Hello my name is heather I live in the middle of Kansas. I have a sulcata between 2-3 yrs old. I was told from the pet store I bought him from that he was from Saudi Arabia but most of what i'm reading says he's from Africa... So that's one thing.. Another question for you pros I was told to feed him natural grasses that he eats while outdoors and when inside he eats alphalfa I also have a cuddle bone in both enclosures.. My male sulcata has grown an inch front to back and half inch side to side. That seems adequate I think? I've had him since march of 2012.. I was told absolutely no fruits or lettuces because it causes calcification under his shell. any tips?
so i'm new here... and I have a few questions about my sulcata
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Hello and WELCOME
. The Sulcatas are from Africa. Yours could be a CB import from Saudi? There is way more things that should be offered for food then just what you mentioned. Opuntia cactus pads and fruit, collard greens, kale, curly endive, dandelion greens and flower, Rose of Sharon flower and leaf, hibiscus flower and leaf, hostas, and much, much more, including Mazuri tortoise pellets. Check out thetortoisetable.org and thetortoisetrust for more food ideas. I variety is best and so is the grazing on as much natural (not store bought) stuff as possible.
Others will join in With more ideas.
. The Sulcatas are from Africa. Yours could be a CB import from Saudi? There is way more things that should be offered for food then just what you mentioned. Opuntia cactus pads and fruit, collard greens, kale, curly endive, dandelion greens and flower, Rose of Sharon flower and leaf, hibiscus flower and leaf, hostas, and much, much more, including Mazuri tortoise pellets. Check out thetortoisetable.org and thetortoisetrust for more food ideas. I variety is best and so is the grazing on as much natural (not store bought) stuff as possible. Others will join in With more ideas.
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Alfalfa isn't a good for sulcatas. Use Timothy or buffalo grass.
Hi Heather:
Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!
Pet store clerks/managers are in the business of selling things and trying to make a profit. Once in a great while you may come across a store clerk who actually knows what he's talking about, but for the most part, they parrot what the head office tells them to say/sell.
Your sulcata tortoise comes from more northern parts of Africa, ranging from the southern edge of the Sahara down through the arid countries, including Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Chad, the Sudan, and Ethiopia, up through the dry, hot Massaua coast bordering the Red Sea.
They eat whatever edible plants they can find, and here, in captivity, we feed them dark, leafy greens. Your tortoise looks big enough that he should be grazing on the grass growing in your yard. In my opinion, alfalfa should not be part of a sulcata's diet. Alfalfa is very high in crude protein and, in my opinion, this protein would be hard on a tortoise's kidneys.
If you don't have enough grass to satisfy him, then you can supplement with mulberry leaves, grape leaves, and any broad-leaf weeds growing outside. You can also feed him endive, escarole, turnip greens, etc. But variety is key.
As to the calcification under the shell. That's a bunch of nonsense. They shouldn't have too much fruit because sugar and starch disrupt digestion by changing the type of bacteria that live in the tortoise’s hindgut. And lettuce is mostly water. I never heard of "calcification under the shell."
There are some pretty good articles for you to read in the sulcata section. So have at it, and Happy Reading!!!
Welcome to the Tortoise Forum!!
Pet store clerks/managers are in the business of selling things and trying to make a profit. Once in a great while you may come across a store clerk who actually knows what he's talking about, but for the most part, they parrot what the head office tells them to say/sell.
Your sulcata tortoise comes from more northern parts of Africa, ranging from the southern edge of the Sahara down through the arid countries, including Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Chad, the Sudan, and Ethiopia, up through the dry, hot Massaua coast bordering the Red Sea.
They eat whatever edible plants they can find, and here, in captivity, we feed them dark, leafy greens. Your tortoise looks big enough that he should be grazing on the grass growing in your yard. In my opinion, alfalfa should not be part of a sulcata's diet. Alfalfa is very high in crude protein and, in my opinion, this protein would be hard on a tortoise's kidneys.
If you don't have enough grass to satisfy him, then you can supplement with mulberry leaves, grape leaves, and any broad-leaf weeds growing outside. You can also feed him endive, escarole, turnip greens, etc. But variety is key.
As to the calcification under the shell. That's a bunch of nonsense. They shouldn't have too much fruit because sugar and starch disrupt digestion by changing the type of bacteria that live in the tortoise’s hindgut. And lettuce is mostly water. I never heard of "calcification under the shell."
There are some pretty good articles for you to read in the sulcata section. So have at it, and Happy Reading!!!
Hi Heather and welcome to TFO! I actually bet your tortoise was born and bred in the USA, but that his family came from Africa. How did you happen to decide to get a sulcata any how?
welcome
Hello and welcome. Yvonne hit all the nails on the head here.
My tip is to soak him in warm shallow water around three times a week during the summer. As he gets bigger and or the weather cools off, you can reduce it a bit, but still offer drinking water daily. Dehydration is a big problem with this species. Most people "out there" don't thmk the need water, because they come from a dry area. This is wrong. They can survive dehydration in most cases, but that doesn't make it good for them. Soak him in a shallow tub, and give him a shallow terra cotta plant saucer to drink from in his enclosures.
My tip is to soak him in warm shallow water around three times a week during the summer. As he gets bigger and or the weather cools off, you can reduce it a bit, but still offer drinking water daily. Dehydration is a big problem with this species. Most people "out there" don't thmk the need water, because they come from a dry area. This is wrong. They can survive dehydration in most cases, but that doesn't make it good for them. Soak him in a shallow tub, and give him a shallow terra cotta plant saucer to drink from in his enclosures.
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