my baby sulcata just started "burrowing"

[tortoise_luvergirl]

This just started a few days ago since Willow ( she is now 3 months old) has never dug or burrowed in her bedding before, I hope she isn't trying to "hibernate"? She will go in her log and dig out the cypress mulch bedding.. right down to the enclosure's wood floor. even after she's done that, she continues to scrape her claws on the bare wood. then once she has a nice hole, she settles down and goes to sleep. Problem is.. our weather has gotten MUCH colder here, we had snow the other day and willow will sleep ALL day in her log if allowed to.. only coming out for going to the bathroom and later at night.. eating like crazy. I noticed she is chomping alot more on her cuttle bone too.. despute the repti cal with vit D3 I give her daily on her food. I use a Solar glo 125 watt mercury vapor lamp and a 26 watt vita lite. Both stay on a max of 12 hrs on a timer. at night I use a 100 watt nocturnal heat glo lamp. Is this nocturnal activeness hormal for a sulcata? I do know they are not supposed to hibernate. her enclosure stays humid with 90% humididy( according to the hygrometer) and the day temp is 95 degrees.. night temp I keep at 72 degrees. her mood is a bit on the ornery side lately too been bit 4 times in the last two days. She is also biting everything in her enclosure. I know some tortoises do burrow but wonder why Willow hans't untill now with the snow? do I need to change something?

 

[Tom]

Snow outside should have nothing to do with an indoor tortoise. Your temperatures need to be maintained for a tropical tortoise year round and sulcatas do not hibernate.

72 is much too cold for a baby sulcata. I never let them drop below 80. You need more night heat.

I don't like colored bulbs at night. (Or during the day for that matter.) Tortoises can see a broader spectrum of light than we can, so if you can see with that light at night, so can your tortoise. It needs to be dark. I like to use a ceramic heating element or two set on a thermostat to maintain my ambient temp at 80 or higher for them. Colored bulbs also make things that aren't food look like food, and this could also explain the biting at things.

It is normal and good for them to excavate a little sleeping cubby hole. The continual digging might be the result of the light, although they will do this for a while even in the dark until they feel comfortable with their little hidey hole.

Is your 26 watt bulb a coil type? Those can damage tortoise eyes. This might be a contributing factor. This might be the reason for biting at things too. Those bulbs can blind them.

Calcium should only be offered a couple of times a week in a very small amount. Too much calcium every day interferes with the absorption of other minerals and elements. This could be why your tortoise is chomping on the cuttle bone. It is trying in vain with the only "mineral" source available to right an imbalance. I'll bet if you put this baby outside on a warm day, it would go straight to eating pebbles. Your diet might have to do with this too. Are you feeding a lot of grocery store foods? Are you doing anything to add fiber?

How are you measuring humidity? Those stick on dial types from the pet store are notoriously inaccurate and unreliable. Get a digital one with a moveable remote probe from the hardware store or garden center in Walmart or Target.

Please click the links in my signature for more info, and most importantly, all this info is covered in the care sheet at the top of the sulcata page.

 

[mushmouth26]

Tom when you say the "coil type" bulbs does that include any compact florescent bulb even if its not in a coil shape? This is what I use.. Its not in a coil shape but still a compact florescent. Just wanting clarification.. Thanks!
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00061V53Y/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

 

[tortoise_luvergirl]

thanks tom, I don't use the coil type but a regular tubular vita lite ( the kind that fits in a regular aqaurium flourescent top. I was using a ceramic heat emmitor but even that did not make a difference ( I sleep with a lamp on anyhow since I am up several times each night). the ceramic heat emmiter allowed her to get as cold as 60 degrees so I got rid of it. I switched to a clear lamp for night since I use a lamp of my own at night. tonight the thermometer is registering at 81 degrees. it is a digital I bought online from that pet place.com do I still NEED the vita lite even with the mercury vapor lamp I use? she seems to like basking under that light more then her vita lite. I feed her grasses,weeds and some flowers like hibiscus and dandelion. I am attempting to grow some clover inside during the winter.. thats one of her favorites.

