# Need Help With New Hatchlings



## virginia gerhardt (Oct 2, 2009)

I'm pleased to have discovered this forum. We welcome the help we anticipate based on the accumulated knowledge of the members of the forum. At this time we have 2 hatchlings that we need advice about to insure their survival. We are searching for the most correct diet. I have given them water and grape leaves, mulberry leaves and cactus. They are two days old. We're anxiously awaiting the arrival of their 4, perhaps 5, clutch mates. When everyone is present and frisky, we will be looking for the best facility in which to place them.We hope to locate a permanent home where they will have a large area for roaming. We do wish to ensure that they survive and we are not sold on the idea of placing them in a restrictively small enclosure. We are only able to provide a 1/4 acre habitat. We have coyotes, and even worse - crows! We hope to find a rescue where they will be housed for life.


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## Yvonne G (Oct 3, 2009)

*RE: Need help using this site?*

Hi Virginia: You neglected to say what kind of babies you are hatching. 

Sorry to say, but most "Rescues" don't keep the tortoises that they take in. We have to find good homes for them. There just isn't enough room or money to keep every single one of them. Where are you located? I do rescue work in Central California. When I take in a tortoise, I keep it for two weeks just to be sure it is eating good and seems healthy. Then I find a good home for it. I do a yard inspection to be sure the yard the tortoise is going to will be a safe place for him to live. And while I'm walking around looking at the yard, I'm talking to the prospective new tortoise-keeper and getting a feel for what kind of person this is and if they really understand what having a tortoise means. I give them a care sheet that tells them how to care for the type of tortoise they are adopting and I make sure the understand I will be there for them if they have any questions about their new animal.

Virginia...welcome to our forum. We're very glad to have you here.

Yvonne




virginia gerhardt said:


> I'm pleased to have discovered this forum. We welcome the help we anticipate based on the accumulated knowledge of the members of the forum. At this time we have 2 hatchlings that we need advice about to insure their survival. We are searching for the most correct diet. I have given them water and grape leaves, mulberry leaves and cactus. They are two days old. We're anxiously awaiting the arrival of their 4, perhaps 5, clutch mates. When everyone is present and frisky, we will be looking for the best facility in which to place them.We hope to locate a permanent home where they will have a large area for roaming. We do wish to ensure that they survive and we are not sold on the idea of placing them in a restrictively small enclosure. We are only able to provide a 1/4 acre habitat. We have coyotes, and even worse - crows! We hope to find a rescue where they will be housed for life.


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## virginia gerhardt (Oct 3, 2009)

*[split] Need help using this site?*

Hello. Sorry I neglected to identify the tortoise hatchlings. They are the common California smooth type. I have their latin identities on their parent's permits, located somewhere in the vast reaches of a mile of filing cabinets. We were able to find a friend who has owned a tortoise like ours for over 30 years, willing to take our adults. We hoped to locate a facility where a group of people dedicated to the preservation of these unique creatures would be responsible for their future. We may choose to keep them until a suitable placement is located. We know a little something about their care. We want them to thrive and be around into old age. We live in an area that did support tortoises in the wild before civilization ruined their environment. This is not a time of the year that provides a lush green choice of foodstuffs. We want to provide an ideal diet and this is not the season these guys should have hatched. I guess humans are now managing everything in their fragile lives. Their mother had to choose a nest from the enclosure she was provided. Must have been OK, here they are. The enclosure is approximately 1/4 acre. We have a few more acres we could enclose, but the materials necessary to secure the area would be quite pricey. We are considering doing it anyway, if we can't find a better place for them. In the meantime, we want to give them the best possible start in life. Is opuntia suitable food for a baby? What about other cactus? Thank you.


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## Maggie Cummings (Oct 3, 2009)

Hi, welcome to the forum. Gopherus agassizii are my most favorite species. The hatchlings are extremely fragile however, so please treat them with care. I will include a link to a care sheet for you.
You can go to most grocery stores and get a package of Spring Mix from the produce section and add more dark leafy greens to it. Then cut the whole mess up small for small mouths. I believe it is too cold at night to keep them outside, and I think you mentioned predators in another post. You can keep them in a rubbermaid tote for now. Get a UVB light (Trex 100 watts, I think). Cypress mulch is the best substrate in my opinion. You'd need a hide for them to sleep in and those half logs work great for that.
Here's the link, that will help you as much as I can. Please ask any questions you might have...and yes, cactus is a nice treat for them

http://www.chelonia.org/Articles/Gagassiziicare.htm


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## Yvonne G (Oct 3, 2009)

So, I'm thinking you are in Southern California, the Los Angeles area? That is native Gopherus agassizii territory before man. There are several chapters of the California Turtle & Tortoise Club in Southern California. They are dedicated to taking good care of and finding good homes for our native tortoise. You can see a list of the chapters here:

http://www.tortoise.org/cttc/adoption.html

Yvonne


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