions and conversation are welcome.

Beginner Mistakes

To comment on Tom's article, go here: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-split-Beginner-Mistakes#axzz1tG8s05M5 Over the years many of us, myself included, have made many of these mistakes, and we have certainly seen them made many times by others. With springtime upon us and many new...

tortoiseforum.org

How To Raise A Healthy Sulcata Or Leopard, Version 2.0

It's been three years since the original care sheet, http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-63788.html , and I think its time for a review and an update. A lot of new info has come to light over the last three years and new insight has been gained through numerous experiences. What follows is my...

tortoiseforum.org

For Those Who Have a Young Sulcata...

Over and over I type up and answer diet questions and try to get people feeding the right stuff, but I find that the "norm" is grocery store food. Grocery store food is expensive, a hassle to obtain, and very low on the list of what is best for sulcatas. These tortoises are GRASS eaters. From...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[Terri Collins]

I'm so sorry that your baby tortoise didn't survive. In my opinion they should have refunded your money.

At any rate, here's my advice to you:

Read the threads pinned at the top of our sulcata section. There's new and informative reading material there for you on how to keep the other baby alive.

Tortoises don't do well in pairs. In the wild tortoises are territorial, this means that one tortoise won't allow other tortoises into his territory, and when you have two in the same enclosure, one will always be telling the other to get out. This is very stressful for both of them. Eventually one will stop eating, and maybe even die.

So I advise to not get another baby to put with your existing baby.

Thank you so much appreciate all you have told me please keep in touch sincerely Terri

 

[Terri Collins]

Sorry this happened Terri. You got bad advice and it led you to make all sorts of mistakes. This is common. Most of the breeders and sellers of this species have been doing it all wrong for 3 decades, and that wrong info just keeps getting passed down from generation to generation. We are trying to turn that situation around here, but we can't reach everybody all the time.

Read these so you'll know better how to care for your remaining tortoise. Questions and conversation are welcome.

Beginner Mistakes

To comment on Tom's article, go here: http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-split-Beginner-Mistakes#axzz1tG8s05M5 Over the years many of us, myself included, have made many of these mistakes, and we have certainly seen them made many times by others. With springtime upon us and many new...

tortoiseforum.org

How To Raise A Healthy Sulcata Or Leopard, Version 2.0

It's been three years since the original care sheet, http://www.tortoiseforum.org/thread-63788.html , and I think its time for a review and an update. A lot of new info has come to light over the last three years and new insight has been gained through numerous experiences. What follows is my...

tortoiseforum.org

For Those Who Have a Young Sulcata...

Over and over I type up and answer diet questions and try to get people feeding the right stuff, but I find that the "norm" is grocery store food. Grocery store food is expensive, a hassle to obtain, and very low on the list of what is best for sulcatas. These tortoises are GRASS eaters. From...

tortoiseforum.org

Very good information thank you so much it makes me feel a lot better to know that I can read about it instead of listening to somebody that doesn't know a damn thing about turtles or tortoises and you claim hes a medical

 

[Terri Collins]

Thank thank you so much for this information it's going to help me out tremendously I really do appreciate you understanding my situation and giving me the information I hope we can stay in touch in case I have more questions the littlest one is doing just fine. Thank you again sincerely Tarri