Newly Adopted African Sulcata - Looking for Information

[dljames]

Hi. I'm Diane, and I live in Phoenix. This sweet gem was found walking across my neighbor's yard in October. I put him/her in my secured yard and posted everywhere looking to find his/her owners - nobody claimed him/her, so now she's mine. I got her a large dog igloo in which I put shredded cedar bark and heated it through the winter. I have a large grass area that is watered daily, plus I feed her dandelion greens, turnip greens, collard greens and romaine. I also sprinkle Miner-Al Calcium/Mineral Supplement on her greens once or twice a week. I a pie plate of water out for her for a couple of months, but she didn't seem to ever pay attention to it. I'm concerned about water for her and am considering installing the top of a resin birdbath at ground level to fill with water, based on some posts I have read about their need for water.

I am glad to have found this forum because I'm looking for info about my Sulcata. He/she weighs about 40-50 lbs. Can someone help me determine his/her age and whether or not my Sulcata is "Henry" or "Henrietta" (there is a faded "H" in red on the side of the shell. I've attached photos.

I would appreciate any information and advice to keep my Sulcata happy and healthy.

Thank you!!!!!

 

[KronksMom]

Looks like Henrietta to me, but I'd let some people who deal with sulcatas chime in before you throw a gender reveal party. Welcome to the forum! I'm originally from Mesa and boy do I miss the weather! Congratulations on the new addition, she's beautiful. As far as the water goes, tortoises don't really drink from a dish like a cat or dog would. They prefer to park their entire body inside the water and absorb the water through their cloaca, maybe drinking a little bit orally, maybe not. So yes, she really would benefit from some kind of pool that she could get her whole body into. Even if she doesn't like it, it's good for her.

 

[Ink]

I too think Henrietta is pretty. I am not an expert my opinion only. Nice of you to help her or him.

 

[Markw84]

We can say for sure it is Henrietta. As far as age, all I can say is she is at least 8 years old and probably older. Looks like she did have a burrow where she lived before and the central parts of her scutes are well worn going in and out and obscurs any growth rings there. Not knowing how she was cared for, hard to estimate which are major annual rings and which are minor growth changes.

She does need water access all the time, so your sunken pool is a good idea. I would suggest replacing your igloo with a good night box. It is impossible to keep an igloo properly heated without causeing hot spots on her shell as she would try to warm. A good night box is very energy efficient and the whole room is warm for her to properly stay at a good temperature (80° min) at night and in cold spells.

Here's a good post about constructing a night box.

My Best Night Box Design Yet

After much thought about what worked and what I wanted to improve over previous attempts, here is the latest version with a step by step pictorial on how I did it. It is time for my 2010 South African herd to move outside. They are moving into a 16x20' completely closed in enclosure. The...

www.tortoiseforum.org

 

[dljames]

Looks like Henrietta to me, but I'd let some people who deal with sulcatas chime in before you throw a gender reveal party. Welcome to the forum! I'm originally from Mesa and boy do I miss the weather! Congratulations on the new addition, she's beautiful. As far as the water goes, tortoises don't really drink from a dish like a cat or dog would. They prefer to park their entire body inside the water and absorb the water through their cloaca, maybe drinking a little bit orally, maybe not. So yes, she really would benefit from some kind of pool that she could get her whole body into. Even if she doesn't like it, it's good for her.

Thank you for your response. I will definitely figure out a method for getting her in the water. She does seem to occasionally enjoy being in the grass when the sprinklers go on, but she usually "runs" to the side out of the spray.

 

[dljames]

We can say for sure it is Henrietta. As far as age, all I can say is she is at least 8 years old and probably older. Looks like she did have a burrow where she lived before and the central parts of her scutes are well worn going in and out and obscurs any growth rings there. Not knowing how she was cared for, hard to estimate which are major annual rings and which are minor growth changes.

She does need water access all the time, so your sunken pool is a good idea. I would suggest replacing your igloo with a good night box. It is impossible to keep an igloo properly heated without causeing hot spots on her shell as she would try to warm. A good night box is very energy efficient and the whole room is warm for her to properly stay at a good temperature (80° min) at night and in cold spells.

Here's a good post about constructing a night box.

My Best Night Box Design Yet

After much thought about what worked and what I wanted to improve over previous attempts, here is the latest version with a step by step pictorial on how I did it. It is time for my 2010 South African herd to move outside. They are moving into a 16x20' completely closed in enclosure. The...

www.tortoiseforum.org

Thank you for that useful information and confirming "Henrietta." The pictures in link to the night box are no longer available, but I will look for another source for confirmation of that construction. I did get a large Repti-Therm heater that I secured on the side inside the large dog igloo, and covered the dog igloo and opening with a comforter during the coldest nights during the winter. It seemed to keep the interior relatively warm without her having direct contact with the heater.

 

[pappy.72]

Switch her diet to hay or grasses and cut down on the lettuce type food. It’s not good for them as their main food. Mazuri tortoise pellets are a good staple too. Check out the Sulcata care sections on here to get the overall guidelines.

 

[dljames]

Switch her diet to hay or grasses and cut down on the lettuce type food. It’s not good for them as their main food. Mazuri tortoise pellets are a good staple too. Check out the Sulcata care sections on here to get the overall guidelines.

Thank you for that advise!

 

[TechnoCheese]

Cedar is toxic to reptiles, so if the bark is actually cedar and not cypress, it needs to be removed.

 

[dljames]

Cedar is toxic to reptiles, so if the bark is actually cedar and not cypress, it needs to be removed.

My mistake - it's cypress, not cedar bark.

 

[TechnoCheese]

My mistake - it's cypress, not cedar bark.

Alright, that’s great then

 

[Maro2Bear]

Not sure if your question regarding water & your resin bird bath were answered, but yes! Sullys need & like water & soakings. Don’t wait. Get out your garden hose, spray your Sully off, give it a good daily soaking & spraying. Yes, install some deeper “pond” so she can self soak!

good luck

 

[dljames]

Not sure if your question regarding water & your resin bird bath were answered, but yes! Sullys need & like water & soakings. Don’t wait. Get out your garden hose, spray your Sully off, give it a good daily soaking & spraying. Yes, install some deeper “pond” so she can self soak!

good luck

Thank you. I bought a small kid's pool for her, put about 2 inches of water in the bottom and hoisted her into it. She spent about 30 minutes in there until she figured out how to climb out. It's a start.