Your sulcata can't tell you the basking spot has drifted cool, or that a rich diet is quietly pyramiding its shell. baskr watches the pattern across your logs, temperature, humidity, growth and feeding, and shows you what needs attention before it becomes a problem.
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Doing okay
Sulcata Tortoise
Basking too cool
Averaged 31°C vs the 35–40°C a sulcata needs. Check the basking lamp.
Basking spot
35–40°C · 95–104°F
Cool side
24–28°C · 75–82°F
Humidity
40–55%
Ideal ranges for Centrochelys sulcata, the same targets baskr scores your logs against.
Basking and warm figures are surface temperatures at the spot; cool and ambient are air. Measure with a probe or infrared thermometer at the animal's height.
Life stage matters: Hatchlings and juveniles need a humid hide and a damper microclimate than the dry adult setup, low humidity while a sulcata is growing drives shell pyramiding.
Diurnal
Active by day
Sahel, sub-Saharan Africa
Wild climate. Hot, dry grassland and scrub of the Sahel; blazing days, cooler nights, and deep burrows dug to escape the heat.
Why the care is what it is. This is why baskr targets a 35 to 40°C basking spot, strong UVB and a dry, high-fibre grass diet, with warmth year-round and no hibernation.
Logging is the input. The product is spotting when a single off reading becomes a pattern worth acting on.
35–40°C (95–104°F) over a solid basking area
A cool basking spot slows digestion and, over time, feeds poor growth.
A cool side of 24–28°C with no cold, damp corners
Cold or damp is a respiratory risk for a hot-climate grazer.
40–55%, with a humid hide for youngsters
Too dry while growing drives pyramiding (a lumpy shell); stagnant damp risks shell and respiratory issues.
Steady, smooth growth, not rapid
Fast, lumpy growth from over-feeding or protein is a red flag, graze, don't power-feed.
Grass and hay-led, weeds, no fruit or added protein
Rich or fruity foods cause runny droppings and long-term harm, keep it high-fibre.
Active and warm year-round
A sulcata going cold and sluggish isn't brumating, it's too cold, warm it and reassess.
Safe to include
Avoid
A grazing lawn of safe grasses and weeds is the ideal, this is a grass-eating machine, not a salad or fruit tortoise.
Staples
Occasional / treats
Never feed
Supplements. Calcium (a cuttlebone to gnaw plus light dusting) and UVB do the heavy lifting; keep protein low.
Good to know. High-fibre, low-protein and grass-led. Over-feeding and rich foods are the classic cause of pyramiding and health problems.
The right kind of kit, pick brands you trust.
UVB lighting
A high-output 10–12% T5 HO tube (Ferguson zone 3–4) across the basking zone, replaced every 12 months; real sunlight outdoors is even better.
Basking heat
A basking lamp to reach 35–40°C over a solid spot, on a thermostat.
Thermostat
Controls indoor heat; adults in sheds need a safe, thermostatted heat source.
Thermometer + hygrometer
To track the hot basking zone and keep damp in check.
Heated shed (adults)
The realistic long-term housing: an insulated, heated, secure outbuilding with access to a large, dig-proof pen.
Cuttlebone / calcium
A cuttlebone to gnaw supports shell and beak.
Grounded in your own logs and the ideal ranges above, plain language, never a diagnosis.
Basking spot has averaged 31°C this week, cool for a sulcata (target 35–40°C). Check the lamp, digestion depends on real heat.
Fruit and rich foods logged several times, these drive runny droppings and pyramiding in a grazer. Shift back to grass and hay.
Nights have dropped cold and activity is down. A sulcata doesn't hibernate, warm it up rather than letting it cool.
Enter your own readings for an instant care score, the same check baskr runs for you every day.
Enter a reading or two above to see Sulcata Tortoise's care score.
A quick guide, not a diagnosis. Ideal ranges vary with age, morph and setup, and individual animals differ, so confirm anything critical with an experienced keeper or a reptile vet.
Very big: 60–80 cm and often 45–90 kg as adults, the third-largest tortoise species. They outgrow any indoor enclosure and need secure outdoor space plus a heated shed, so they're a serious long-term commitment.
No. They're from hot sub-Saharan grassland and stay warm and active year-round. A sulcata going cold and sluggish is too cold, not brumating, warm it and reassess.
Grass and hay above all, plus edible weeds like dandelion and clover. Keep it high-fibre and low-protein, and avoid fruit, over-rich diets cause pyramiding and health problems.
Only while small. They grow fast, and an adult needs a large, secure, dig-proof outdoor area with a heated shed. If you can't provide that space for 50+ years, it's the wrong tortoise.
Log your sulcata tortoise's care in seconds and baskr does the watching. Free for your first 3 animals.
Start freeLast reviewed August 2026. General husbandry guidance, not veterinary advice, and ranges vary with age, morph, subspecies and setup. Confirm anything critical with an experienced keeper or an exotics vet.