# New owner needs help



## chamema (Jun 15, 2009)

Can anyone tell me what kind she is? It will help me to find more information about her. Any information or advice would be apprciated. 

Thank you
Chamema Family


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## Crazy1 (Jun 15, 2009)

Hi you have a female California Desert tortoise. She is a looker for sure. I have a boy that matches her shell pattern, but babies are a no, no. Here is a thread for diet suggestions http://tortoiseforum.org/thread-5823.html
If she had run of the yard please make sure their are no pestisides or chemicals on it.


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## chamema (Jun 15, 2009)

Crazy1 said:


> Hi you have a female California Desert tortoise. She is a looker for sure. I have a boy that matches her shell pattern, but babies are a no, no. Here is a thread for diet suggestions http://tortoiseforum.org/thread-5823.html
> If she had run of the yard please make sure their are no pestisides or chemicals on it.



There is no irrigation system back there. We closed her off to a smaller portion of the yard. We dug a hole lined it and filled it with about 2 inches of water. She also has two hide outs, one is directly on the rocks, and the other is a box on its side with a towel in it. She has all of that a cement slab to walk on and a lot of rocks. I even dug out a small portion so she had actuall dirt to dig in. Does she need anything else?

Chamema Family


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## tortoisenerd (Jun 15, 2009)

Sounds pretty good so far! What are your temperatures outside, highs and lows? What are you feeding? I think I saw your other thread too.


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## chamema (Jun 15, 2009)

now lows are about 75ish and highs are about 102 but this summer should get at its highest 120 and mabey 130 for about 2 or 3 hours at high noon. We have only had her for a day and we gave her romaine, but we are going to the store to get other mixed greens and some calcium powder. We have a pet smart near us.


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## tortoisenerd (Jun 15, 2009)

You can just get plain calcium powder, without anything mixed in (no D3). You can get some cheaper at a human supplement store; look for "calcium Carbonate". 

You may want to start another thread about keeping a tort in that warm of weather as I know you will need some precautions (above the high 90s). Make sure the water is cleaned and filled daily, shade, and more. I don't have an outdoor tort so that's about all I can go into. Glad you will be picking up more food! Congrats again. Hope you don't get disappointed and find an owner though. Have you looked at your local laws? What state are you in?


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## Crazy1 (Jun 15, 2009)

Opps I said you had a California DT. You are in Arizona so she is a Arizona DT. Same type of care. Yes she will be looking for a way to get out of the heat if it get to 130. She will be digging a burrow. Here is a good site for you and your DT including how to build a safe burrow for her. http://www.azgfd.gov/w_c/tortoise/burrow.shtml


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## chamema (Jun 16, 2009)

tortoisenerd said:


> You can just get plain calcium powder, without anything mixed in (no D3). You can get some cheaper at a human supplement store; look for "calcium Carbonate".
> 
> You may want to start another thread about keeping a tort in that warm of weather as I know you will need some precautions (above the high 90s). Make sure the water is cleaned and filled daily, shade, and more. I don't have an outdoor tort so that's about all I can go into. Glad you will be picking up more food! Congrats again. Hope you don't get disappointed and find an owner though. Have you looked at your local laws? What state are you in?



We are in Arizona, near Laughlin, Nevada and Needles, California. We looked up the laws and we can have her but if we dont find her owner we have to go through the state and adopt her. I am not sure how long I should look for her previous owner, or how long I should wait to adopt her. We also have to put up signs letting everyone know we have her to see if anyone knows anything. I dont want to give any details about her because I want to be sure they are her real family not just someone who wants a free pet. Any advice?


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## Laura (Jun 16, 2009)

Just generic Found Tortoise. No descrition. let the loser tell you everyting abouther.. Are you sure she isnt a wild one?


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## Maggie Cummings (Jun 16, 2009)

All you have to do is get a permit, I think. I don't think there's anything else. But it's the right thing to do to try and find her owner, signs on t-posts, a notice at a couple of Vets and certainly the SPCA...


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## tortoisenerd (Jun 16, 2009)

Sounds like you are doing good so far! 

I agree with Laura. Check this site to see if it could be a wild one: http://www.azgfd.gov/w_c/tortoiseencounter.shtml


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## chamema (Jun 17, 2009)

Thank you all for all of your advice and help. We are doing our best to be sure she is healthy and happy. It is getting really hard to not get attached. I am starting to hope her family doesnt want her anymore so we can have her. The sites tell us if she was found in the city chances of her being wild are very slim. It is more likley that she was a pet that was too much to handle and was just released. I dont know why anyone wouldnt want her. She is a wonderful little girl.

Thank you again.


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## Crazy1 (Jun 17, 2009)

I would give it 2 weeks to a month. Then apply for a permit. If they haven't contacted you by then they probably will not. I always get attached, even with the ones I foster. So I just think it is impossible not to get attached. Letting them go is the hard part and I think they always take a little bit of your heart with them. And you always keep a little bit of them in the rest of your heart they leave you with.


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## tortoisenerd (Jun 17, 2009)

I have heard of torts escaping and wandering quite far...even living in the "wild" a bit before being found. It's a possibility it escaped awhile ago, but then again, you can only do what you can do. Give it your best shot and then you have a new family member.


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## Gulf Coast (Jun 17, 2009)

tortoisenerd said:


> I have heard of torts escaping and wandering quite far...even living in the "wild" a bit before being found. It's a possibility it escaped awhile ago, but then again, you can only do what you can do. Give it your best shot and then you have a new family member.



I think thats what happend to Waldo, he was out on his own for awhile before we found him. I asked my neighbors about him.. And posted a found tort notice at the store near my house.. So here he still is..  Good luck  And I am so glad it worked out like it did because we just love the little guy to death... Even my husband said today how darn cute he is..


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