New Desert Tortoise (Southern California)

[Eburg85]

Hi All,
Helping a friend out getting her indoor Desert Tortoise enclosure set up. I have two Sulcatas that are already outside but don’t want to give wrong info since they are a different breed. The tortoise is 2 months old and she will be using a 40 gallon tank for the meantime. Any advice on substrate, builds and all the good stuff? I am sure it is very similar to a Sulcata but I also know there are differences. Let me know some quick advice I can give her.

**Also know there are a ton of threads about this but it’s hard to search through old post and comments.**

 

[Tom]

Hi All,
Helping a friend out getting her indoor Desert Tortoise enclosure set up. I have two Sulcatas that are already outside but don’t want to give wrong info since they are a different breed. The tortoise is 2 months old and she will be using a 40 gallon tank for the meantime. Any advice on substrate, builds and all the good stuff? I am sure it is very similar to a Sulcata but I also know there are differences. Let me know some quick advice I can give her.

**Also know there are a ton of threads about this but it’s hard to search through old post and comments.**

First and foremost tell her to warm water soak the baby today and every day in a tall sided opaque container for 30-40 minutes and keep the water warm for the entire soak.

These are not different breeds, they are different species.

Here is the care info for her species:

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

 

[Eburg85]

First and foremost tell her to warm water soak the baby today and every day in a tall sided opaque container for 30-40 minutes and keep the water warm for the entire soak.

These are not different breeds, they are different species.

Here is the care info for her species:

The Best Way To Raise Any Temperate Species Of Tortoise

I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies and care for adults? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. What is...

tortoiseforum.org

Hi Tom,
Yes species, end of the day and my brain was half asleep so that was my error haha.

Warm soaking is what I have told her and I am giving her my 40 gallon tank that she will use for now. Ultimate goal is an outside enclosure when the tort is big enough. Should this be treated somewhat the same as a Sulcata as far as food, hides, heat, humidity, substrate etc.? I know these hibernate but I suggested to skip hibernation this year since its two months old and she just got him. I sent her the care guide you just sent me also.

 

[Tom]

Should this be treated somewhat the same as a Sulcata as far as food, hides, heat, humidity, substrate etc.? I know these hibernate but I suggested to skip hibernation this year since its two months old and she just got him. I sent her the care guide you just sent me also.

Different temps and humidity than a sulcata, but similar. Notably, a DT should cool to room temp at night where a sulcata needs to stay warmer. DTs don't need monsoon type humidity either, but baby DTs should have moderate humidity along with damp substrate and a humid hide. Diet for a baby of either should be very similar.