# My New Tortoise!!!



## playingeet (Feb 12, 2011)

I was offered the chance to take care of this desert tortoise from a lady who had him a few years and as long as I can give him a good home I can have him. She said he has just woke up from hibernation and I am trying to set up his indoor enclosure until it gets warmed up. He is a good sized guy at 10 inches. I have been reading up a lot and if anyone has any advice I would be happy to hear it!


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## Tom (Feb 12, 2011)

Nice tort. Congrats. They are a great species.


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## coreyc (Feb 13, 2011)

Congrats take good care of him


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## Isa (Feb 13, 2011)

Congrats  He is gorgeous!


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## african cake queen (Feb 13, 2011)

playingeet said:


> I was offered the chance to take care of this desert tortoise from a lady who had him a few years and as long as I can give him a good home I can have him. She said he has just woke up from hibernation and I am trying to set up his indoor enclosure until it gets warmed up. He is a good sized guy at 10 inches. I have been reading up a lot and if anyone has any advice I would be happy to hear it!



what acutie pie! just love babies dont you. lindy from ct.


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## Maggie Cummings (Feb 13, 2011)

He's beautiful...why is he awake so early? He's pretty big to keep in the house. There isn't much advice to give, make a large tort table, feed him Spring Mix, grasses and weeds. And make a nice outdoor habitat for him. I guess I'm kinda confused about why he is up so soon and why you don't just leave him outside?


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## playingeet (Feb 13, 2011)

I do not know why he is awake so early. That was a question I had as well. He does have an outdoor habitat that I had last year for my Greek but I am gonna make a new one for her. It seems very cold outside during the night, still dropping below 20 degrees.


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## armandoarturo (Feb 13, 2011)

is he outside?
Does the sun light hits the enclosure?
try to find a cool, shadowed, hidding place for him..
If you want to keep him awake you will need a good heating source, and basking spot...


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## ALDABRAMAN (Feb 13, 2011)

Outstanding.


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## Yvonne G (Feb 13, 2011)

If it were my tortoise, I would practice what I call "the ins and outs of Spring." When my desert tortoises wake up too early, I go ahead and put them out during the day then bring them in at night. This doesn't require an indoor habitat, just a cardboard box. All they do at night is sleep and a box is just fine for that purpose. If it should happen to rain or not be nice during the day, a box is still an ok option. Its only for a day or two.

I have to explain: my desert tortoises are pretty cold when hibernating. So if they woke up, that means my weather has warmed up enough to trigger that response in them. BUT!!! They are acclimated to being cold. There's no reason to set them up in an indoor habitat. They're cold and awake, so put them in their outdoor pen and let them be cold and awake out there. Chances are, the sun, what there is of it, will afford the tortoise some warmth, then he can go into his house after sunning for a bit. No need to warm them up.


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## tortoisenerd (Feb 13, 2011)

Very nice! What did you find large enough for an indoor temp enclosure?

Was the tort hibernating inside or outside? I could see if she was doing a garage hibernation or similar and there was some extenuating circumstance, then maybe the early wake up. Or maybe unusually high day temps although still below freezing at night?


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## Torty Mom (Feb 13, 2011)

Are you in California? 20 degrees sounds kinda cold.


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## playingeet (Feb 14, 2011)

I am living in Idaho, last week it was 16 degrees on the way to work a few times with the day time high never hitting 40. Although this week is a bit warmer. I can not tell you where he was hibernating before, but I am guessing the little guy woke up and moved around and she called that awake, since I have had him he initially was awake and sluggish, but since then he has been asleep. The springs "ins" and "outs" is what I will be doing until summer. But I do wanna say that this guy is pretty cool and I am excited for him to actually be awake!


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## Shelly (Feb 14, 2011)

playingeet said:


> I am living in Idaho,



How did he get to Idaho/ Has he been living there all along? 
I am thinking he might not do well in a place that cold.


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## playingeet (Feb 14, 2011)

I dont know how he got here, but the ladies son talked about having them (not this one) since 1982 in Idaho


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## Torty Mom (Feb 14, 2011)

Do you know how old he is?


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## playingeet (Feb 14, 2011)

Ok so I emailed and she said He is 5 ish and the owner before her did not have him hibernate so he is much larger than he should be. He looks much older, all i know is I will do my best to take care of him


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