My indoor table for my 2 mo. Sulcatas

[_sEGc_]

Here's a link to my YouTube video I took upon completion and introduction of my sulcata to the 36"x20" table that we keep in the garage. Still in it's various stages of transformation as I try to maximize the living space and roaming options while they are kept in there. https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=wJMvFvX1To8

I live in Hawaii and the humiditiy varies from 60%-90% on any given day. I keep my torts there overnight and during most part of the day. No worries I do provide them with water, made the vid while I was trying to clean it and set it up more.

My son takes the torts out to the front yard during the afternoons where I built a temp 4'x4' outside enclosure and they get a good 3-4 hours of good sunlight and graze on the grass. I can't place them in the back yard (which will eventually be there place to roam); I own a 140 lb. English Mastiff and the backyard is her domain.

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi:

It looks like maybe you haven't read the threads we referred you to in your first posts. That's a beautiful table, nice and roomy, but 1. Sand is risky as it might cause impaction, and 2. you baby sulcata needs moisture in order to grow smoothly, so the wood chips should be replaced with something you can moisten.

In the wild, baby tortoises stay hidden either deep down in the earth, or under bushes. They hatch out during the monsoon season, and there's plenty of wet earth and tall grass. Humid air isn't enough. They need moist substrate too.

 

[wellington]

Please read Toms threads below in my post. Also, living in Hawaii, you should have them set up outside for roaming for an hour or so a day. Then bring them into a nice hot and humid enclosure for the rest of the time and sleeping. That size of enclosure is also way too small for two Sullies, even hatchlings. Please take the advice given and read the threads that were recommended.

 

[_sEGc_]

Any info is good info...the table and vid was made well before I knew the existence of this site so to infer that I've never read anything and haven't applied everything; I've only been on here a couple days, can't conquer the world over night! I have a job, family, and life away from raising my tortoises.

Aside from the outside enclosure, I have the tortoises roaming the entire front while my kids are out playing (obviously not in our front yard but out with the neighborhood kids). I've read enough already on here and relatively most of the knowledgable stuff that most find as "A-Ha" moments, really are common sense stuff (of course some gain that knowledge through trial and error). Bruddah Tom is very informative and knowledgable and most of that comes from his experience and years of raising tortoises. A lot of what I've read of his posts I will use to adapt to what I can feasibly and reasonably apply to raising my new tortoises.

I've raised 2 leopards and a sulcata in the past without research other than a general care book, nor knowledge of all this scientific and methodological experimenting to relative success. All my tortoises were raised on a "salad" and weed&grass grazing diet and none of them had pyramiding...My first Leopard (about 2 years old) unknowingly pulled a Houdini and escaped from our outdoor enclosure and met an untimely death when my father-in-law ran him over. The second leopard I got unexplainably died and that one was given the most attention/care and had all the amenities. My last tortoise was a Sulcata (a little over 3 years old). One weekend my nephews came over and left the gate to the enclosure open. Suffice to say that one went walk about and has been living a beautful life in the mountains of Oahu ever since. Wish I had taken pictures of him...he had no pyramiding and we raised this guy competely opposite of what you all are trying to accomplish. My mother-in-law took a great liking to that one.

Which takes me to present day...we have our own home, live in a different part of the island, and have better access to information/care for these animals. I knew nothing of pyramiding until I starting watching YouTube and researching online. None of my tortoises developed this so this is my greatest concern and of course the root of some anxiety with these lil' guys. I read through that whole thread Tom dedicated to this subject. We got our lil' guys from my wife's friend who's female had just her 2nd clutch. Ignorance was bliss with the generic care I provided my previous tortoises in the past but I want to learn proper care so I can pass that on to my sons to learn the process with hopes that my tortoises will grow happily, out-live me and well into my sons' adult lives.