# Found Baby Desert Tortoise



## basmith

Hello Everyone,
I found an Arizona Sonoran Desert Tortoise on Saturday while deer hunting. It was stuck on it's back and was very cold. He would move a little when I touched his feet. I put him in my warm glove and brought him home as I don't believe it would have lasted long in that cold. I know it is illegal to own one of these, but I thought I could give him a good home. My in-laws have an acre property where they have owned two tortoises before. It has apple trees and what not that the tortoises are able to eat. Right now I have him in a small tank with dirt from my garden. What would be the best set up to make him live and stay healthy? Should I put something else in besides dirt? What about UV lighting? 

Thanks for the help


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## DeanS

You did what I would've (and what most here would've)! The first thing you need to do is pick up a Mercury Vapor Bulb...they're pricey, but last a long time...and it's the BEST light source for him...other than the sun...which, being as you're in AZ, you can put a makeshift home for him outside...as long as temps are above 65! Try converting a kiddie pool or something similar...a plastic storage box or the like. Oh yeah...I almost forgot...pictures would be nice! I'm sure I'm not the only one who'd like to see your little one!


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## basmith

I will take some pictures of it when I get home from work. How long would it need to be outside to get sun each day? Also, I read somewhere that it is not good to handle a baby tortoise to much. So, would it put stress on it if I took him out of his tank once a day and put him outside?





DeanS said:


> You did what I would've (and what most here would've)! The first thing you need to do is pick up a Mercury Vapor Bulb...they're pricey, but last a long time...and it's the BEST light source for him...other than the sun...which, being as you're in AZ, you can put a makeshift home for him outside...as long as temps are above 65! Try converting a kiddie pool or something similar...a plastic storage box or the like. Oh yeah...I almost forgot...pictures would be nice! I'm sure I'm not the only one who'd like to see your little one!


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## Angi

I will leave most of this to the experts, but, Cyperess (SP?) mulch is better. He needs a place to hide. A water dish big enough to soak in and a piece of slate tile to eat off. AND HE NEEDS LIGHTS!!!!!! For heat. The experts can tell you exactly what kind. How big is he? How big is the tank? You may need something bigger. I would give him a worm soak right away (not hot). What are you feeding him?


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## basmith

I have him in a ten gallon tank right now. I have given him a piece of an apple and a leaf from my green pepper plant. He is about 3 inches long and about 1 1/2 inches wide. His eyes always seem to be shut. Not sure if that is normal for a new hatchling or not.



Angi said:


> I will leave most of this to the experts, but, Cyperess (SP?) mulch is better. He needs a place to hide. A water dish big enough to soak in and a piece of slate tile to eat off. AND HE NEEDS LIGHTS!!!!!! For heat. The experts can tell you exactly what kind. How big is he? How big is the tank? You may need something bigger. I would give him a worm soak right away (not hot). What are you feeding him?


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## moswen

hey, did you get anything that night? we're going for turkey over thanksgiving. if az has the same rules as ca, you can apply for a permit to own these tortoises. if he was stuck upside down he might have some minor problems (dehydration) so they would probably allow you to keep him. but i don't know how anyone would find out you had him (unless they joined the forum!). i'm glad you're interested in giving him the best possible care! all tortoises need a source of uvb light, you can get a trex or powersun uva/uvb full spectrum bulb, but it's very important that the box says uva AND uvb. the higher wattages are for desert tortoises. you might not need anohter heat source if you have him in a small container, but tortoises do need a little room to roam. lots of us have our hatchlings in under bed storage conainers or other big plastic storage bins from walmart. 2x3 or 4 feet or something like that would be really nice for the little guy.

