Re: sulcata

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Posted by Terry on February 14, 1999 at 12:23:42:

In Reply to: sulcata posted by Frank on February 14, 1999 at 09:30:35:

Hi the first thing I would do is soak it. Soak in luke warm water ( the water should only come up to the point where the top shell meets the bottom shell) soak for about 15-20 minutes. Alot of tortoises from shows and pet stores are dehydrated, as drinking and soaking water is overlooked.
Kale and collards should not make up the base of the diet, they can be added in small amounts.Instead try endive, romaine lettuce, watercress, mustard greens, chicory, hibiscus flowers, dandelions, opuntia cactus pads, add fresh grass from your yard. ( no pestisides or fertilizers)
Sulcatas love to roam, so an outdoor pen( weather permiting is the way to go) even my tiny 2" leopards have a pen. They love to explore and graze.Make sure the pen is sunk in the ground a couple of inches to avoid escapes. And is safe from any preditors.
Try to get a heat gradient in the tank, 75 in the cooler end about 86 in the warmer end. Put a hide box in the cool end. Sulcatas max out at very high temps, 86 is a good temperature as long as it can get out of the heat if it wants.
I would soak it at least twice a week, and also keep a very shallow drinking dish in the enclosure.A 20 gallon tank really isn't big enough, start thinking about building a pen, these tortoises love to roam around. My 14" sulcata has the run of the yard, and is very active only stoping to take a rest when it gets too hot at mid day.
Best of luck, let us know how it goes, Terry.

: Just yesterday I picked up my seond tortoise at havre de grace herp show. Its a sulcata and about 4 inches plastron length.y other tortoise is a Bells. I know its going to grow big and all that stuff. It is cb and the person told me it was 1 year old. Hes in a 20 gallon long for now. Rabit pellots for substrate and a hide box. He has a 100 watt retile bulb on one end. The temp never drops below 70. Light stays on for about 14 hours a day. It still hasn't eaten anything . I offered it kale, collard greens. Didn't even seem interested just went back in his box. It was with another turtle so could he be lonely? Is there not enough space?

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Re: sulcata frank 2/14/99 (0)

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: Hi the first thing I would do is soak it. Soak in luke warm water ( the water should only come up to the point where the top shell meets the bottom shell) soak for about 15-20 minutes. Alot of tortoises from shows and pet stores are dehydrated, as drinking and soaking water is overlooked. : Kale and collards should not make up the base of the diet, they can be added in small amounts.Instead try endive, romaine lettuce, watercress, mustard greens, chicory, hibiscus flowers, dandelions, opuntia cactus pads, add fresh grass from your yard. ( no pestisides or fertilizers) : Sulcatas love to roam, so an outdoor pen( weather permiting is the way to go) even my tiny 2" leopards have a pen. They love to explore and graze.Make sure the pen is sunk in the ground a couple of inches to avoid escapes. And is safe from any preditors. : Try to get a heat gradient in the tank, 75 in the cooler end about 86 in the warmer end. Put a hide box in the cool end. Sulcatas max out at very high temps, 86 is a good temperature as long as it can get out of the heat if it wants. : I would soak it at least twice a week, and also keep a very shallow drinking dish in the enclosure.A 20 gallon tank really isn't big enough, start thinking about building a pen, these tortoises love to roam around. My 14" sulcata has the run of the yard, and is very active only stoping to take a rest when it gets too hot at mid day. : Best of luck, let us know how it goes, Terry. : : : Just yesterday I picked up my seond tortoise at havre de grace herp show. Its a sulcata and about 4 inches plastron length.y other tortoise is a Bells. I know its going to grow big and all that stuff. It is cb and the person told me it was 1 year old. Hes in a 20 gallon long for now. Rabit pellots for substrate and a hide box. He has a 100 watt retile bulb on one end. The temp never drops below 70. Light stays on for about 14 hours a day. It still hasn't eaten anything . I offered it kale, collard greens. Didn't even seem interested just went back in his box. It was with another turtle so could he be lonely? Is there not enough space?

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