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Sulcata?
- Thread starter omgdoubletacos
- Start date
OliveW
Well-Known Member
In my non-expert opinion, that appears to be a hatchling gopher tortoise. That's what they look like when they're little, although they grow up very differently.
Sulcatas have spikey looking things on their legs. Gopher tortoise hatching looks more like scales on it's legs.
Sulcatas have spikey looking things on their legs. Gopher tortoise hatching looks more like scales on it's legs.
OliveW
Well-Known Member
This is a hatchling gopher tortoise.
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It's not a great picture. The spikes do stick out, but it moved it's leg right as I hit the shutter button.
OliveW
Well-Known Member
You should wait for the more experienced tortoise folk to chime in. I only know what little gophers look like because I've seen lots of them on my property and looked them up myself, since they look nothing like the adults.
@Tom can you help us out? I'm not sure what a hatchling Sulcata looks like.
@Tom can you help us out? I'm not sure what a hatchling Sulcata looks like.
Supposedly sulcata has no nochual scute where as the gopher does. This one seems to have no nochual scute.
OliveW
Well-Known Member
@omgdoubletacos could you add some additional pictures of that little guy from different angles? Maybe from the top and rear or sides? Just so when the experts get here they have more to go off of. Since it's a holiday weekend, you may have to wait a day or so for an answer. I found this photo about the nuchal scute in the meantime.
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I will work on that tomorrow. It just got done soaking and is now napping. Trying not to handle the baby too much since it's still so young. Plus it's had a big 24 hours. My sister's friend found it yesterday.
But it definitely doesn't have the nuchal scute. I had sulcatas previously and when I saw a picture of it it screamed sulcata to me. 🤣
But it definitely doesn't have the nuchal scute. I had sulcatas previously and when I saw a picture of it it screamed sulcata to me. 🤣
That is a young sulcata.
Send this to your freind:
The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise
I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. Babies hatch during the...
tortoiseforum.org
Most people do not understand that they need to be soaked daily and kept warm and humid day and night.
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That's what I thought! Thank you for confirming. All I can guess is someone in the area had a breeding pair that they either let the eggs incubate in the ground (I'm in southeast Georgia) and missed one when they hatched or had the clutch outside and one got away. They don't sell them this tiny here. You can still see where the yolk sac was. But the umbilical area is closed.
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The baby is in our care now. Soaked as soon as we got it home and in a temporary set up until I can get a better one figured out since it wasn't a planned thing. Humidity is sitting at just under 60% by the hide. Baking side is just under 90 and cool side is around 80. Also has a UV bulb. I'd like it higher, but currently working with an aquarium with a screen lid.That is a young sulcata.
Send this to your freind:
The Best Way To Raise A Sulcata, Leopard, Or Star Tortoise
I chose the title of this care sheet very carefully. Are there other ways to raise babies? Yes. Yes there are, but those ways are not as good. What follows is the BEST way, according to 30 years of research and experimentation with hundreds of babies of many species. Babies hatch during the...
Most people do not understand that they need to be soaked daily and kept warm and humid day and night.
Any suggestions on a temporary closed chamber until I can get something better?
People sell them that tiny everywhere. Breeders want to move them out ASAP.
Humidity should be 80%+ everywhere all the time. Aluminum foil over the top will hold in heat and humidity, but not be flammable.
What type of UV bulb?
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It's a reptisun florescent
Lidded enclosure….. depending how handy you are, these 55 gallon Rubbermaid containers are pretty easy to do some DIY.
🐢🐢 https://www.homedepot.com/p/HDX-55-...lack-with-Yellow-Lid-HDX55GONLINE-4/205597365
🐢🐢 https://www.homedepot.com/p/HDX-55-...lack-with-Yellow-Lid-HDX55GONLINE-4/205597365
OliveW
Well-Known Member
@omgdoubletacos congratulations on your new baby! He sure was a lucky little guy that he ended up with you. He likely didn't have much chance of survival on his own.
I don't even think many of the hatchling gophers here make it, as the birds of prey are much more plentiful. We used to see lots of gopher tortoises on our property years ago, but not so many in the past few years.
I don't even think many of the hatchling gophers here make it, as the birds of prey are much more plentiful. We used to see lots of gopher tortoises on our property years ago, but not so many in the past few years.
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Thank you!
Pop up portable green houses make nice closed chamber enclosures and you can find them for under 50 bucks and will last longer if you get a good size one. The one pictured is from Lowes and the kind I'm speaking of. Just add tarp for floor.
Lighting and heat can be hung from the frame.
Lighting and heat can be hung from the frame.
They make more than a dozen types of Reptisun. Is it a long tube or a cfl? 5.0 or 10.0? T5 HO or a T8?
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Long tube 10.0
