Sulcata Question

Well I've given her a little time to settle in on the hay and she definitely seems to like it! She munches on it all the time lol. I've got her in a 20L tank with heat lamp, UV, and soaking now for about 15min every other day. I'm feeding the nature zone tortoise food, salad with calcium. She has a hide box on each end and a water bowl she can climb in but not deep enough to drown. Humidity is in the upper 30's and temps in upper 80's.
If any of this should be changed please let me know!

Tim, that site is very helpful thank you! I am looking forward to letting her run around in her playpen I plan to build when it warms up enough! Can they eat Bermuda grass? That's what is in my yard, so if they can't I'll put her in a grass free area and just lay som hay down.

PS: I'm not positive at this point that the little one is a female. It has a flat plastron, but I understand it's a little young to really tell.

sounds like kelli and tim have gotten you off to a great start. the bermuda grass in your yard is ok if it's not treated with any pesticides or fertilizers. make sure that if you build an enclosure for a small sulcata that the top is covered to keep predators out. birds, dogs, cats, etc will gladly snatch up a small tort. i fed my sullys the same way as kelli and tim stated. and as far as purchasing hay, try your local feed store. you can get a lot more for a lot cheaper. i use mazuri tort food with leafy greens sprinkled with super cal plus. and they love dandelions. i actually just let them grow wild in one corner of my yard just for the torts. just make sure the salad you are using isn't iceberg lettuce, it has no nutritional value. good luck with your new tort!

You might like to know, there's been a lot of new information coming out lately concerning raising baby Sulcatas. All evidence points toward keeping them dry (i.e. on a hay substrate) actually causing the all too common failure to thrive issues in Sullie (and Leopard tort) hatchlings/juveniles, as well as, naturally, pyramiding... Where keeping them humid (humid substrate, frequent mistings) and very hydrated (via a good water dish, daily soaks) appears to greatly increase survivability and even overall health, as noticeable through a lack of pyramiding (shell deformation); fast, healthy growth; and overall robustness and activity of the animal(s).

It's definitely something that I'd recommend the OP, or any other poster here with young Sulcatas, to do more research about. Whether or not you decide to follow the advice, at least look into it so you know all your options and the reasoning behind them.

Some good reading to start you off... http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-...#axzz1GSUqFMMp http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-...#axzz1GSUqFMMp
You may notice both of these are started by the same person. Keep in mind this method has the backing of an entire forum of life-long tortoise keepers and breeders, and the "hot and humid" method has been used with great success for a great many hatchling and juvenile Sulcatas and Leopards, among others, kept by forum members who've been following this care method at least to some extent.

I won't go further into it, but I wish you luck with your Sullie and hope you take this information I've provided into consideration.

Spring mix from the grocery store is a great staple. Mazuri is also a good choice if you want to throw in a commercial food once in a while.

I have heard a soil/moss is fine or even cypress mulch. Soak the tortoise daily. You want to keep some humidity in there to prevent pyramiding.

I agree with Floof, that it's a better idea to research BEFORE not after getting a new pet. Tortoises are a serious lifelong pet.

If this is your first tort, an older tortoise would have been better instead of a hatchling. They tend to require more care than older ones, as they are not quite as hardy when they're so young.

30% humidity is way too low.......I keep all my hatchling Tortoises at 60-80% RH, and that includes all species.......