Please Help! sick baby

[Amber and Red]

A 'friend' of ours was given this little guy about 8 months ago (no idea how old he is!!) Unfortunately, he has never been properly taken care of. He's lived in a wooden box with almost no light and no attention whatsoever. I only learned about him last week!

His owners have said they have never seen him eat (they have Flukers Tortoise Food?), and they have never seen him open his eyes until I took him in the sun myself for an hour!


I've only gotten to see him twice, both times I've taken him in the sun for about an hour each time. After about 15 minutes he finally starts walking. When he's in his terrarium, he doesn't move hardly at all!!

I had extra Eco earth, a basking bulb, and a UV bulb, and a hideaway log and bought a plastic tub for now to get them started.

Can someone please help me determine what kind he is so I can try to help get him the proper care he needs!! It breaks my heart to see him in this condition!! If I could take him home I would, but he belongs to a 10 year old, so at the very least I'd like to help them set up the proper enclosure and help this guy out!!



P.S. I have a 7 month old Leopard Tortoise (first time tort owner) who is thriving and doing extremely well!!

 

[lismar79]

Looks like a lil sulcata. The care sheet on the sulcata section would help you a lot!!!!

 

[wellington]

That is a sulcata. I would convince them to let you take it and get it in better health and then give it back to them once it is doing better, hopefully, otherwise the ten year old will be watching it die, if this is the best they could do for it. Tom's threads below in my post has the proper housing and care this little one needs. Good luck and at least get these people to join the forum or get them educated on animal care not neglect.

 

[wellington]

Also, make sure you wash your hands after touching this sulcata and before you touch your little leopard, just incase the sulcata has something wrong with it that could VW transferred to your leopard.

 

[Amber and Red]

That's what I thought he was, but wanted to be certain. The care seems to be very similar to my leopard tortoise, so that's good. I'll do what I can to help them out.

Do leopards and sulcatas tend to grow about the same rate? This sulcata is older than my leopard and at least 1/3 the size of my leopard... In fact I've been calling him "Tiny."

I'm hoping the few things I've given to them will help him out... And maybe I can talk them into letting me take him, but I'm not sure. I also feel like I don't know enough to care for a sick tort yet, but I know I would be doing more for him than what he's getting at the moment. I'm still adjusting to being a first time tort owner to my beautiful healthy one.

Thank you everyone for your fast replies!

 

[lismar79]

Sulcatas get much much bigger, his bad care is stunting his growth. He needs a warm humid environment asap

 

[Juan V]

GET that tort out of that environment !!!!! OOOR try to make sure it is properly taken care of.

Remember, the great tortuga is watching over all bad tortoise keepers.

 

[Jodie]

That poor baby! Sure hope you can help him.