# Abandoned hatchling....please help me identify



## Jt93420 (Apr 11, 2016)

I live in CA but I believe this hatchling may be from Nevada. I found it in a small aquarium in the empty house next door to me. The house was foreclosed on and the homeowners had moved back to Las Vegas (they lived in Vegas prior to moving here) and left their pets behind ( this hatchling, a young cat and a larger tortoise which another neighbor took). I have no idea what kind of tortoise it is. Please help me identify so I can properly care for it. Thank u in advance. I have been feeding it dandelions and hibiscus and grass from my lawn. It seems to have a healthy appetite and is active all day long. I just read about the importance of soaking and plan to do it daily. He just enjoyed a 15 min soak. He does appear to have a dry shell and the top of his head is scaly and dry and I'm not sure if it should be. Thank u in advance for any help.


----------



## Markw84 (Apr 11, 2016)

We need to see a picture. Please upload by clicking on "upload a File" right next to the "Post Reply" button on your computer screen. Select the picture, and click on thumbnail or full size. Then post...


----------



## Jt93420 (Apr 11, 2016)

Markw84 said:


> We need to see a picture. Please upload by clicking on "upload a File" right next to the "Post Reply" button on your computer screen. Select the picture, and click on thumbnail or full size. Then post...


Can u see it now?


----------



## colatoise (Apr 11, 2016)

Looks Greek to me. Cute little fella


----------



## colatoise (Apr 11, 2016)

There are some great Greek tortoise care sheets on the forum that will give you all the info you need


----------



## Carol S (Apr 11, 2016)

Looks like a Desert Tortoise to me.


----------



## wellington (Apr 11, 2016)

I don't think it's a Greek. I agree possibly a desert. A couple more pics from bottom and front head and legs would help. 
@Yvonne G @tortadise may be able to ID


----------



## Rue (Apr 11, 2016)

It is so nice of you to rescue this adorable baby.

...and congrats!


----------



## Jt93420 (Apr 11, 2016)




----------



## Jt93420 (Apr 11, 2016)




----------



## Jt93420 (Apr 11, 2016)

Jt93420 said:


> View attachment 170102


----------



## Jt93420 (Apr 11, 2016)

I'm sorry about the duplicate photos ....I am just learning. Thank u all for the help. What is a good substrate for his home?


----------



## Bogie=babyDINO (Apr 11, 2016)

Make sure you give him a warm soak in some sallow water. He looks dry! Poor little baby. Good job for rescuing him!


----------



## Bogie=babyDINO (Apr 11, 2016)

Shallow*


----------



## Jt93420 (Apr 11, 2016)

Bogie=babyDINO said:


> Make sure you give him a warm soak in some sallow water. He looks dry! Poor little baby. Good job for rescuing him!


I gave him a 15 min soak should it b longer?


----------



## SarahChelonoidis (Apr 11, 2016)

You have a baby desert tortoise. Where in California are you? If you are within their native range, I am not sure what the legalities of taking it from the wild (assuming you found it in the yard, not the house?).


----------



## Jt93420 (Apr 11, 2016)

He wasn't in the wild ...he was in an aquarium in an abandoned, foreclosed upon home. There was a larger...much larger....tortoise that looked just like him on the premises also...maybe the parent? Idk but if there are legal penalties it hardly seems like I am the one who should be in trouble....I am trying to help....he surely would have died.


----------



## SarahChelonoidis (Apr 11, 2016)

Ahh, yes, if he was inside then you absolutely can't release him into the wild. @Yvonne G is good with Cali desert tortoises.


----------



## Yvonne G (Apr 11, 2016)

Hi, and welcome to the Forum!

You have a little desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii). They are a protected species. It is ok for you to keep him, but once he reaches about 3 years of age, you'll need to apply for a permit. The desert tortoise belongs to the State, (since he lives in California, he belongs to the state of California), but with the permit, you will be his caretaker. The permits are easy to obtain, and you don't have to worry about any government agency making visits to your property.

The baby looks like he would benefit from living in a more humid environment. What kind of substrate are you using?


