#100021

 Concerns on Diet and Habitat -Sulcata

I’ve got a sulcata named "charlie" and of course he’s very cute. But I am getting a little concerned about his eating habits and habitat. First off, he eats Romain Lettuce and cucumbers but on most occasions refuses to eat anything else. Sometimes he’ll go for collard greens, or zucchinni, and very seldom will he tear into a green bean... but nothing out of those "what to feed your tortise" books or web info. He seems super healthy and is quite personable. He’ll eat out of my hand and stuff...so I’m giving him powdered calicum and vitamins sprinkled on his food...??? Any thoughts? And THEN, the whole habitat thing... I purchased him as a hatchling,still had his egg tooth and everything, which a couple of months later, I heard some rumors that they’re supposed to be a certian lenght before purchase...or some such thing...anywho, the point is, is that I bought him in august, and he loved being outside all the time, and but then along came fall and thus winter and in the house he came. His little house has all the proper lights and a log for him to crawl in, and which he scratchs on alot...but now that the weather has warmed back up, he doesn’t want to be outside... he walks around not at all interested in the things he could eat, and usually finds a dark spot to hide in, or he will come and sit by my feet untill I take him back in. Any thoughts on that?

 #100178

 Concerns on Diet and Habitat -Sulcata

NAV!!!! First of all, wean him off the fruits and veggies...Fruits and veggies are NOT a good thing to give a sulcata...They are supposed to eat grasses, not veggies and fruits....Veggies and fruit will cause his shell to deform into what is called "pyramiding"......His diet is prob the reason he is wanting to hide so much....Though sulcatas do like to hide a portion of the day....You are going to have to wean him off those foods and begin giving him the proper diet.....Begin by mixing in the grasses with what you are giving him and then gradually increase the amount of grasses, flowers, etc....Try and get some hibiscus flowers and dandelions...Those are healthier and will prob attract his attention more so he will become interested in diff types of foods....The fruits and veggies are like feeding your kid McDonald’s 24x7......Good luck!!!

 #100729

 Concerns on Diet and Habitat -Sulcata

i thought veggies like collared greens were good for them

 #101112

 Concerns on Diet and Habitat -Sulcata

Alrighty. Well, 2 days into grasses and dandilions and he’s still pushing them all around his enclosure...out of his food dish and into his water, to get to his other stuff,and pretty much just spreading it all around. How long should I give it? I was thinking about just putting that only in there untill he got hungry enough, but he can get pretty moody, and I didn’t want to make him mad or worse yet sick...

 #101653

 Concerns on Diet and Habitat -Sulcata

Personally, I would let it go for a couple of days....Also, if you have a food processor, take a mixture of the stuff he’s eating now, and add in grasses and hay, etc....give it a really quick spin...just enough to mix, but not liquefy, etc....and then begin to add more grasses and less veggies, etc...just do it slowly over a couple of weeks if need be.....make sure the tort can recognize his favorite junk food when mixing!!

 #101745

 Concerns on Diet and Habitat -Sulcata

one more thing.....buy some mazuri tortoise diet....feed store, pet shop whatever....soak the pellets in water for about 2 minutes then drain the water....see if you can get him to eat that as well...my hatchlings love it, and my 80# big guy loves it as well!!!

 #101958

 80# eh?

Wow. 80 pounds. My little guy is well...so little...sometimes it’s hard to imagine him being that big. Certian days I wish he would just hurry up grow, but then I think of all the fun I would miss. So how old is yours?

 #102044

 80# eh?

Mr. Gonzales (AKA Speedy) is approx 4.5 yrs old......And he’s such a wonderful tort!! I also have 2 hatchlings that makes it really difficult to imagine that they will ever get that big!!!! I’m attaching pics to this message....Mr. Gonzales likes to take his daily walks and soaks in the shallow pond we dug for him....The hatchlings get supervised time out in his pen as well.....Life is never dull around here!!

 #104354

 Wow! Thanks.

Hey, those pics are awesome. Just wanted you to know that my Charlie is doing better. I’ve been picking stuff for him outside, and leaving in his indoor enclosure. He’s nibbling on a few of them, and now when we go outside, I have to follow him everywhere!! He’s fast for a little guy, and when he gets on the gravel, look out!

 #104643

 Wow! Thanks.

You can also try dandelions or hibiscus flowers to egt him more interested in eating other than fruits n veggies.....You should post pics of Charlie....Would love to see him...I’m so glad to hear of your success with him....It’s so sad when you see these guys with pyramiding going on....They LOVE fresh grass if you can find some....Try some grass hay too...It’ll come in handy during the winter months when there is no fresh grass available....You can also use rubbermaid tubs to grow grass in the house during the winter as well.....

 #105152

 Really?

Grow grass inside eh? I’m guessing I’d need my heat and uvb bulbs yes? that’s pretty slick. I’ll try and get some pics of him posted up for you. I’ve got a cute one of him right after I got him, and he’s sitting on one of the old (larger)silver dollars. probly a coulple of days though.

 #106677

 Really?

can’t wait!!! I love tort pics.....