# Introducing Oogie the DT!!



## Oogie (Mar 14, 2009)

Oogie (Master Oogway) is a California Desert Tortoise! Just brought him home today! He's very curious, friendly, and active! After several laps around his enclosure, he stopped for a bite to eat...even ate some hibiscus leaves out of our hands =) 
Don't know his age, but he's about 11''CL. He lived in another rescue in San Clemente for a year before joining the San Diego rescue last week. Someone turned him into the San Clemente rescue after finding him wondering the streets. 

Here is Oogie enjoying the view on the ride home.






Here's his beautiful face





Here are few links that show him exploring
http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm25/turtlegirl_73/DSCI0090_1.jpg
http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm25/turtlegirl_73/DSCI0088_1.jpg


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## DuttonWebb (Mar 14, 2009)

Sensai! Whoever his first owner was took good care of him. His scutes look perfect.


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## Isa (Mar 14, 2009)

Congratulations!!!!
What a cute face, Oogie is a beautiful DT! I really like the pic where he looked outside of the window and the one when he gets out if his house . 
Oogie is very lucky to have found a family that will take care of him and love him


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## Laura (Mar 14, 2009)

B E A U T I F U L ! ! ! ! !
Where did you get the weather stripping for his dog house?


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## BigBiscuit (Mar 14, 2009)

The first picture is super cute. It looks like a child watching the scenery go by.

Evan


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## Oogie (Mar 14, 2009)

Thanks everyone! We are very lucky to have been able to adopt him into our family =) 

The weather-stripping is actually just a plastic carpet runner (2 layers) I bought at Walmart...got the idea somewhere online. 

Look forward to updating you all on Oogie. This week we need to take him to the vet to make sure he doesn't have bladder stones. Normally this is done prior to adopting a tort out, but he came into the rescue so healthy that they didn't want him around the other torts (which are just coming out of hibernation)...so, luckily we had already applied and were ready to take him.


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## Yvonne G (Mar 14, 2009)

I had to laugh out loud when I saw Oogie watching the world go by in the car. Very cute picture. I don't remember if you had a water dish in his enclosure? His eyes are a LITTLE sunken in like maybe he's a bit dehydrated. He's obviously a CB (captive bred) tortoise, and has been very well taken care of. Desert tortoises are just so out going. He's going to fit right into your family. You are both (your family and the tortoise) very lucky to have found each other.

Yvonne


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## Candy (Mar 14, 2009)

Oh my gosh that is a classic picture of Oogie. I've been waiting and when I got online today there he was. I yelled for my boys to come in and see him they also loved the picture of him looking out of the car window. My boys actually are getting to know all of these tortoises online by their names. Like "Bob" Maggies sucata and "Sophie" the little Cherryhead. I always update them on what they're up to. They love to hear the stories. Good luck with him he's great looking and what a wonderful setup you have in your backyard for him to live in. He's so lucky that you guys have him now.  Candy


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## Oogie (Mar 14, 2009)

i don't think i'll ever get bored of the car ride pic...i made it my wallpaper LOL

yea...he has a water dish (planter saucer thing)...totally ignored it. the lady who had Oogie told us to soak him...was going to do it, but today was unusually cold outside. i'll do it tomorrow. if it's cold again, would it be ok to soak him in the bathtub and keep a heat lamp on him indoors til he dries? or, am i just being too paranoid?


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## Yvonne G (Mar 14, 2009)

You can soak him in the house in some sort of large tub. Then just towell him off and put him back outside.

Yvonne


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## Oogie (Mar 14, 2009)

awww...thanks, candy! my 5yr old son LOVES to look at everyone's torts, too =) pretty amazing you know them all by name 
i do think torts definitely have their own individuality...one sulcata or DT doesn't look like the next...so it's gotta be easier. unlike RES's and other aquatics...they all look the same to me...and i even own a RES LOL

k...thanks, yvonne!


