Suitable friends?

[JoshGoldberg]

When i was out collecting weeds for lilzilla a grasshopper jumped in her food bowl and wouldnt leave. So i decided to take her home. Are the grasshoppers a threat to my tortoise? I usually see them resting upon lilzillas shell when she is basking. Could anything dangerous come of this?

 

[Angel Carrion]

I'd be a little worried about it chewing on her maybe, but if it's only one and she's healthy and active, I don't think that will be a problem.

 

[JoshGoldberg]

I'd be a little worried about it chewing on her maybe, but if it's only one and she's healthy and active, I don't think that will be a problem.

I too was worried about that but read that they only eat veg. I want a mini ecosystem in the tank. Snails and worms and stuff. Itll be a nice project

 

[Angel Carrion]

I too was worried about that but read that they only eat veg. I want a mini ecosystem in the tank. Snails and worms and stuff. Itll be a nice project

How big is the enclosure?
Worms and rolly-polly bugs are good to use in the tank as natural hunting prey. I'd be careful/cautious of starting up anything with teeth/pincers in the enclosure with the tort.

 

[JoshGoldberg]

How big is the enclosure?
Worms and rolly-polly bugs are good to use in the tank as natural hunting prey. I'd be careful/cautious of starting up anything with teeth/pincers in the enclosure with the tort.

40 gallon terrarium. 2 feet long and 1 foot wide

 

[Angel Carrion]

You have a sulcata, right? You're going to need a muuuuuuch bigger enclosure pretty soon. How big is she now?

 

[JoshGoldberg]

You have a sulcata, right? You're going to need a muuuuuuch bigger enclosure pretty soon. How big is she now?

I know ill need a bigger enclosure. She is 4 inches and is growing slowly. Im getting my backyard tortoise proofed for her big future

 

[Lyn W]

Can you be sure it won't be introducing any viruses or germs to your tort?
I think you should release it rather than risk it.
Better safe than sorry.

 

[JoshGoldberg]

Can you be sure it won't be introducing any viruses or germs to your tort?
I think you should release it rather than risk it.
Better safe than sorry.

I bred the smallest grasshopper myself so im sure about that one but i have had no problems so fsr

 

[Lyn W]

Your tank isn't really big enough for a mini eco system as well as your tort - in fact its possibly too small for him - but if you post pics I am sure people would be happy to advise about that.
I would just concentrate on making your tort as happy and healthy as possible, or have your eco system on another tank, but I personally wouldn't take the risk of adding bugs and possibly harmful bacteria. Bills for exotic vets are not cheap!

 

[JoshGoldberg]

Your tank isn't really big enough for a mini eco system as well as your tort - in fact its possibly too small for him - but if you post pics I am sure people would be happy to advise about that.
I would just concentrate on making your tort as happy and healthy as possible, or have your eco system on another tank, but I personally wouldn't take the risk of adding bugs and possibly harmful bacteria. Bills for exotic vets are not cheap!

What do you mean too small?

 

[JoshGoldberg]

She doesnt wander a lot. Sleeps mostnof the time but is happy in that "small" space

 

[JoshGoldberg]

She is quite small actually in her tank

 

[Speedy-1]

Speedy's tank is 4 ft long by 20 inches deep and he covers every inch of it during the course of a day. I am hoping to get another years use out of it .

 

[JoshGoldberg]

Speedy's tank is 4 ft long by 20 inches deep and he covers every inch of it during the course of a day. I am hoping to get another years use out of it .

Lil z covers all of her tank as well and i have a nice 3/4 of an acre for lilzilla to roam around in pretty soon. The tank she is in is only temporary. After she moves out a leopard gecko will take her place. However my family and i are going through a lack of money per say. Which limits what i can do for lil zilla. So aulthough you may have a much larger tank than i doesnt mean that my tortoise isnt healthy nor happy. But thank you for your concern

 

[dmmj]

Grasshoppers eat plamts not tortoises. No danger

 

[Tom]

Josh,
Grasshoppers, like crickets, have chewing mouthparts. Crickets are vegetarians too, but reptiles are frequently injured because people leave crickets in the enclosure over night. No reason to think a grasshopper would not also chew on a reptile, given the chance. Also, some grasshoppers are toxic if eaten, and sulcatas are opportunists. If the grasshopper died while you are out somewhere, like school, your tortoise might try to eat it. I would not risk this.

About your enclosure. 40 is too small for anything but a hatchling. They need more room. At 4", your baby needs something bigger ASAP. You are going to need at least one, if not more, intermediate enclosure sizes before your tortoise is large enough to live outside full time. You can't go from a 40 to outside.

 

[leigti]

Slightly related, I put meal worms in my box turtles enclosure. Box turtles eat mealworms. But one time when I was watching all of a sudden my Boxturtle startled and ran backwards. Obviously something had hurt her. I figured out one of the meal worms had bitten her.

 

[Angel Carrion]

She doesnt wander a lot. Sleeps mostnof the time but is happy in that "small" space

Most likely the reason she doesn't wander around a lot is because it's so small. Being in too small of an enclosure can really stress out a tort and they'll end up just burrowed somewhere for most of the time.
Also could be that she's really bored.

 

[Angel Carrion]

Slightly related, I put meal worms in my box turtles enclosure. Box turtles eat mealworms. But one time when I was watching all of a sudden my Boxturtle startled and ran backwards. Obviously something had hurt her. I figured out one of the meal worms had bitten her.

That's why I only put red wigglers in my hospital tank for whomever I have in there (right now my 3toed I rescued sick) to hunt once they start feeling better (which is one method I use to gauge when whomever is starting to feel better). But I never put anything with teeth or pincers or such.