 

[Mrs.T]

Is she burrowing for darkness to sleep?

 

[Tom]

Tom when you say the "coil type" bulbs does that include any compact florescent bulb even if its not in a coil shape? This is what I use.. Its not in a coil shape but still a compact florescent. Just wanting clarification.. Thanks!
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00061V53Y/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

I've seen all of the cfl bulbs do damage. I would not use or recommend any of them. It was such a great idea at the outset, but it has proven unreliable and potentially dangerous in practice.

---

thanks tom, I don't use the coil type but a regular tubular vita lite ( the kind that fits in a regular aqaurium flourescent top. I was using a ceramic heat emmitor but even that did not make a difference ( I sleep with a lamp on anyhow since I am up several times each night). the ceramic heat emmiter allowed her to get as cold as 60 degrees so I got rid of it. I switched to a clear lamp for night since I use a lamp of my own at night. tonight the thermometer is registering at 81 degrees. it is a digital I bought online from that pet place.com do I still NEED the vita lite even with the mercury vapor lamp I use? she seems to like basking under that light more then her vita lite. I feed her grasses,weeds and some flowers like hibiscus and dandelion. I am attempting to grow some clover inside during the winter.. thats one of her favorites.

You might not "need" the vita light, but I prefer to keep things bright and sunny looking during the day for them.

Diet sounds good, but feed the hibiscus and dandelion leaves more than the flowers

Tortoises need it dark at night. If your CHE was letting it get too cool, you needed a bigger wattage or more of them. They do the exact same thing as a light bulb, but where a light bulb makes 20% light and 80% heat, a CHE makes 100% heat or the same wattage. So if you had a 60 watt CHE, and switched to a 150 watt light bulb, it should make things warmer. However, the lack of any "night time" can mess with their little tortoise brains. They need it dark at night.

 

[tortoise_luvergirl]

Tom when you say the "coil type" bulbs does that include any compact florescent bulb even if its not in a coil shape? This is what I use.. Its not in a coil shape but still a compact florescent. Just wanting clarification.. Thanks!
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00061V53Y/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

I've seen all of the cfl bulbs do damage. I would not use or recommend any of them. It was such a great idea at the outset, but it has proven unreliable and potentially dangerous in practice.

---

thanks tom, I don't use the coil type but a regular tubular vita lite ( the kind that fits in a regular aqaurium flourescent top. I was using a ceramic heat emmitor but even that did not make a difference ( I sleep with a lamp on anyhow since I am up several times each night). the ceramic heat emmiter allowed her to get as cold as 60 degrees so I got rid of it. I switched to a clear lamp for night since I use a lamp of my own at night. tonight the thermometer is registering at 81 degrees. it is a digital I bought online from that pet place.com do I still NEED the vita lite even with the mercury vapor lamp I use? she seems to like basking under that light more then her vita lite. I feed her grasses,weeds and some flowers like hibiscus and dandelion. I am attempting to grow some clover inside during the winter.. thats one of her favorites.

You might not "need" the vita light, but I prefer to keep things bright and sunny looking during the day for them.

Diet sounds good, but feed the hibiscus and dandelion leaves more than the flowers

