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 #1769987


Cleatusmom
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 Help with my sulcatas

Ok so about 4 years ago, sometime in mid 2004 I bought a hatchling tortoise. I did what I shouldnt do a bought him/her just because it was so cute in the palm of my hand... well 600 dollars later we had him home with the food that the pet store told us to give him and the sand they had us buy. I kept him in a glass tank with the full spec UVB light and heat lamp. Over time I have changed his diet to grean leave lettuce and occassionally grass and dandilions. I also changed the substrate to toxic free reptile dirt. Now I am reading up on what he really needs (I know... what took me so long) But I dont think that he is growing very well... I believe that he is somwhere around 4 years and he is only the size of a baseball....maybe a softball. And maybe about 1 to 2 pounds. I know that I have tototally been feeding him wrong and possibly shouldnt have him in the tank that I do but I am getting mixed information from different web sites that I read. Can anyone give me a basic run down on:
How big should he be at this age?
How do I know if it is a male/female?
What do I need to be feeding it?
Do I need to keep anything at the bottom of the cage of can I just use paper towels?
Is he ok in the tank?
Can I keep him outside if it gets to a 112 degrees on a daily basis?
06/22/08  08:23pm

 #1770095


04alexmom
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   Message To: Cleatusmom   In reference to Message Id: 1769987


 Help with my sulcatas

I don’t have a sulcata, but no tortoise should be kept in a glass tank, they are very bad for them due to poor air circulation and glass confuses them, because they think they can go through it. Not sure but I think it’s diet should be mainly weeds/grasses and and dark leafy greens. The substrate should be a 50/50 mix of bed-a-feast or soil and sand and it should be kept outside as much as possible. 112 degrees is fine as long as it has fresh water to soak in, a hide, and shaded areas. Because of it’s size a cheap plastic kiddy pool should be ok for a while, but I’m no expert.

Here is the care sheet from this site: http://repticzone.com/caresheets/183.html

Good luck and get him/ her out of that tank as soon as possible. :-)
06/22/08  09:53pm

 #1770356


RepticTay
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   Message To: Cleatusmom   In reference to Message Id: 1769987


 Help with my sulcatas

Hi, all that matters now is that your getting on the right track and wanting whats best for him.

www.africantortoise.com
http://chelonia.org/Articles/sulcatacare.htm
http://tortoisetrust.org/care/csulcata.html

hope these are helpful! all 3 are experts!
06/23/08  06:00am

 #1774827


Michelle_vera
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   Message To: Cleatusmom   In reference to Message Id: 1769987


 Help with my sulcatas

Wow my sulcatas both male and 6 yrs of age are 25 pounds. they eat mostly grass in the back yard along with occasional roses, hibiscus and once weekly fruit. They dont seem to like green leafy veggies although i do offer. please get this torty to the vet he may have worms as most we buy from pet stores do . This will cost u but again u r behind for owning a sulcatas lol. This poor guy needs to go out of your tank and into your back yard to feed at will.These guys like to walk miles and miles even if its just in your backyard i walk mine around the neighborhood once a week and they love it.One big thing u need to know is if they can see thru a fence they will dig burrow climb or just barge right thru a fence .They need water daily while recovering . You need to sit him in water up to the bottom of his shell (warm)he will drink urinate and defacate in this water so b ready to change several times.But i urge you to get him to the vet he is very underwight if hes a sulcata on the verge of death.
06/26/08  07:28pm

 #1779724


Roqout_biznatch
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   Message To: Michelle_vera   In reference to Message Id: 1774827


 Help with my sulcatas

I didn’t know they could eat roses. really? do they enjoy them. my sulcata is a great eater but I’ve never tried feeding him roses.



07/01/08  02:58pm

 #1780712


RepticTay
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   Message To: Roqout_biznatch   In reference to Message Id: 1779724


 Help with my sulcatas

sulcata’s best diet is grasses and weeds.
but like all tortoises can eat other things such as roses (petals and leaves only, no stems obviously), hosta, fuschia, clovers and much more. Naturally you stick to a sulcatas set diet, such as grasses and fibre food. but the following is also allowed as a mixed diet. (any experts may beg to differ, but i certain like to differ where diet is concerned, sullys yes need their stable diet, but every now and then they are fine to eat other foods).

1.Aloe Vera
2.Bamboo
3.Bedstraw (cleavers)
4.Bindweed
6.Roses (petals and leaves)
7.Bristly Ox Tongue
8.Buddleia
9.Cacti (some not all)
10.Calendula Marigold/Daisy marigold
11.Campanula
12.Carrot tops
13.Cats Ear
14.Clover
15.Cornflour
16.Cut Leaved Nettle
17.Dandelion
18.Evening Primrose
19.Forget Me Not
20.Gazania
21.Globe Thistle
22.Hawks Beard
23.Henbit Nettle
24.Hibiscus
25.Honeysuckle Flowers
26.Hostas
27.Knapweed
28.Lavatera
29.Lavender
30.Lemon Mint
31.Mallow
32.Milk Thistle
33.Mimulas
34.Nasturtium
35.Pansies
36.Plantains (all)
37.Pumpkin Flowers
38.Rape
39.Red Nettle
40.Ribwort Plantain
41.Sedum
42.Shepherds Purse
43.Slender Speedwell
44.Sow Thistle
45.Spotted Nettle
46.Stinging Nettle
47.Sunflower
48.Trefoils (all)
49.Verches
50.Violets
51.White Nettle
52.Yarrow
53. Dead nettle

this list is edible for all tortoises around.
07/02/08  03:21pm


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