White lines on baby sulcata shell
- Thread starter Mario Ayala
- Start date
The white lines are growth lines. They get darker with age and are normal.
What isn’t normal or healthy is that bumpy shell. It’s called pyramidding and caused by being raised in an environment that is far too dry.
Those wood chips need to be replaced with an earthy substrate like fine grade orchid bark or coco coir that can have water mixed in with it to make it damp.
Please can we see photos of the whole enclosure and lighting so we can recommend any other improvements necessary
I recommend you read the TFO care guides and compare them with your setup.
They're written by species experts working hard to correct the outdated information widely available on the internet and from pet stores and, sadly, from some breeders and vets too.
Beginner Mistakes
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
How to raise a healthy Sulcata
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
For those that have a young Sulcata
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/
What isn’t normal or healthy is that bumpy shell. It’s called pyramidding and caused by being raised in an environment that is far too dry.
Those wood chips need to be replaced with an earthy substrate like fine grade orchid bark or coco coir that can have water mixed in with it to make it damp.
Please can we see photos of the whole enclosure and lighting so we can recommend any other improvements necessary
I recommend you read the TFO care guides and compare them with your setup.
They're written by species experts working hard to correct the outdated information widely available on the internet and from pet stores and, sadly, from some breeders and vets too.
Beginner Mistakes
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/
How to raise a healthy Sulcata
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/how-to-raise-a-healthy-sulcata-or-leopard-version-2-0.79895/
For those that have a young Sulcata
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/for-those-who-have-a-young-sulcata.76744/
Bambam1989
Well-Known Member
Your picture is quite blurry but I believe your just seeing new growth between the scutes. @JoesMum beat me to posting the links and has given great advice.
Welcome to the forum!
Welcome to the forum!
Mario Ayala
New Member
My enclosure is extremely poor sadly. Its a 10 gallon tank temporarily. I dont know where to start for the new enclosure. Im thinking of getting a kiddie pool and putting them in there. Is there anything you could reccomend and a price range?
Do you have more than one sulcata? They really need to be in separate enclosures. They don't need or want a friend. They see another tortoise as a threat. 10 gallons is too small. A kiddie pool is a great size but hard to cover and you will need to cover it to keep in the heat and humidity. Several people have made great enclosures with large plastic tubs. We have an enclosure section of the forum with lots of ideas. https://tortoiseforum.org/forums/tortoise-enclosures.7/
The other bad news is that Sulcatas don’t do well as pairs. They’re territorial and another tortoise is simply a rival for food and space.
They are solitary and don’t get lonely.
There will always be a dominant tort and the subordinate gets very stressed as it cannot leave. Stressed torts get sick.
These two need l to be kept entirely separately.
They are solitary and don’t get lonely.
There will always be a dominant tort and the subordinate gets very stressed as it cannot leave. Stressed torts get sick.
These two need l to be kept entirely separately.
Also, I noticed that in the picture, the baby tort is on carpet. Make sure you never let your tortoises walk around on the floor. That is a huge Nono.
And as the others have said, a ten gallon is way to small for one sulcata, let alone two.
And as the others have said, a ten gallon is way to small for one sulcata, let alone two.