----------



## Jt93420 (Apr 11, 2016)

What should I use? I haven't created his home yet....he was in an aquarium with sand and I read that he shouldn't be. What is best? I will get it tonigh.


----------



## Yvonne G (Apr 11, 2016)

I like to use the biggest plastic tub I can afford. By "big" I mean a big floor space, not necessarily tall sides. "Gallons" doesn't mean a thing because you're not measuring how much water it will hold. You want a big floor space. And the plastic bins are much cheaper than aquariums. You can figure out how to cut holes in the lid and position the light/heat over the holes, leaving the lid on to keep the warm, moist air inside.

I use the Christmas tree storage bin made by Iris, but it would be hard to find this time of year:





I have the lid off for the picture.


----------



## Tom (Apr 11, 2016)

I raise desert tortoise babies exactly the same as russian tortoise babies. Here is a care sheet. If you follow these recommendations, you have a healthy little tortoise on your hands:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/russian-tortoise-care-sheet.80698/

This one too:
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/beginner-mistakes.45180/

Thank you for rescuing this little tortoise in need, and for caring enough to research how to care for it properly. Please feel free to ask as many questions as you want. We are all here to talk tortoises.


----------



## BeeBee*BeeLeaves (Apr 11, 2016)

Thank you for rescuing this darling little baby, possibly at the nick of time. Depending where they left that aquarium, baby could have fried in there.

Tom and Yvonne already shared excellent advice. Hot and humid is the way to go. Yvonne's sample set up is wonderful. If you have a Big Lots sometimes the longer tubs are there at good price.

Two things: You may want to share with the other neighbor who adopted the larger tortoise about this site to help with care. Also, have you considered rechecking that backyard? Maybe the larger tortoise laid eggs and they hatched and there are siblings that may need help also. Is the larger tortoise a female?

Lastly, people who abandon animals, pets, like that, make me so head exp!odes mad. Karma coming at you, you, you ... pet leavers! Bleh!


----------



## ascott (Apr 11, 2016)

BeeBee*BeeLeaves said:


> Thank you for rescuing this darling little baby, possibly at the nick of time. Depending where they left that aquarium, baby could have fried in there.
> 
> Tom and Yvonne already shared excellent advice. Hot and humid is the way to go. Yvonne's sample set up is wonderful. If you have a Big Lots sometimes the longer tubs are there at good price.
> 
> ...



I am laughing so hard that my dog jumped....Bleh Bleh Bleh....fantastic.


----------



## ascott (Apr 11, 2016)

Cute little desert tort....soaking is excellent...I would not make the enclosure too wet, but absolutely would offer a hide that is kept warm and humid day and night....if you do decide to go humid enclosure please do not let the temps ever drop, day or night, below 80...you do not want the tortoise to become ill due to moist and cold temps...

You say that the other tort was really big...perhaps a Sulcata and not a Desert Tort at all?


----------



## Razan (Apr 11, 2016)

ascott said:


> Cute little desert tort....soaking is excellent...I would not make the enclosure too wet, but absolutely would offer a hide that is kept warm and humid day and night....if you do decide to go humid enclosure please do not let the temps ever drop, day or night, below 80...you do not want the tortoise to become ill due to moist and cold temps...
> 
> You say that the other tort was really big...perhaps a Sulcata and not a Desert Tort at all?



That thought crossed my mind too. And did anyone answer the sand question?


----------



## ascott (Apr 11, 2016)

Razan said:


> That thought crossed my mind too. And did anyone answer the sand question?



Sand....I am not a fan, I have dealt with a CDTortoise that was solid packed with sand and it is not good....when a tortoise eats the cut food we offer the food gets tossed about in the substrate in the enclosure...which then gets ingested by the tortoise...sand does not pass the gut the same way as dirt....sand kinda settles and then begins back up in the gut....of course there is some sand in dirt...but not entirely sand....I would never use sand In and indoor enclosure....some folks do a mix, but I don't find sand a beneficial material to use....


----------



## Razan (Apr 11, 2016)

For the benefit of this newly adopted one. What would you recommend instead of sand? Dirt?


----------



## ascott (Apr 11, 2016)

Razan said:


> For the benefit of this newly adopted one. What would you recommend instead of sand? Dirt?