you need to keep him on a substrate that holds moisture well, dirt with dead leaves is a good mixture, i use cypress mulch because i live in town and chemicals are everywher here. keep his substrate slightly moist, because hatchlings need humidity to keep from pyramiding. he needs to have a basking spot where it is warmer and a cooler end where he can escape the heat. temps under his heat lamp (uvb bulb) should be around 90-100 degrees, the cooler area needs to be around 75. he needs a clean water dish at all times and a warm 15 minute soak every day to keep hydrated. get him a hide, it can be a sideways pot or a big pile of leaves or something like that. add a humid hide box closer to the heat source because a cold and wet tortoise can lead to uri's. you need a wet and warm tortoise! put sphagnum moss or something else in a container and keep it constantly moist. 

he'll need to eat lots of dark leafy greens such as kale, turnip greens, mustard greens, dandelion greens, endive, escarole, a little bit of spinach but not much, hibiscus, bananna leaves, grape leaves, fig leaves, mulberry leaves, pumpkin, butternut and spaghetti squash, and most importantly... cactus! cactus is very high in fiber, which is what all tortoises have to have. he'll also need a source of calcium, you can buy cuttlebone for birds and put that in his enclosure with him, he'll eat it when he needs it. try to stay away from any lettuces including romaine, they just don't supply enough nutrients. it's like you eating candy all day. 

i hope that covered a lot of your questions, let me know if you need any more!


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## Marty333

Hmmm he is a desert tort and really shouldnt be eating apples. Do you have dandelion weeds they love them also you can buy a huge bag of mustard and collard greens at your local food market and a bag of spring mix. Try not to feed him the spinach much or at all because it isn't good for them. The ten gallon tank is fine for now since you are still figuring out what you are doing  Also give him a nice warm soak in a tupperware container for 20 mins. I don't think his eyes should be closed maybe he is cold so you should get him a CHE ( Ceramic heat emmiter) and a Mercury Vapor Bulb right away to warm him up!


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## moswen

oh, there's something wrong with my computer i guess, i didn't see all the other replies! sorry angi and dean!

also, if it's 3 inches it's not a hatchling, it's probably 2 years old or so. and the closed eyes is kind of worrisome, does he walk around and eat if you pick him up and move him about for a minute?


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## basmith

Thanks for all the info. @Moswen: No, I am a deer hunter that will never get a deer. We say 4 does, but no bucks. I do have raised garden beds that are outside that I could put him in. The beds have pumpkin leaves, green peppers and green onions in them. Would this be a better place to keep him? This way he would get natural sunlight? The temps do get into the 40's at night around the Phoenix area in the winter. Is this too cold? 

He does move around but not that much. I haven't been handling too much as I didn't want to stress him out.





moswen said:


> oh, there's something wrong with my computer i guess, i didn't see all the other replies! sorry angi and dean!
> 
> also, if it's 3 inches it's not a hatchling, it's probably 2 years old or so. and the closed eyes is kind of worrisome, does he walk around and eat if you pick him up and move him about for a minute?


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## Maggie Cummings

basmith said:


> Thanks for all the info. @Moswen: No, I am a deer hunter that will never get a deer. We say 4 does, but no bucks. I do have raised garden beds that are outside that I could put him in. The beds have pumpkin leaves, green peppers and green onions in them. Would this be a better place to keep him? This way he would get natural sunlight? The temps do get into the 40's at night around the Phoenix area in the winter. Is this too cold?
> 
> He does move around but not that much. I haven't been handling too much as I didn't want to stress him out.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> moswen said:
> 
> 
> 
> oh, there's something wrong with my computer i guess, i didn't see all the other replies! sorry angi and dean!
> 
> also, if it's 3 inches it's not a hatchling, it's probably 2 years old or so. and the closed eyes is kind of worrisome, does he walk around and eat if you pick him up and move him about for a minute?
Click to expand...




They are grazers so fruit is not good for them...they can't process the sugar in fruit. Give him grass and weeds and Spring mix with collards and other leafy greens...and a nice warm soak...he's too cold right now...


