- Joined
- Dec 1, 2012
- Messages
- 5
Hi all. My Name is Synthia, from Charlotte, NC & I came across this site some time back, but never joined for lack of owning a tortoise. Well, guess what! That has changed and I'm proud to be the new mommy to Mr. Waffles, a Sulcata tortoise. He is approx 4 months old. I had been researching Sulcatas for a few yrs, and really wanted to adopt one, but there were none to be found in my area. I went to visit my family in Virginia in October and needed to have my African Grey parrot's nails clipped & my brother recommended a pet store called Simply Pets in Chesapeake, VA to do it.
After the nail clipping I decided to have a look around and low and behold, there was my little prince staring me in the eyes. I was reluctant to purchase him at first and took a few days to mull it over and finally decided to bring him home.
I am delighted to report that so far, he appears to be a very healthy, active (for a baby) fella with a hardy appetite. The store where I purchased him had him on a diet of leafy greens/broccoli/carrots and I immediately changed that with Oxford Orchard Grass and Oat Hay. I also have ordered some prickly pear cactus for him & will start growing more nutritious grasses/clover for him in the coming weeks.
Currently his habitat is a makeshift turtle table made of a UBER large cat litter pan (newly purchased at PetSmart for about $30.00). He has coconut shell substrate with a few rocks, food bowl & a shallow soaking/drinking bowl (changed at least 2 times a day) with two hides. I also spray a few times a day for humidity. He has a UVB bulb for day time & I still need a night light for him. I'm a little concerned that the heat from the bulb I have hitting the plastic of the box all day could be harmful (chemically, not a fire hazard), so need to do some research on that.
Ultimately, I have plans on building him a mega tortoise condo for inside and will probably build a shed outside for him in the warmer months. I've seen this a few times & love the idea. I had planned on buying land in the next few years regardless of Mr. Waffle's existence, but I guess he's solidified that course of action.
Anyway, I have no questions or worries right now, but am definitely open to suggestions & if you believe I'm headed towards a road to destruction, please do share your thoughts! I knew the decision to bring home was a lifetime commitment, and I fully intend on sticking with him no matter what.
I came across a poor Sulcata on Craiglist yesterday that was in such poor condition it made me want to cry. I tried to get him so I could put him on the right path, but the person sold him to someone else unfortunately. I only hope the person who he is with now knows how ill he is and that they truly want to help him. Poor fella!!! (Included a pic of him too)
After the nail clipping I decided to have a look around and low and behold, there was my little prince staring me in the eyes. I was reluctant to purchase him at first and took a few days to mull it over and finally decided to bring him home.
I am delighted to report that so far, he appears to be a very healthy, active (for a baby) fella with a hardy appetite. The store where I purchased him had him on a diet of leafy greens/broccoli/carrots and I immediately changed that with Oxford Orchard Grass and Oat Hay. I also have ordered some prickly pear cactus for him & will start growing more nutritious grasses/clover for him in the coming weeks.
Currently his habitat is a makeshift turtle table made of a UBER large cat litter pan (newly purchased at PetSmart for about $30.00). He has coconut shell substrate with a few rocks, food bowl & a shallow soaking/drinking bowl (changed at least 2 times a day) with two hides. I also spray a few times a day for humidity. He has a UVB bulb for day time & I still need a night light for him. I'm a little concerned that the heat from the bulb I have hitting the plastic of the box all day could be harmful (chemically, not a fire hazard), so need to do some research on that.
Ultimately, I have plans on building him a mega tortoise condo for inside and will probably build a shed outside for him in the warmer months. I've seen this a few times & love the idea. I had planned on buying land in the next few years regardless of Mr. Waffle's existence, but I guess he's solidified that course of action.
Anyway, I have no questions or worries right now, but am definitely open to suggestions & if you believe I'm headed towards a road to destruction, please do share your thoughts! I knew the decision to bring home was a lifetime commitment, and I fully intend on sticking with him no matter what.
I came across a poor Sulcata on Craiglist yesterday that was in such poor condition it made me want to cry. I tried to get him so I could put him on the right path, but the person sold him to someone else unfortunately. I only hope the person who he is with now knows how ill he is and that they truly want to help him. Poor fella!!! (Included a pic of him too)
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