Clean yard dirt mixed with finely processed peat moss....about 40% peat moss and the rest dirt....again, clean yard dirt.


----------



## Tom (Apr 12, 2016)

Razan said:


> That thought crossed my mind too. And did anyone answer the sand question?



The OP stated that he/she already knew sand was bad.

This species does very well on a bed of thick coco coir, or fine grade orchid bark.


----------



## Honuboy (Apr 12, 2016)

Jt93420 said:


> View attachment 170098
> I live in CA but I believe this hatchling may be from Nevada. I found it in a small aquarium in the empty house next door to me. The house was foreclosed on and the homeowners had moved back to Las Vegas (they lived in Vegas prior to moving here) and left their pets behind ( this hatchling, a young cat and a larger tortoise which another neighbor took). I have no idea what kind of tortoise it is. Please help me identify so I can properly care for it. Thank u in advance. I have been feeding it dandelions and hibiscus and grass from my lawn. It seems to have a healthy appetite and is active all day long. I just read about the importance of soaking and plan to do it daily. He just enjoyed a 15 min soak. He does appear to have a dry shell and the top of his head is scaly and dry and I'm not sure if it should be. Thank u in advance for any help.



Holy hell that thing is cute.


----------



## BeeBee*BeeLeaves (Apr 12, 2016)

Honuboy said:


> Holy hell that thing is cute.


Yep, babies are so darn cute. But, it is the most crucial time to get things right and right on, otherwise they can suffer in their lifetimes, or look warped, or even die. So happy Razan is doing research, found this wealth of information site full of tortoise geeks that are happy to help him, and therefore help that too darn cute baby! Woohooyah!


----------



## Yelloweyed (Apr 17, 2016)

How's the baby doing? Were you able to build a larger enclosure?

Do you mind if I ask what city you are located in? I can donate some tort-safe plants if you're near Riverside.


----------



## Jt93420 (Apr 18, 2016)

ascott said:


> Cute little desert tort....soaking is excellent...I would not make the enclosure too wet, but absolutely would offer a hide that is kept warm and humid day and night....if you do decide to go humid enclosure please do not let the temps ever drop, day or night, below 80...you do not want the tortoise to become ill due to moist and cold temps...
> 
> You say that the other tort was really big...perhaps a Sulcata and not a Desert Tort at all?





Yelloweyed said:


> How's the baby doing? Were you able to build a larger enclosure?
> 
> Do you mind if I ask what city you are located in? I can donate some tort-safe plants if you're near Riverside.


I live in shell beach California (the Central Coast). I built a bigger enclosure using orchid bark and peat moss mixture as the substrate but now I am confused as to how to keep it moist....do I need a mister or a humidifier? I soak him daily for approximately 15 min...I wish I could just find an already up and running enclosure because I am having a difficult time getting everything "dialed in". He is eating dandelions, hibiscus and spinach leaves mainly...what should I add to his diet and where is the best place to purchase? How do I create a humid environment (foggier. mister, etc)? I would never have entered into this situation so unprepared and uninformed if I had known I was going to become the caretaker of this awesome little creature....it happened so fast and now I am scrambling to learn as much as I can as fast as I can and I am overwhelmed with all the information and opinions, not to mention the enormous amount of products that are available (what is needed? What is too much?) Right now my main concern is humidity and diet,


----------



## Jt93420 (Apr 18, 2016)

I go to work every day at 430 am and get home around 2 ish and it seems like all the time in between is spent trying to figure out the enclosure situation and diet concerns....there is so much info out there and very little is specific to the desert tortoise so it's really hard to know what applies to him....I admire and respect how much everyone in this forum seem to know about their tort cuz it sure is not an easy task!


----------



## Yelloweyed (Apr 18, 2016)

I was in the exact same boat as you in September so no worries. Just follow the advice you get on this forum as best as you can and hopefully the little guy will be okay.


