Please help me identify my tortoise!

Discussion in 'Tortoises' started by reedb9, Jan 3, 2011.

  1. reedb9

    reedb9 Embryo

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    2
    Hi Everyone,
    I just got a tortoise as a gift and am not sure what she (I think its a she?) is.....
    Perhaps an African Spurred? I want to find out how to care for her.
    Please help me or lead me in the right direction....
    Thank You, Reed
     

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  2. JEFFREH

    JEFFREH Administrator

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  3. RandomWiktor

    RandomWiktor New Member

    Messages:
    35
    Looks to be a sulcata, albiet one that is pyramided already. You can't to much to reverse this, but improved husbandry should prevent it from progressing further. A few nutrition modifications to consider:
    - A sulcata's diet should be mostly grass based. They eat mostly grass in the wild and can run into serious health problems in captivity if this isn't mimicked. You can get timothy hay and other grass hays from livestock feed stores and pet stores, and this should always be available to them. If your climate allows it and your lawn is free of pesticides/herbicides/chemical fertilizers, grazing is also a fantastic idea - just be sure to supervise.
    - Weeds, leafy greens, cactus pads and edible flowers are also relished by sulcatas. Weeds should be the most common food behind grasses. You should be sure to avoid highly watery leafy greens like iceburg lettuce, as well as overfeeding leafy greens to a degree that they ignore their hay/grass. I can't emphasize this enough; grass needs to be the #1 thing they eat. Some people suggest that they can eat fruit/veg, but after talking to a few vets and reading a few sites, I feel it is unnecessary and potentially risky; a fruit-heavy diet can be damaging to the tortoise's GI.
    - Sulcatas require a good deal of calcium and a well balanced Ca:p ratio. It is generally advised to only supplement pure calcium, not a calcium supplement with phosphorus. Leaving a cuttlebone in their enclosure actually works pretty great.

    I wanted to emphasize those points as diet is a major area where folks go wrong with sulcatas. But for some great info on husbandry, please check out http://www.sulcata-station.org - I find their site very helpful.
     
  4. JEFFREH

    JEFFREH Administrator

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  5. TortoiseTerry1956

    TortoiseTerry1956 Embryo

    Messages:
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    Nice looking sulcata...post a clear pic of the tail and we'll more likely be able to tell you if it's a "he" or "she".

    Also, cactus pads are relished and contain a lot of calcium, so feed at least 2x a week.

    BTW, I assume that you know how gig sulcatas get...Lots of sulcatas end up in resues because the previous owner didn't...on the "+" side, you'll never need to mow your lawn anymore! :)
     

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