Tortellini the Sulcata

nibotoby

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San Antonio TX
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Hi I am T from south Texas, and this is my new baby Sulcata Tortellini.

I picked up tortellini last week, it is 3 month old and just over 3 inches long. I am worried about how pyramid-y it’s shell is. Right now tortellini is enjoying an outdoor enclosure during the day with partial shade and an indoor enclosure at night with a heat lamp..

at night his enclosure temperature is around 90* and 55-60% humidity (I have ordered him a humidifier that should arrive tomorrow) each morning he gets a 15 minute bath. Since I am keeping him outdoors during the day his daytime humidity is much lower and varies with the weather


Each day I am letting him forage our property for 2-3 hours. But tortellini only ever wants to eat clovers and dandelion (we have a large variety of grasses) I am giving him pellets each morning which she eats with great Gusto and he also enjoys collard greens and hibiscus leaves…. But not much else last…. Wednesday I placed some cuddle fish bones in his cage as a calcium sauce and he has gone to town on them….

Are there any tricks for encouraging tortoises to try new foods? I would like to limit his pellet intake but it’s the only thing I can get Tortellini to consistently eat…

I have attached a picture of his outdoor enclosure he has a water in his hide
 

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Maro2Bear

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Greetings and welcome to the Forum.

Make sure you spend some time reading through @Tom ’s gospel on raising young Sulcatas.

➡️➡️ https://www.tortoiseforum.org/threa...se-a-sulcata-leopard-or-star-tortoise.181497/

You are right to worry about pyramiding - as it’s obvious in your pix (nice pix btw). You will want to be soaking a good 30-45 minutes daily until you can no longer pick him up. The other thing is that right now it is too young to be spending so much time outside in an open grazing environment.

✅ Carefully read the bits of Toms guide about closed chambers for its housing. A fully controlled habitat will ensure proper heat, lighting & humidity.

Good luck.
 

wellington

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He should be housed inside at this age in a controlled environment with only short visits outside. Read the caresheet, make proper changes and come back if you have more questions
 

jeff kushner

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WTTC T!

Take the time to read the care sheets at the top of each folder. There's a huge amount of real talent here....but you have to read to learn when they know....thankfully, it's right there!

Looks like little T has been eating dog food.....but you'll get him square with a proper diet. Ask the guys though. When I had my Clemson(big sulc), this place wasn't here but I never provided water to him. I was told not to, that he would get all required water from his food. Considering I was also told never to give him fruit, I wasn't sure how that would work out but he lived with me for many years.

Just check....I don't want to tell you something I'm not positive about....

good luck!

jeff
 

Maggie3fan

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WTTC T!

Take the time to read the care sheets at the top of each folder. There's a huge amount of real talent here....but you have to read to learn when they know....thankfully, it's right there!

Looks like little T has been eating dog food.....but you'll get him square with a proper diet. Ask the guys though. When I had my Clemson(big sulc), this place wasn't here but I never provided water to him. I was told not to, that he would get all required water from his food. Considering I was also told never to give him fruit, I wasn't sure how that would work out but he lived with me for many years.

Just check....I don't want to tell you something I'm not positive about....

good luck!

jeff
no fruit....
 

Yvonne G

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Hey, T - Welcome to the Forum!
 

Ray--Opo

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Welcome, you should keep your little buddy indoors until around 2 yrs old and about 10 lbs. It took my sully 2 yrs before he realized the grass right underneath his nose was good to eat. You can grow wheatgrass in small flower pots and trim the grass in small pieces on top of his food. Mazuri 5M21 reptile pellet diet is used by many here. Buy the 5M21 and not the LS. Take 5 or 6 pellets and soak in water to soften them up. Dandelion is good for him.
 