Tortoises need it dark at night. If your CHE was letting it get too cool, you needed a bigger wattage or more of them. They do the exact same thing as a light bulb, but where a light bulb makes 20% light and 80% heat, a CHE makes 100% heat or the same wattage. So if you had a 60 watt CHE, and switched to a 150 watt light bulb, it should make things warmer. However, the lack of any "night time" can mess with their little tortoise brains. They need it dark at night .......... Reply... I had a 150 watt since my outlets won't support anything higher. maybe one of those "black" nocturnal heat lamps and moving her enclosure since I do need my light on. when it was hot here yet in late august I was turning her night heat sources OFF and her enclosure stayed at 84. She was somewhat "normal" but still very much nocturnal. maybe just the routine we have? I do give her ALOT of attention before going into my office at night. She will actually wake up during the day time and rush over to the end of her enclosure closest to people there. my niece was caught hand feeding her at night ( UUUGH). she seems to want to be wide awake when I am upstairs and awake myself.. even as early as 4 am. If I put her on my bed for 15 minutes of excercise, that ussually makes her tired enough to sleep all night. or soaking her in warm water ( which I ONLY do when needed, like for constipation, thats rare with her though the way she chows down leaves and grass) I tried timothy hay tonight but she looked up at me after sniffing it like " what's this crap?" Mom said she is NOT looking forward to her getting larger and said " you wanted it. it's YOUR problem" I do NOT consider my tortoise a "problem" maybe spoiled abit but not a problem. she does LOVE dandilon leaves.. Gonna try the hibiscus leaves and some prickly pear cactus soon.. despined.

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[Tom]

or soaking her in warm water ( which I ONLY do when needed, like for constipation, thats rare with her though the way she chows down leaves and grass)

A three month old baby should be getting soaked daily.

Babies will rarely eat dry hay. That is more for bigger ones.

Have you read the care sheet at the top of the sulcata page? It might help.

 

[tortoise_luvergirl]

Thanks again Tom! I will start soaking her EVERY day.. she also urinates and poops as I soak her ans seems to enjoy being soaked. I tihink No matter what I do though she will always be a "night owl" since she seeks out my attention when I am in the same room. She will sleep day or night if I am NOT in the room though but wakes up and rushes OUT of her log to "greet" me or whoever is near her enclosure. I wonder if she isn't lonely? She sleeps right by this turtle statue I placed in her enclosure at the end of her log. Sometimes with her head resting on it even. I'd like to get a second sulcata but right now I am not 100% sure SHE is a SHE and it's getting cold here.. I don't want to stress out a hatchling with freezing temps during shipping. Not fair to the animal. WHAT can I do to ease her Lonliness untill I AM able to get her a room mate? Also she will ONLY eat if I am near her enclosure. Mom says I have spoiled her so now she is MY "problem". Willow is VERY people oriented and will come rushing to greet anyone. Yes I read your threads and re read them as needed.

 

[Tom]

Here is another thread for you:
http://tortoiseforum.org/thread-34837.html

 

[tortoise_luvergirl]

Here is another thread for you:
http://tortoiseforum.org/thread-34837.html

thanks for that.. I have wondered at times weather WILLOW can really be a WILL. She/he can at times be very boisterous and strong willed. I didn't think Sulcatas roamed together but have seen them in groups.. sometimes getting along.. sometimes fighting. I am Hoping willow really IS a she but will love it even if it IS a HE. males can be more aggressive then females and have a tendency to hump things at sexual maturity. thats why I requested a SHE when I ordered her.. time will tell. thanks again Tom

 

[alexag]

A three month old baby should be getting soaked daily.

Babies will rarely eat dry hay. That is more for bigger ones.

Have you read the care sheet at the top of the sulcata page? It might help.

I have a four month old Sulcata and I was wondering what the diet should include? I feed my sulcata Mazuri 3x a week mixed with clover or a little bit of grass and I add powdered cuttlebone. I also feed organic spring mix with pieces of aloe Vera. What are other things I can give?

 

[Alex and the Redfoot]

You can check this post for a list of things to feed:

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

 

[Tom]

I have a four month old Sulcata and I was wondering what the diet should include? I feed my sulcata Mazuri 3x a week mixed with clover or a little bit of grass and I add powdered cuttlebone. I also feed organic spring mix with pieces of aloe Vera. What are other things I can give?

This time of year, lots and lots of weeds and soft tender freshly sprouted grasses that are chopped up into small pieces.

As we roll into spring, find mulberry leaves, grape and hibiscus leaves, lavatera flowers and leaves, spineless opuntia pads, clover, gazanias, nasturtiums, hollyhock, squash and pumpkin leaves... The list is endless.