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Re: Sulcatta hatchling


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Posted by Marcy on October 01, 2000 at 10:42:22:

In Reply to: Re: Sulcatta hatchling posted by Giovanni on September 30, 2000 at 15:49:20:

: I just ordered a Sulcatta hatchling from over the internet. It will be here on Tuesday.

: Great, and I hope things work out. Find a vet that has herp experience at once and make an appointment. It's good to make sure all systems are fine in the beginning.

:
: :We are going tomm. to get its setup and I was just curious if there are some pointers from any other sulcatta owners.

: Make sure you get a very arid cage if you can, a Reptarium works wellif you can find one.. Keep it at about 95 to 100 in the hot zone, and about 75 to 85 overall. Use rabbit pellets for a subsrate for now to keep the hatchling from consuming its substrate during feeding. Go to either the Turtle Cafe or Tortoise Aid and get some mix to start some dish gardens for grazing purposes to get the young one to learn its birthrite early, and shy away from feeding it fruits ( see if you can get some Cactus Pears and pads). Make sure you feed the tort high Calcium low phos greens if you have to buy them from the grocer temporarily, and use a D3 calcuim suppliment ( Rep Cal is a good one) sprinkled on the greens lightly when you feed. Leave food out everyday for the hatchling so you can gage how much it is going to consume. Soak it at least once every 3 days of the 1st year ( I did mine everyday) and teach it to eliminate in the water during this process, the stool should be very very dark green and should also have a firm consistancy and the appearance of fiber in it as well . The hatchling may act funny when you 1st get it as it acclimates to its surroundings, if it doesnt eliminate for some days or slow eats dont worry so much, just make sure it's warm and active and not appearing to have any visable problems. Inside the terrarium also put a big plastic cup or box and submerge it in the substrate in a cooler zone, fill with rabbit pellets so the tort will dig in it and hide and feel safe. Put a water dish in the enclosure also, but dont worry too much if you dont see them drink, mine NEVER do they seem to get hydrated from the food.
: Try to get it some outside sunlight exersize time if you can and get it used to eating grass ( of course NON CHEMICALLY TREATED..lol) natural sunlight is an enormous assistance to these magnificent creatures to help them build a smooth shell. Make sure the diet consists of as little protein as possible during this critical growth stage, African Spurred Torts are herbivores, watch the protein intake or you will be promoting bad health and possibly carapace deformation. Make sure you have an over tank heater, like an incandesent bulb from Walmart in your hot zone, and a full spectrum UVB lamp on the enclosure as well to act as absent sunlight. I replace mine every 6 months.
:
: :I have read all about them and realize how big they get.We have a spare bedroom for when he get big and are prepared for the :fact that we will be building him an outdoor pen eventually.

: Build the outdoor pen soon, you got about 2 years if the tort has a reasonable growth rate before I would feel very comfortable about keeping them outside, but then it depends (my youngest 15 month old is only about 1 1/2 pounds)upon where you live. A room in my opinion is a bad idea for a few reasons, this particular testudine is a "walk the earth" type of tortoise, it wont stop walking or wrecking things in the house if you try to contain it. This tort will get very big and do what ever it wants, it's size comes with an notoriously independent guarrentee, and will exersize every opportunity. These tortoises haven't survived to be the the 3rd largest tortoise in the world just because they missed the evolution bus, so just make sure you have a suitable living area for it so your not heartbroken in 5 years, because you have to give it away. The picture shown here is what a healthy 50 lb African Spurred Tortoise will do to a fence it can see through in about 15 minutes. Amazingly so, he also got himself through that small hole.

: :We discussed this decision at length and have other turtles. But not tortises.

: Go to Egroups.com, subscribe to African Tortoises, and the Tortoise Trust, it's a free collective of people that can help. And Marissa has an awesome caresheet for this magnificent animal you can find on Sulcata Station.com. I wish you the absolute best, it's great to meet you. You are on an adventure with an animal that will amaze you everyday for the rest of your life . Welcome to the tribe.

: Ciao'


I cannot find this "Sulcata Station.com". Do you have the exact URL? Thanks


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