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## fel1958 (Mar 14, 2009)

Oogie said:


> Oogie (Master Oogway) is a California Desert Tortoise! Just brought him home today! He's very curious, friendly, and active! After several laps around his enclosure, he stopped for a bite to eat...even ate some hibiscus leaves out of our hands =)
> Don't know his age, but he's about 11''CL. He lived in another rescue in San Clemente for a year before joining the San Diego rescue last week. Someone turned him into the San Clemente rescue after finding him wondering the streets.
> 
> Here is Oogie enjoying the view on the ride home.
> ...



great pix.reminds me of when i lived in the majave desert.these guys were everywhere.but that was 40 years ago.good luck


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## Maggie Cummings (Mar 14, 2009)

Gopherus agassizii are my most favorite species. You simply can't beat them for personality. They aren't shy at all, very curious and out going. They are easy to medicate because they always have their heads out making it easy to grab the neck. I just love him. He looks dry tho, so as well as having a water source for him to drink I would give him a nice warm soak tonight...how lucky you are...and so is he!


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## Crazy1 (Mar 14, 2009)

Melissa great pics of Oogie (Master Oogway), Glad to see you turned the blocks, it will make it safer for him. He is a handsom tort with what looks like a lot of curiosity and of course personallity. Congratulations


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## Oogie (Mar 14, 2009)

yea...his skin is pretty dry and flaky. he's already sleeping...i will definitely soak him in the morning! already lookin forward to watching him emerge from his burrow (dog house) =)


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## tortoisenerd (Mar 15, 2009)

Those are some AWESOME pictures....best wishes with your new family member!


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## galvinkaos (Mar 15, 2009)

I love DT pics. He is very good looking. I am looking forward to seeing more.

Dawna


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## Millerlite (Mar 15, 2009)

Great looking tortoise, looks very happy to have a nice home.


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## drgnfly2265 (Mar 16, 2009)

Congrats on the new tort. I love the picture of him looking out the window in the car, that is so sweet!

_______________________________________________________

Jamie

1 Sulcata (Bowser)

www.myspace.com/bowsertortoise


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## nrfitchett4 (Mar 16, 2009)

nice looking tort!!!


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## terryo (Mar 16, 2009)

What a beautiful tortoise. I didn't know they got that big.


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## Oogie (Mar 16, 2009)

thanks for all your kind words...i passed them onto Oogie by giving him a little shell-scratch (something i noticed he enjoys).

i know this was only my 3rd day with him...but i was surprised that he went into his burrow around 2pm and never came out. it was a nice comfortably warm day...he has 3 other places to retreat from heat...but instead he chose to go into his dog house which was actually much hotter by 10 degrees. is this normal for torts or should i be cautious that something might be up? 

he seemed fairly active in the morning...he pooped...he ate well...his eyes and nose look great. but i did notice the day he first arrived here that his breathing was audible...not raspy or wheezy...more like he was sniffing and taking in the new environment. BUT, i don't know if this is normal or not. i have soaked him twice since bringing him home because he was pretty dry and a forum member noticed his eyes were slightly sunken...the second soak was with some flavorless pedialyte and water.

he has an apt tomorrow for an xray to make sure he doesn't have bladder stones...maybe he'll get fully checked out then!

terry...yea...he's only about 11" and they can get up to 15". i wish i had a good guess of his age.


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## Yvonne G (Mar 17, 2009)

Be sure you put something over that dog house to keep it in the shade. You can put up a beach umbrella or some shade cloth, etc. He has obviously really taken to his dog house. That's going to be where he parks his body!

Yvonne


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## Oogie (Mar 17, 2009)

yea...he seems to like it...he went into it again today! i was going to put trees in front of it, but he has 3 shaded burrows that i thought he'd turn to instead. we'll move the trees over this weekend.

good news, y'all...Oogie's xray showed he has no bladder stones!!!


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## Isa (Mar 18, 2009)

Good news Melissa  I am glad the results are good


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## Crazy1 (Mar 18, 2009)

That's great news for you and Oogie.


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## Oogie (Mar 18, 2009)

thanks!!!


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## Jentortmom (Mar 18, 2009)

Congrats!! I love the pics.. he is beautiful!!


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