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3 month sulcata tortoise

22 16:07:28

Question
what is the correct diet and amount of food i need to feed my hatchling also how do i give water. i was told keeping water in the habitat could give respiratory problems is this true. And is a power sun 100 watt self ballasted mercury vapor uvb lamp all i need in the habitat for correct heating and lighting and do i keep it on 24 hours a day. if not what else do i need. i really want to do right by my new baby tortoise.

Answer
Hi Larry,

Sounds like you've gotten some bad information.  Dehydration is probably the main reason hatchling sulcata die, because too many people are told they need to be kept dry with no water.  It's absolutely untrue that giving them water or providing humidity in the enclosure will cause respiratory problems.  Here's the basics for what you need:

A fairly large, open enclosure--an underbed storage box or large plastic bin will do for now.  Keep in mind that a healthy sulcata hatchling will grow pretty fast and at some point you will need to provide an outdoor enclosure with heated shed.

A substrate that will hold humidity.  I recommend a half and half mix of coir (bed-a-beast/ecoearth) and playsand, kept slightly damp at all times.  This will not cause respiratory issues; I keep hatchling Russian tortoises on this mix and know many people who keep Russians, sulcata, and leopards on the same without trouble.  Be sure to check the substrate every couple of days and dampen it if necessary.  

Keep water in the enclosure at all times, in a shallow dish large enough for the tortoise to get into completely.  I use plastic plant saucers.  You should also soak your hatchling about 3 times a week.  Keep an eye on your tortoise's urates (the solid part of pee) to judge his level of hydration--if they're soft and creamy, all is well.  Dry and gritty means your tortoise is dehydrated and you need to soak more and make sure the substrate is dampened.

Your Powersun bulb is fine--it supplies both heat and UVB.  You want temps to be 90-95 under the basking light, and 70-75 in the cooler area.  Keep the light on about 12 hours a day, and turn it off at night.  A night drop into the 60s is safe, but if your house goes below low 60s at night, you'll need to supply supplemental heat.  You can use a red bulb or ceramic heat emitter for that.

A sulcata's diet should be about 70% grasses/hay and 30% leafy greens/weeds.  Very small sulcata can have a hard time with hay, but if you cut it into small pieces and mix with greens they learn to eat it.  Orchard grass hay (Oxbow brand) is softer than timothy hay.  Greens can include turnip and mustard greens, collards, kale, dandelion, endive, spring mix, etc., along with weeds such as chicory, chickweed, sow thistle, plantain, mallow, and hawkbit.  You can also feed grape and mulberry leaves, nasturtium, rose petals, hibiscus, and violas.  Put a cuttlebone in the enclosure so your tortoise can self-regulate calcium intake.  No veggies, no fruit, and no pellets.  Provide as much variety as you can.

You can get more information at www.africantortoise.com.  There's a link on the front page to the Yahoo African tortoise group, and you can join if you want to ask questions or learn more about how to care for your sulcata.  Enjoy your tortoise!