New baby tortoise for new caretakers Introduction

[Dianne iin South Florida]

Hello group. This is my introduction. I have been reading and learning from your forum and I thank you all for the information you may never have realized was very valuable to me. Our only experience with an adult SulcataTortoise was one a leftover renter left behind in our rural neighborhood. We called them through the landlord of the home and they had moved out of state and were not interested in coming back for this tortoise told us they left 3 behind. We picked one up off the road (we named him RoadRunner) We had him about 2 years and experienced 3 escapes the last one was just that the last one. We let him walk the perimeter of the fenced in 1.5 acres and he was happy. At dusk he went into the home we built for him in an unused horse stall. I learned how much they eat and was not that sad he took off. We did breed him with another female another neighbor took in but they told us there were never any eggs. I found that hard to believe. A year later, a baby about a month old or less showed up in front of our gate up on a cement wall. We have no idea how it got there or why us? but we took her in and started to become her caretaker. Our 21-year-old granddaughter named it Shelby either a boy or girl and we are prepared to keep her in our family long after we are gone. Her first habitat was a plastic tub with dirt and a corner of a little sod. She never liked it in that place. So the next place within her first month with us was a longer plastic tub, we bought a UV light a heat bulb, a cave, and some powdered calcium (1-2 times week), and lined it in 50 pounds of sand sterilized play sand, humidity is easy with sand to wet and a humid tropical place to live helps. Then we realized she likes to climb hills, go over rocks, and enter the obstacle course I have started to make for her. She did not perk up for a few weeks, but now she's a walking running prehistoric pet that we plan on taking better care of so she does not get off the property. She weighed 1.8 oz then and 3 months later she weighs 3.9oz Here are a few pics of her in her second habitat and then a pic of the one that is almost finished. She (?) is eating more too, romaine lettuce, of course, spinach leaves, hibiscus flowers, and leaves (I have them year-round), and some new grass clippings. I add water to her veggies. I have had her in a bowl to wash her bottom from feces that have a hard time coming out. She also climbs up the sides of anything and tips herself over every now and then. She's a baby bulldozer! NIce to meet you all, Dianne

Tried to upload picture files but having trouble. getting a message in RED this is a copy of what it told me
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[TriciaStringer]

Hi Dianne and welcome! I’m sure you have a darling tortoise even without seeing a picture. Please read through the care sheets. Here is one.
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/

I know you will get lots of help here and tips on how to help Shelby thrive. First thing I noticed was you’ll need to change the substrate to coco coir or fine grade orchid bark. Sand is not a good substrate because it can cause intestinal problems if ingested. Also read up on the diet sheet found in the sulcata section to help Shelby have a well rounded diet. Soaking her in warm water for thirty minutes every day can help get things moving. All of this is in the care sheets.

Again welcome! I have two sulcatas, Sweetheart (13yo) and Tibby (19 months).

 

[TriciaStringer]

Here is the diet sheet.

https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/sulcata-diet-sheet.64290/

 

[Dianne iin South Florida]

Hi Dianne and welcome! I’m sure you have a darling tortoise even without seeing a picture. Please read through the care sheets. Here is one.
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/

I know you will get lots of help here and tips on how to help Shelby thrive. First thing I noticed was you’ll need to change the substrate to coco coir or fine grade orchid bark. Sand is not a good substrate because it can cause intestinal problems if ingested. Also read up on the diet sheet found in the sulcata section to help Shelby have a well rounded diet. Soaking her in warm water for thirty minutes every day can help get things moving. All of this is in the care sheets.

Again welcome! I have two sulcatas, Sweetheart (13yo) and Tibby (19 months).

 

[Dianne iin South Florida]

New 66"X24"X 7" plexiglass. need to buy filler for habitat today was just going out for it. Where do I get coco coir or orchard bark?

 

[TriciaStringer]

New 66"X24"X 7" plexiglass. need to buy filler for habitat today was just going out for it. Where do I get coco coir or orchard bark?

I ordered orchid bark on OSH.com. I had trouble finding it local and reasonable. You can buy it by cubic feet at OSH. I was able to get coco coir at a pet shop. They come in dry bricks and you add water to expand them. You’ll want to keep all substrate damp. Coco coir is very messy. My fine grade orchid bark is due to arrive tomorrow. Very excited.
Shelby will soon grow out of your enclosure. An 8x4 inside enclosure is the next size. I had to do an 8x3 though. Search “closed chamber” and you will find lots of designs and suggsstions. She will need to live inside for about 3 years until she is around 10” in length but daily or twice weekly protected outside time is very important. I’m giving you very random advice. All of this is found in the care sheets.