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## Angi

He will need bigger than 10 gallon, but Dean covered that. I think heat and soaks will do wonders for him. Check out the food and diet section here. Pick up some organic spring mix from the grocery to start with. No friut. Also get him some calcium to sprinkle on his food. Any pet store should be able to hook you up with the lights, calcium a hide and substrate. You can get a plastic bin to keep him in and a piece of tile at Home Depot. Read as much as you can on here. It has the most up to date info. Actually a plastic shoe box from Home Depot would make a better hide and cost about a dollar. You just need to cut a hole in it. That is a start anyway......


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## moswen

well, i'm sorry to hear that! you'll get a nice big fat one just out of rut... it'll be worth the wait! that's exactly what happend to me. i agree he might be too cold, soak him asap in really warm water. desert tortoises hibernate over winter, so you really shouldn't leave him out side. you're not going to stress him out unless you carry him around in a backpack all day, but picking him up and moving him about his enclosure will not cause him deadly levels of stress. soon he'll be looking for you as the god of food and he'll come running to you to get some of that yummy goodness. 

don't feed him fruit!

i don't know if peppers or onions are good or not but i bet not, just pick a few pumpkin leaves and bring them in to him. he needs a daily staple of almost 100% greens, with the pumpkin or squash salad topper and the occasional (once a month) cactus fruit or something. mazuri is also a good thing to feed him 2 or 3 pellets once a week, soaked in hot water first.

what you have him in is fine for a few weeks or even till the spring, but he can't have a small container as his permanent enclosure. you can build him one if you want, i built my spider's enclosure.


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## basmith

He is probably closer to 2 inches long than 3.



moswen said:


> oh, there's something wrong with my computer i guess, i didn't see all the other replies! sorry angi and dean!
> 
> also, if it's 3 inches it's not a hatchling, it's probably 2 years old or so. and the closed eyes is kind of worrisome, does he walk around and eat if you pick him up and move him about for a minute?


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## Laura

WARMTH is what it needs.. a good warm soak, and then dry warmth... the other stuff can wait a few days until you know if he comes around... 
Even food... if he is too cold he wont eat.. so work on the warmth issue first... 80-90 minimum at this point... just watch, minimum handling. it will cause more stress and stress can kill... 
good luck!!!


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## Angi

I think we were all typing at the same time. I guess the excitment of someone finding a baby in need was too much for us. Good luck with the baby they are so sweet. If you decide to keep him you will probably fall in love with being a tortoise keeper


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## basmith

OK, I got my hands on a 20 gallon tank. I plan to cover the sides with some sort of paper so to not stress the little guy. I plan on putting in plain desert dirt along with some dead and green leaves from my backyard. I will go buy a shallow dish for water tonight as well as well as a uva/uvb lamp. I hope he becomes more alert after a few soaks in warm water. My son really wants this guy to make it.


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## kimmer

We all want this little guy to make it! Thanks for keeping us informed.


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## Tom

Basmith, here's a care sheet that I made for sulcata tortoises. You don't need all the humidity and moisture, but everything else applies; including substrate, temps, diet, cage furnishings, a humid hide box, etc.
http://tortoiseforum.org/Thread-How-To-Raise-Sulcata-Hatchlings-and-Babies

Leaves and dirt are not the best way to go for an indoor set-up. There is a lot to learn about keeping a tortoise indoors and this should get you started. Hope it helps.


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## basmith

Thanks Tom. Do you all think he will be okay if I don't get a heating lamp right away? I would hate to pay a lot of money for a nice lamp and he doesn't make it. I could put him by the window during the day to get some sun light. Let me konw if you think this will be okay.


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## Kristina

Go to the store and get a 100 watt incandescent bulb and a clamp light fixture. He will be okay without a UV light for some time, but NOT okay without heat. He needs heat ASAP!

Sunlight will do nothing for him, because the UV rays do not pass through the glass. But heat right now is more important than UV. Warm that baby up or he will die.


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## CGKeith

Get a regular light bulb if you have to. Right now heat is the important thing. The UV part of it can come later.

Being wild caught it is wanting to hibernate. It needs to be cooled down to around 50 degrees to do that. Warmer at say room temp and it won't shut down it's body functions and won't eat either. It will burn up any reserves it had and probably die.

