My Sulcata Update.

[Vegas_Leopard]

Yo..yo..yo..! What's going on, Tortoise Forum?

It's been a little over a month since I've posted anything, Id like to start of the New Year with some information & updates on my Sulcata. Not that long ago I made a thread concerning a humid hide & how to construct one, within that thread were pictures of my enclosure & the attempts of making a humid hide. I've changed it quite a few times because of trying to get the humidity stable & not just dry out overnight. Which I have acquired. I never really posted pictures of my Sulcata itself which I will be doing in a little. Another thing that I decided to change was its diet. I stopped giving it greens completely. I find it very difficult to feed it greens because I'm never giving it the right amount & whatever is left goes to waste. And they always go rotten before I can finish feeding them to my Sulcata. I decided that Id just feed it Mazuri 100% of its diet. Which I find to be working real well. For being so small it always knows when I lay out Mazuri in its bowl. I haven't suspended feeding it greens I just think when it's big enough to finish it's plate I'll start adding some. I've been observing its shell to reduce the act of pyramiding which is at an extreme low, knock on wood. My past hatching have always had pyramiding because of no humidity, adding humidity really does make a difference. In the humid hide the stats are, (100 degrees Fahrenheit & 60-80% humidity). Its in there about 80% of the time. I really don't have previous pictures of my Sulcata, but it's shell has started to lighten up, I don't know if you guys/gals can tell, but its visible. I've read that higher temperatures partial cause which I believe could be one of the reason why its been getting lighter.










Thanks in advance,
SulcataDud3

 

[Laura]

I would make sure you get variety in the diet when your tort is young. Make sure it gets greens now. Different veggies, squash, etc. Buy what you like to eat, or change YOUR diet as well so you dont waste food that you buy. or buy smaller amounts.
Your guy is small now, but will grow fast. variety is always best! its the spice of life dont ya know!?!?!

 

[Laura]

also... Looking at your humid hide pictures.. i think its too wet for a sulcata. they are desert torts. The humidity they get is in thier burrow where they urinate. I think you should try the wet sponge attached inside the plastic or damp moss. The kind of dampness you show in those pics are more for tropical torts. I'd worry about upper resp issues or mildew..

 

[Vegas_Leopard]

I would make sure you get variety in the diet when your tort is young. Make sure it gets greens now. Different veggies, squash, etc. Buy what you like to eat, or change YOUR diet as well so you dont waste food that you buy. or buy smaller amounts.
Your guy is small now, but will grow fast. variety is always best! its the spice of life dont ya know!?!?!

I prefer Mazuri Tortoise Diet over organic food for now.. Reading EJ's research on Mazuri & seeing proof of what it does I find it to work well for me. And it has been, no matter what it won't stop eating greens even if its been on a commercial diet for most of its life.

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also... Looking at your humid hide pictures.. i think its too wet for a sulcata. they are desert torts. The humidity they get is in thier burrow where they urinate. I think you should try the wet sponge attached inside the plastic or damp moss. The kind of dampness you show in those pics are more for tropical torts. I'd worry about upper resp issues or mildew..

Those pictures were taken after being sprayed, they as wet aren't as you think it would be through pictures.