 

[Kristy1970]

I ordered orchid bark on OSH.com. I had trouble finding it local and reasonable. You can buy it by cubic feet at OSH. I was able to get coco coir at a pet shop. They come in dry bricks and you add water to expand them. You’ll want to keep all substrate damp. Coco coir is very messy. My fine grade orchid bark is due to arrive tomorrow. Very excited.
Shelby will soon grow out of your enclosure. An 8x4 inside enclosure is the next size. I had to do an 8x3 though. Search “closed chamber” and you will find lots of designs and suggsstions. She will need to live inside for about 3 years until she is around 10” in length but daily or twice weekly protected outside time is very important. I’m giving you very random advice. All of this is found in the care sheets.

Tricia I got fine grade orchid bark from Louisiana Nursery on Coursey

 

[TriciaStringer]

Tricia I got fine grade orchid bark from Louisiana Nursery on Coursey

Yes, but the amount you get for that price was insane. I spent over $60 on 7 bags of it and it didn’t even fill up half of the enclosure. To fill up the entire enclosure, it is just $50 at OSH. I couldn’t find it reasonable here.

 

[Hutsie B]

Welcome to the group, I am sure you will find all the answers you need from this knowledgeable group.

 

[Kristy1970]

Yes, but the amount you get for that price was insane. I spent over $60 on 7 bags of it and it didn’t even fill up half of the enclosure. To fill up the entire enclosure, it is just $50 at OSH. I couldn’t find it reasonable here.

I put cypress mulch in enclosure then a 1 inch layer of orchard bark and Daisy loves it. I used 2 bags. It will last a while I’ll order some when I run out.

 

[Dianne iin South Florida]

Hi Dianne and welcome! I’m sure you have a darling tortoise even without seeing a picture. Please read through the care sheets. Here is one.
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/

I know you will get lots of help here and tips on how to help Shelby thrive. First thing I noticed was you’ll need to change the substrate to coco coir or fine grade orchid bark. Sand is not a good substrate because it can cause intestinal problems if ingested. Also read up on the diet sheet found in the sulcata section to help Shelby have a well rounded diet. Soaking her in warm water for thirty minutes every day can help get things moving. All of this is in the care sheets.

Again welcome! I have two sulcatas, Sweetheart (13yo) and Tibby (19 months).

Went to the Petsmart and they matched the price of buying Coco Coir for me so I came home and used this in her new habitat. It was funny at first because until I wet it down she just sunk in and she was gone. So I remembered when I used to garden with my own mix of peat moss, soil, vermiculite. So I proceeded to pour water into it and mix it up with my hand till it was strong enough to take her weight of 3.9 oz and she could run along. She seems to like it but it was late in the day ao I let her have her cave and she was happy to go inside for the night. I can see why I need to keep a spray bottle nearby. I do live in the tropics and the air most of the time is humid but if this is what she needs this is what she gets. I knew the sand was bad because I have horses and sand is our enemy. I know this tortoise knows us she knows my voice and she likes to be petted on her rump of her shell and her little top of her head. I know she likes me to spray her off cause she just stood there with her head sticking up in the sky as if to say "ah this is the life" Thanks for the Coco Coir tip I needed that lesson. I'll try to post pics tomorrow for some reason this site would not let me download my pics.

 

[Dianne iin South Florida]

Another larger enclosure?! I think this will be it almost 6 foot long and 2 foot wide is all I will keep in my house. She lives on the patio and its screened in next to our pool This tortoise is going to be the best hydrated new owner tortoise here. I have let her out to walk the perimeter of the large screen room but while keeping an eye on her I saw she was trying to climb up the little 2 inch high metal screen enclosure and would tip upside down. Now she cannot be left alone for too long walking, boy she's fast. I also let her walk around in the grass, she loves to munch out and explore looking for the edge of somewhere. Do they ever learn not to tip themselves over?

 

[Big Charlie]

Another larger enclosure?! I think this will be it almost 6 foot long and 2 foot wide is all I will keep in my house. She lives on the patio and its screened in next to our pool This tortoise is going to be the best hydrated new owner tortoise here. I have let her out to walk the perimeter of the large screen room but while keeping an eye on her I saw she was trying to climb up the little 2 inch high metal screen enclosure and would tip upside down. Now she cannot be left alone for too long walking, boy she's fast. I also let her walk around in the grass, she loves to munch out and explore looking for the edge of somewhere. Do they ever learn not to tip themselves over?

Eventually they get big enough that it is more difficult for them to tip over. It is more common in babies. It helps if they don't have anything steep they can climb. Some people have found that eliminating right angle corners helps. Also it helps if they can't see out of their enclosure.