You need to get it warm enough to where it doesn't try to hibernate and will eat and be warm enough to digest it's food. 80 - 90 degrees under the hot spot during the day.

Keep it warm at night with a black light bulb. (cheap from walmart)

Of course the hide spot and water dish as mentioned by others.

A large plastic bin (again cheap from walmart) will work and give much more room than a 10 gal tank.


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## basmith

So the goal is to get him warm and alert (eyes open) so he doesn't hybernate, right?


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## CGKeith

basmith said:


> So the goal is to get him warm and alert (eyes open) so he doesn't hybernate, right?



Exactly!


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## basmith

What does the black light do? Can't I just leave the lamp on that I will put directly on him?


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## CGKeith

I use black light to give the animals a day/night cycle. The bulb (75-100 watt) that you use in the day time will also (should) give off more heat.

The black light bulbs I use are 60 watts and not as hot but still keep them from getting cold while giving the tortoise a break from constant bright light.


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## coreyc

I think they give off more heat than light so when you shut off the main lights he will not get cold I use a ceramic heat emitter they produce heat but no light


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## CGKeith

coreyc said:


> I think they give off more heat than light so when you shut off the main lights he will not get cold I use a ceramic heat emitter they produce heat but no light



Black light from walmart is about $2.50, heat emitter is about $25. Just saying.


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## basmith

I see. I will pick up a black light tonight on my way home. I will used a 100watt bulb in a lamp for the next few days to see how he improves.


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## Yvonne G

Hi Basmith:

Welcome to the forum!!


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## DeanS

basmith said:


> Thanks Tom. Do you all think he will be okay if I don't get a heating lamp right away? I would hate to pay a lot of money for a nice lamp and he doesn't make it. I could put him by the window during the day to get some sun light. Let me konw if you think this will be okay.



Tell you what! Go pick up a Powersun MVB at Petco or Petsmart or whatever is near you...if he doesn't make it, I'll take the lamp off your hands!


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## Angi

If you save the package and receipt they will take it back at PetSmart or Petco. I bought and took back every bark collar made before I reliezed it was going to work for my bad little dog. And your Tort will make it. Mine were the same when I got them and within a few days of being warm they were fine.


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## moswen

i'm right behind DeanS. if your tort doesn't make it i'll pay you exactly what you paid for it, i'm due for a new one in january anyways. 

you don't really have to buy a $15 water dish, you can use a plate you already have, or a plastic lid from your cottage cheese, or the lids from KFC takeout... i used those mashed potato bowl lids till like a month ago, i ran out. we quit having a craving for KFC. you can also use terra cotta plant pot plates. 

lucky you angi--- i actually brought my dog up to the ACE hardware store where i bought my bark collar to demonstrate that it wasn't working, they wouldn't refund the one i had bought YESTERDAY because it had dirt on it. i was like "ya, because i USED it... that's how i know it's not working!!"


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## basmith

BAD NEWS! The baby has died. I think he died on Sunday afternoon since he never moved from that spot. I wish I would have been able to find this forum on Sunday. I feel bad, but he was in pretty bad shape. His eyes were never open and the temps dipped into the 30's the night after I found him. I was way off on the size. He was about 1 1/2 inches. I thank you for all your help and am sorry to report this bad news. Next time, I will know what to do thanks to all of you.


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## Marty333

I am so sorry for you loss at least you tried and thats all that really matters


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## tortoisenerd

I'm sorry for your loss. Yes you are right he was beyond saving...sounds like he hatched way late in the season. No need to feel bad because you did the right thing by trying to save the little guy.


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## Angi

So sorry


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## Yvonne G

Aw-w man! That sucks big time! I can't tell you how much I appreciate what you tried to do. Thank you! I only wish it had turned out better.


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## coreyc

So sorry the little guy passed at least you tried to help


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## armandoarturo

I know how you must feel, its awful.
but, thats life, and its the way It should be =/
unfortunately


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