----------



## Yvonne G (Apr 18, 2016)

Jt93420 said:


> I live in shell beach California (the Central Coast). I built a bigger enclosure using orchid bark and peat moss mixture as the substrate but now I am confused as to how to keep it moist....do I need a mister or a humidifier? I soak him daily for approximately 15 min...I wish I could just find an already up and running enclosure because I am having a difficult time getting everything "dialed in". He is eating dandelions, hibiscus and spinach leaves mainly...what should I add to his diet and where is the best place to purchase? How do I create a humid environment (foggier. mister, etc)? I would never have entered into this situation so unprepared and uninformed if I had known I was going to become the caretaker of this awesome little creature....it happened so fast and now I am scrambling to learn as much as I can as fast as I can and I am overwhelmed with all the information and opinions, not to mention the enormous amount of products that are available (what is needed? What is too much?) Right now my main concern is humidity and diet,



Pour a whole pitcher full of water over the substrate and mix it up with your hand then pat it down to make it easier for him to walk on. As it dries out, pour more water in a corner so it flows under the substrate, leaving the top layer dry. If you cover the habitat it keeps the warm moist air inside.

Read the care sheets provided for you. It's really not all that hard once you get it down.


----------



## ascott (Apr 18, 2016)

Jt93420 said:


> I live in shell beach California (the Central Coast). I built a bigger enclosure using orchid bark and peat moss mixture as the substrate but now I am confused as to how to keep it moist....do I need a mister or a humidifier? I soak him daily for approximately 15 min...I wish I could just find an already up and running enclosure because I am having a difficult time getting everything "dialed in". He is eating dandelions, hibiscus and spinach leaves mainly...what should I add to his diet and where is the best place to purchase? How do I create a humid environment (foggier. mister, etc)? I would never have entered into this situation so unprepared and uninformed if I had known I was going to become the caretaker of this awesome little creature....it happened so fast and now I am scrambling to learn as much as I can as fast as I can and I am overwhelmed with all the information and opinions, not to mention the enormous amount of products that are available (what is needed? What is too much?) Right now my main concern is humidity and diet,




What type of enclosure did you go with? Plastic tub? Glass tank? Wood table? With this species of tortoise I would not offer a full high humidity enclosed space....I would opt for a warm humid hide area instead....especially since you are just learning what to do for the health of the tortoise....I would avoid trying to keep the enclosure wet in order to achieve an artificial high level of humidity...this species is highly susceptible to respiratory infections and it would be a shame to have a sick tortoise on your hands as well as a new one....

If you offer up a space in the enclosure that is ALWAYS warm and a humid (no less than 80-85 degrees always day and night) retreat then you have created a micro climate...you will also want a semi warm area along with a cool dry area....a cool DRY area is important...this species likes to retreat to cool down and seems to like the cooler spots for sleeping...so you don't want a cool wet/moist area as this will set the tort up for illness....

If you are using a mercury vapor bulb and in that same spot are then going to set up your night heat source then that would be an ideal place to also add a little water to the soil if you want to generate some gentle humidity without drenching the whole enclosure....then a little off to the center but not too far off, you can set up a warm humid hide that you keep warm always...and then gradually move even further to the other side where your cool dry space can be???? Just a thought to help out the cause 

I would use more soil type dirt than bark chunks as this species likes to dig in and the bark chunks, in my opinion, create a splinter exposure to the eyes and soft parts of the tortoise skin....I would make the substrate at least 5 to 6 inches deep all of the way across the enclosure...and as previously mentioned, really hand pack and press that substrate down...a firm footing is essential for a forced captive to allow for proper muscle growth....

Do you use sprays or fertilizers on your property? I mean do you have grass that is chemical free? Do you have rose bushes and other such yummy plants in your yard that are not full of stuff? If not, then you may want to get that going....in the interim, you can offer spring mix, romaine, zucchini, squash and raddichio and endive from the market for starters.....but getting an outdoor space set up with hibiscus, roses, apricot mallows, grass, dandelions, grape plants for the leaves as well as fruitless mulberry tree leaves--are all a good start...take a breath and realize that the basics are what you want to get set up and from there as your experience level and knowledge base grows then you can tweak the enclosure/yard/care with a bit more confidence...

