Sulcata Progress

[blackace936]

So I've had my Sulcata Hardcase for about a year now. As far as I know he was hatched the last week in November 2017. I got him the day before Christmas 2017 and he's (or she) been growing happily and steadily more or less ever since. I just wanted to post a few pictures and make sure he was in line with what is expected of a one year old.

Current weight is 158 grams. He's on a diet of primarily mazuri tortoise pellets supplemented with grass and vegetables from the yard every now and then. I dust the food with calcium 1-2 times per month and give him vitamin drops every week or so.

I keep him in a 30 gallon tank that has mulch on the bottom for him to burrow in. I've built multiple "floors" in the tank so he has more space to roam as well as letting him have free roam of the house whenever I can supervise him. Lately I have noticed that he keeps scratching at the sides of the tank so I'm working on a plan to move him outside or into some sort of larger enclosure. He has a UV bulb as well as a heating lamp and rock set up, I don't have specific temperature profiles though.

 

[wellington]

You may or may not have come across all the threads about the dangers of roaming your floors. It's too cold and all kinds of dangers. Best to build a bigger enclosure. If kept in too small of an enclosure you will see problems with his walking. Rescued a leopard kept in a too small enclosure. They can't get the exercise to build muscle strength.

 

[drew54]

Good looking little dude. Please post a picture of your enclosure and keep the photos of your little guy coming. Two reasons why he could be scratching. One he needs a bigger enclosure and two he could be looking for food.

 

[blackace936]

He doesn't seem undersized does he? I've seen a pretty big difference in one year growth including one youtube video claiming he had a 7 lb yearling.

 

[Stuart S.]

He doesn't seem undersized does he? I've seen a pretty big difference in one year growth including one youtube video claiming he had a 7 lb yearling.

It’s “small” but all grow at different rates. If he’s eating, drinking and going to the bathroom; along with having proper lighting, heat and humidity you have nothing to worry about! He’ll hit a growth spurt soon enough!

 

[Tom]

So I've had my Sulcata Hardcase for about a year now. As far as I know he was hatched the last week in November 2017. I got him the day before Christmas 2017 and he's (or she) been growing happily and steadily more or less ever since. I just wanted to post a few pictures and make sure he was in line with what is expected of a one year old.

Current weight is 158 grams. He's on a diet of primarily mazuri tortoise pellets supplemented with grass and vegetables from the yard every now and then. I dust the food with calcium 1-2 times per month and give him vitamin drops every week or so.

I keep him in a 30 gallon tank that has mulch on the bottom for him to burrow in. I've built multiple "floors" in the tank so he has more space to roam as well as letting him have free roam of the house whenever I can supervise him. Lately I have noticed that he keeps scratching at the sides of the tank so I'm working on a plan to move him outside or into some sort of larger enclosure. He has a UV bulb as well as a heating lamp and rock set up, I don't have specific temperature profiles though.

Under optimal conditions they should reach 800-1000 grams by the end of their first year. Sometimes they get a rough start, but they should at least hit 300-400 after a year with good care.

I see a number of problems. I'll point these things out so you know what to fix.

1. 30 gallons is WAAAAAYYYY too small. Its too small for a tiny brand new hatchling. Tortoises need more room than that.
2. Mazuri is okay a couple times a week, but I wouldn't feed it every day.
3. They should be eating most grass and weeds, supplemented with certain leaves, flowers and succulents. See the thread below for more ideas.
4. Calcium supplementation should be more like twice a week for most circumstances.
5. Vitamins once a week.
6. Tortoises should never be loose on the floor. Its a disaster waiting to happen.
7. What kind of UV bulb and what kind of heat lamp? Are you using a hot rock?
8. Reptiles are dependent on temperature. You need to know all your temperatures so you can adjust them if needed.
9. Does the tortoise ever get outside in the warmer weather?
10. How often do you soak the tortoise?
11. What is the ambient humidity in the enclosure?

Please give these a read through for the correct care info:
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
https://tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/

Also, please go into your user profile and add a location so we know how to advise you. Different advice for Albuquerque vs. Atlanta...

 

[blackace936]

Ok so I read through all the guides and took a hard look at how to improve Hardcase's living conditions. I live in southern California so it's a pretty nice climate for him to live outside nearly year round but I do have a dog who wouldn't be friendly to him so it's going to take some time to build a proper outdoor enclosure though I do have plenty of space for it.

In the mean time I've already started adding more garden variety food in the form of a handful of grass and weeds every other day as well as some succulent leaves twice a week. He doesn't seem to like the garden stuff though as he keep gravitating towards the mazuri but I'm sure that's just what he's grown accustomed to and I'll keep offering fresh as well as dusting the mazuri with calcium and vitamins more often.

As far as lighting goes he's got a 15W UVB bulb and a 75W heating lamp Those are on a dimmer/timer so he gets a consistent amount each day. He also has a heat rock that stays on constantly just in case he needs it at night though he generally burrows at the far side of the cage from it when he beds down for the night. As for humidity I spritz the mulch down every now and then just to keep it moist but I wouldn't say that the enclosure humidity is ever much higher than ambient. Yes, I do take him outside to let him roam in my grass and whenever my nephews are over they take him out and let him roam so at least every week to two weeks. I don't soak him often, just when I think about it or when I notice he's getting dirty as he really seems to dislike the water.

What is the aversion to letting them roam the floor? I know that them being so little they can find things and nibble at them but I always to a thorough sweep and keep him contained to one room at a time so I know where he is.

 

[daniellenc]

Definitely really small for a yearling but if you're always offering food daily maybe he's a runt? I would nix the Mazuri and only add weeds, leaves, grasses, and hay chopped really fine and mixed until he starts to eat it. If that freaks you out you can add the mushed mazuri into his greens to coat them and hopefully entice him more but little guy has weight to gain!

 

[drew54]

Letting your tort run the floor is not advised due to the following:

1. Floor is too cold
2. Lots of accidental deaths (search the forum on this)
3. Could eat the carpet and anything on the floor even if we can't see it there is always something.
4. They could get stuck under furniture and in other things which could lead to injury or accidental deaths.

To get your tort to eat the weeds,grass, etc. Mix the mazuri with the greens as daniellenc suggested or take out the mazuri and put a small bunch of the greens in and see how much your little dude eats. Mix the greens like a salad. Torts won't starve themselves so they will eat what you give them. If little dude hadn't eaten anything by the evening and after his soak them I would add some mazuri in it.

You need to soak your little guy twice a day for 30min. This helps keep them hydrated and it will help put them on a potty routine.

Calcium I wouldn't do no more than twice a week small pinches sprinkled and mixed with food. Once a week for multivitamins.

Hope that helps and all I have time to add right now.

 

[TechnoCheese]

Heat rocks should not be used for any reptile. They have a long history of burning, and since tortoises don’t have heat receptors on their plastron it’s even easier for them to accidentally burn themselves.