Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have quite the situation on my hands. Currently I am living with a sulcata, leopard, indian star, red foot, male iguana and a female iguana. It is quite the zoo. I have received all these animals second hand because they needed a good home. I am fine with my igs. I have been rescuing igs for quite some time and I know that I am providing a good home for them. My torts are the reason for this posting.

The sulcata is 2 years old. She is eating mostly bermuda grass with some collard greens. She eats alot. Nonstop if I allow her. I mix her feed and pack it into a cool whip container for storage. I give her half a container a day. Is this adequate? or should she be eating more? Cause she will if I give it to her I just don't want her to overeat. She gets fresh water everyday and is on a newspaper substrate. Her enclosure is kept at 80 - 90 degrees by a ceramic heat emitter. She has 16 hours of UV from a ReptiSun 5.0 bulb. I haven't checked humidity for a while but it is at a natural low now since it is winter time. So, my questions are am I feeding her right? Is she at an adequate temp? Is the substate fine? and how big should her enclosure be?

The leopard is kept in the same conditions but he eats a lot less. Where my sulcata (Zena) weighs over 5 pounds. He only weighs about 1 1/2 lbs. He gets a fourth of what she is fed and usually doesn't finish it. Instead of a ceramic heat emitter he has a night bulb. It is one of the bulbs designed to give off heat but is red so it supposedly doesn't keep them awake. So I have basically the same questions as for my Sulcata. Also, I am thinking about getting a cage off of one of my friends that would house them both since they require the same conditions. Is this possible?

My indian star is a real treat. She is very sociable. She has a big appetite and eats the same as the sulcata and leopard. She eats about half of what the sulcata does but would eat more if I gave it to her. She almost weighs 2 pounds. I know that I can not house her with the other torts. What about in the yard when I let them outside to roam. Do I need to section off a area for her only? I usually just let them go in the entire back yard, it is a big area, but I could always fence her an area in.

Last, but not least, is my red foot. He eats green beans, squash, parsnips, collard greens, some insects and fruit. Pretty good little eater. I would say at least a cup or more a day. He weighs around 1 lb. I keep his enclosure a bit more humid and notice that he is often in his water bowl for a soak.

Sorry for the length. I am overwhelmed taking care of these guys everyday and just want to make sure I am doing a good job. I think about giving them up to rescue but realize that most places have too many torts. So, I am trying to make the best of the situation. Plus, I have grown quite attached to the guys. Although, I have seen all the postings for people wanting torts, and am thinking it might be nice to find good homes for a couple of mine.

I'd ditch the "night bulb on the Leo, the light is really unnatural, ceramic heaters are good though. you didnt mention the size of the torts, so I cant say how big to make the enclosures (mine is about 6.5 times as long and 3.5 as wide as the tort is long). If the leo and sulcata are close to the same size you could house them together (climates are about the same) but i would avoid it if possible, Leo's tend to give in to disease more easily than sulcatas, you dont want either getting sick. My personal feeling about the outdoor yard is that if it is big enough then the torts will probably be ok together (if you only let them out for short time: basically if they are monitored, It thats their perminent summer home I would try to seperate them if possible). Really the general feeling is seperate any time its possible. Sounds like you have alot on your hands though, but you do have it under control. I would do a bit of research on the torts diets, there is alot of info available out there...
-Ian

bless your heart! here's another rerun:

housing: if you decided that you really want to keep them, consider putting them "enclosures/cages" on wheels to cut down the daily chores and saving energy at the same time (otherwise, that 5.0 ReptiSun got to go each 2 months), try not to mix species since you don't know what they carry from the previous place (s).

foods: feed them much as they can eat in an hour (20 minutes or less for that SulcaTANK!) But minimized feeding parterns to every 2 or 3 days (big dudes), everyotherday for the littleones.

the very last thing you want to do is give up which is VERY SAD since they began getting attached to you somehow...there should be plenty of folks on here who is more than willing to help you out on that...just make sure you do interview or references (the least thing you can do) and hope they don't winded up in the classified section...

EEeeks! I am definitely over feeding then. I feed them on a daily basis. I will start your method and see how it goes. I have been closely watching their weight and although they are gaining, they are not gaining a lot.

As for the UV bulbs. I thought they needed replaced on a 6 month basis. That could get kind of expensive. Typically in the summer months, they get outside almost everyday for 4-5 hours. But I live in West Virginia, so it is cold now.

I will keep in mind the adoption. If I could find someone who cared for them as much as I do, then I would give them up because it really does take up a large portion of my time. Plus, I need to building new enclosures and that is going to be expensive. More importantly though, I don't have a lot room for them in my house.

In my opinion...

When you have them outside regularly, don't use the Reptisun bulbs. Just use a cheap fluorescent, maybe something that is "daylight balanced" or "full spectrum" from the hardware store. I see several bulbs labelled that way at Lowe's or Home Depot.

You can continue to use the overpriced UV bulbs during cold months. I have leopard tortoises that get some outdoor time during the summer, but spend a good deal of time indoors. I use a "full spectrum" bulb year round and calcium/d3 supplements to supplement their need for d3.

...slow/even growth (basic textbook stuffs) is what we all strike for (unless you are those greedy breeders...good thing they are not gaining an awful lot and become obese like a fat "ninja"...

fake UV rays: other type might last a bit longer but those long fc tubs are short lived (that based on an 10 hrs daily use especially where you live.)

...I don't have a lot room for them in my house...
you might want to consider "vertical intergration"?...that's what them wheels are for...ya zoo become da ZOOOOOOM...Vooom...Vooom...