The tortoise needs; warmth, safety, dirt, water, food and space to exercise....while humidity is essential almost to all living things, with this species too much constant high humidity is not a plus....but they absolutely need a chance to partake in the juiciness of a good warm humid hide....and they do like to soak so a shallow water dish set up somewhere in the enclosure, not in the pace pathway, but somewhere out of the corners is a benefit...I say no pace pathway and corners as these are high climb zones and can be a high roll over location....a nice sneaky sleep area is also appreciated...


----------



## Razan (Apr 18, 2016)

Jt93420 said:


> I live in shell beach California (the Central Coast). I built a bigger enclosure using orchid bark and peat moss mixture as the substrate but now I am confused as to how to keep it moist....do I need a mister or a humidifier? I soak him daily for approximately 15 min...I wish I could just find an already up and running enclosure because I am having a difficult time getting everything "dialed in". He is eating dandelions, hibiscus and spinach leaves mainly...what should I add to his diet and where is the best place to purchase? How do I create a humid environment (foggier. mister, etc)? I would never have entered into this situation so unprepared and uninformed if I had known I was going to become the caretaker of this awesome little creature....it happened so fast and now I am scrambling to learn as much as I can as fast as I can and I am overwhelmed with all the information and opinions, not to mention the enormous amount of products that are available (what is needed? What is too much?) Right now my main concern is humidity and diet,



Try not to fret about the "overwhelmed with information" . We all were there, and some of us still are. Our first tortoise is an adult Ca Desert tortoise. He was a neighborhood find too. I struggled with the -what to feed- for a long time even though the information is here and re reading everything over and over took a while to sink in. The Tortoise Forum has been a super group of very patient people helping everyone keep their tortoises happy.


----------



## Jt93420 (Apr 19, 2016)

Thank u all....I have taken a deep breath and am working on relaxing a bit.....he seems to b doing fine and I have heard from so many knowledge people on this forum I feel like we are in good hands....thanks so much for all thr helpful replies. I do have a question regarding food,,,how should I prepare the food? Should I just put a whole flower on his plate or a clump of uncut grass? Or should I be cutting everything into small bite size pieces for him?


----------



## Rue (Apr 19, 2016)

Within reason, just put whole leaves and flowers in with him.

Their jaws are amazingly strong, the edges of their mouth plates very sharp...

Plus it gives them some exercise...


----------



## Momof4 (Apr 20, 2016)

Jt93420 said:


> Thank u all....I have taken a deep breath and am working on relaxing a bit.....he seems to b doing fine and I have heard from so many knowledge people on this forum I feel like we are in good hands....thanks so much for all thr helpful replies. I do have a question regarding food,,,how should I prepare the food? Should I just put a whole flower on his plate or a clump of uncut grass? Or should I be cutting everything into small bite size pieces for him?



I would cut the grass into tiny pieces. He's pretty tiny so I would cut up his weeds a bit too.


----------



## Momof4 (Apr 20, 2016)

Here's what I did for an outside pen for my baby. It is covered with bird netting for safety.


----------



## ascott (Apr 20, 2016)

Momof4 said:


> Here's what I did for an outside pen for my baby. It is covered with bird netting for safety.
> 
> View attachment 171008
> 
> ...



Very cool. I am a worry wart and so would likely place a slice of plywood over half of the pool to assure that there is always shade so no overheating occurs...again, just sharing my crazy is all


----------



## Linhdan Nguyen (Apr 21, 2016)

It looks great!


----------



## Arnold_rules (Apr 28, 2016)

Jt93420 said:


> Thank u all....I have taken a deep breath and am working on relaxing a bit.....he seems to b doing fine and I have heard from so many knowledge people on this forum I feel like we are in good hands....thanks so much for all thr helpful replies. I do have a question regarding food,,,how should I prepare the? Should I just put a whole flower on his plate or a clump of uncut grass? Or should I be cutting everything into small bite size pieces for him?



I wouldn't worry about cutting up the food. The big tortoise in the sky doesn't cut the food up for his children. As long as they can they can bite into something, they will be able to naturally chop their food. It helps with beak not getting too long, either over or under bite.

There is definitely A LOT of information to digest, but relax and keep learning. You have found a great resource with the people on this site and everyone is always willing to help without judging.


----------