RoxyA

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Welcome, you should keep your little buddy indoors until around 2 yrs old and about 10 lbs. It took my sully 2 yrs before he realized the grass right underneath his nose was good to eat. You can grow wheatgrass in small flower pots and trim the grass in small pieces on top of his food. Mazuri 5M21 reptile pellet diet is used by many here. Buy the 5M21 and not the LS. Take 5 or 6 pellets and soak in water to soften them up. Dandelion is good for him.
Hi I'm curious why not the LS, I got some for mine, now idk if I should have been feeding him that. I mix it with lugarti premium and zoo med grassland and he gobbles it up
 

Ray--Opo

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Hi I'm curious why not the LS, I got some for mine, now idk if I should have been feeding him that. I mix it with lugarti premium and zoo med grassland and he gobbles it up
The LS is fine. Many tortoises don't care for it. The LS is for low starch, so it probably is better for them. I have seen many members waste their money on it because the tort wont eat it. If Tortellini will eat it that's great! Sorry for the confusion. To save some money, you could feed Tortellini just one of the 3 that you give him. They all have basically the same benefits for Tortellini.
 
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RoxyA

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The LS is fine. Many tortoises don't care for it. The LS is for low starch, so it probably is better for them. I have seen many members waste their money on it because the tort wont eat it. If Tortellini will eat it that's great! Sorry for the confusion.
Oh mine isnt tortellini, I was commenting on the tortellini thread. Mine is Havel, he's 3 months old and a very big boy. 5 inches and over 8 ozs, eats like a horse, everything in his path haha. But he has been munching his pellets more lately and one of them is the LS so I just wanted to make sure it was OK for him. Thank you for replying so quickly. I appreciate any help as I'm a new owner
 

Ray--Opo

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Oh mine isnt tortellini, I was commenting on the tortellini thread. Mine is Havel, he's 3 months old and a very big boy. 5 inches and over 8 ozs, eats like a horse, everything in his path haha. But he has been munching his pellets more lately and one of them is the LS so I just wanted to make sure it was OK for him. Thank you for replying so quickly. I appreciate any help as I'm a new owner
What type of tortoise do you have? I was reading up on the Lugarti premium. I like the ingredients but there are no suppliers here and shipping is pricey for a 40lb bag.
Not sure of the size of the other pellets. With the mazuri make sure you soak them in water to soften them up.
 

RoxyA

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What type of tortoise do you have? I was reading up on the Lugarti premium. I like the ingredients but there are no suppliers here and shipping is pricey for a 40lb bag.
Not sure of the size of the other pellets. With the mazuri make sure you soak them in water to soften them up.
He is a sulcata, I always soak them and mix the different pellets. He loves it. I feed it alongside his greens
 

tortoisenana

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Hi I am T from south Texas, and this is my new baby Sulcata Tortellini.

I picked up tortellini last week, it is 3 month old and just over 3 inches long. I am worried about how pyramid-y it’s shell is. Right now tortellini is enjoying an outdoor enclosure during the day with partial shade and an indoor enclosure at night with a heat lamp..

at night his enclosure temperature is around 90* and 55-60% humidity (I have ordered him a humidifier that should arrive tomorrow) each morning he gets a 15 minute bath. Since I am keeping him outdoors during the day his daytime humidity is much lower and varies with the weather


Each day I am letting him forage our property for 2-3 hours. But tortellini only ever wants to eat clovers and dandelion (we have a large variety of grasses) I am giving him pellets each morning which she eats with great Gusto and he also enjoys collard greens and hibiscus leaves…. But not much else last…. Wednesday I placed some cuddle fish bones in his cage as a calcium sauce and he has gone to town on them….

Are there any tricks for encouraging tortoises to try new foods? I would like to limit his pellet intake but it’s the only thing I can get Tortellini to consistently eat…

I have attached a picture of his outdoor enclosure he has a water in his hide
Hey, welcome!
I'm also around SA. I have 4 sulcatas : 45lb Yaya (she's been flashing so I guess she's a "He", 40lb Sargent (also has flashed), 15lb Elsa (don't know if she's a she, granddaughter named her) and then 10lb Binky (unknown, but is escape artist). lol
Read and follow these care sheets, I have found that these people know what they are talking about. Great advice.????
 
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